@TheEroica: You missed my point entirely. I can see your points, yes MS has definitely moved gaming forward in terms of online play no question there.

BUT MY POINT is from a business perspective. Xbox to my knowledge, correct me if I am wrong, has never been profitable. Im not talking MS as a whole, Im talking strictly gaming division.

So why does MS drop so many other ventures that don't turn a profit but keep throwing money at xbox? It doesn't make sense. Google just tried it and failed horribly, and they are getting the hell out of gaming. Most other companies would have gotten out by now.

Why?

@TheEroica: Except Sony was immediately successful with the PS One and PS2, stumbled a bit with the PS3, but got it together to make the PS4, and now PS5 successful again.

MS has never had that success with Xbox, most companies would have had to drop that business, but what does MS do? They keep throwing money at just to stay in. The only reason they stayed in gaming is because Apple, Amazon, and Google weren't in it.

Look at Zune, Windows Phone, MSN, Surface RT, and Groove Music. All failed MS attempts to compete with other BIG Tech companies.

I don't understand why MS stayed in Gaming for so long, it was their most successful least successful venture outside of Windows and Office, they stopped all their other money pits but why keep xbox?

@TheEroica: That's not an argument. You think more consolidation is going to give us more unique games? Just because the industry is a certain way now, doesn't mean we should stop advocating for change.

The way everything is headed, it's going to be GAAS, and always online garbage. At least with sony and nintendo there's some light with good single player games, along with the indie scene.

I don't want to see Sony or Nintendo bought out, but the big tech companies obviously can just swoop in anytime they want and buy themselves into an industry.

Excuse me? MS has a near monopoly on PC operating systems, it's been that way for decades. Sony nor Nintendo have ever come that close to controlling an industry

You talk about MS earning their right to do this with 2 decades in gaming.....but have they really? They never won a generation with Xbox (Sorry the 360 lost to the wii and the PS3 ended catching up towards the end) Has the gaming division EVER turned a profit?

When the going got tough, The MS gaming division asked for money from daddy windows and bought it's way back in.

@TheEroica: Sony nor Nintendo could buy the largest 3rd party publisher, heck they couldn't even buy the 2nd largest publisher.

What makes the games industry so great is the amount of diversity in it, a lot of different companies making great games and adding to the industry. BUT like with TV and movies feeling all "samey" and Safe after mass studio consolidations (Disney) we could be headed down the same path with games. Do we really want Amazon, Google, Apple, and disney to jump in on this industry? Everything will start to feel the same, and everything is going to have a damn subscription and micro transactions out the ass

@sargentd: If MS buys them all once Sony and Nintendo bow out of the console space you know you'll be paying $30 or more a month for Game Pass right? You gotta see whats happening here.

This is what happens when non gaming companies get into the gaming industry, they just buy it all up and turn it into shit.

MS is just looking for a market to control that Amazon, Apple, and Google haven't touched yet, because that's the competition that is really scaring MS and they are fleeing to the one industry they can still just buy with their windows money.

@robert_sparkes:

This exactly. If Sony has to play out of the Nintendo Playbook then that's what they are going to have to do. Keep releasing banger exclusives, release them on PC at least a year after for extra revenue, flesh out PS Plus. Rumors are they will combine PS Plus and PS Now into one service with different tiers. One tier having access to PS1, PS2, and PS3 games.

And I would be talking with Take 2, EA, Konami, Sega, and Square Enix asap.

I think Sony need to seriously look at the Konami Portfolio and buy up some IPs, like Castlevania, Metal Gear, Fatal Frame, etc. I know there are rumors about exclusive deals with Square Enix as well, I think that really needs to happen now.

I would say partner up with Sega, but Sega's multiplatform strategy has been working pretty well for them.

Partnerships with Square and Konami are the only things feasible IMO

Dude we get it you like Metro, you aren't going to sell the game on anyone 3 years later.

It's a good game with a cult following, but there's a reason it has a CULT following, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

And don't base your entire gaming personality around Metro, it's ok to branch out my man, be yourself.

I really like Yakuza 0, one of my favorite games of all time, but you don't see me making threads all the time trying to convince people it's a masterpiece.

I think it's great they are still going to make them BUT

THE PRICE NEEDS TO DROP! They are still selling for $299, I wish they could get the PS4 Slim down to $199 or $149. That will open up a new market for budget gamers, and less fortunate gamers. And gets a great system to more people.

But with the supply shortages this sadly won't happen. I feel bad for kids mostly, I remember during the PS1/N64 gen how cheap Genesis and SNES got and I remember me and a ton of my friends getting some great 16 bit systems and games for cheap.