Microsoft buying EA??

[jonks]

http://online.wsj.com/article/...tml?mod=rss_Hot_Stocks

It's being derided as rumors by some, but everything is a rumor before it actually happens, haha.

Talk about a behemoth corp tho...

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

If this happens, it would be a huge black eye for the gaming industry.

I can't see it happening, but it will be nothing but bad if it does.

 

[BladeVenom]

That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

 

[TehMac]

Idk, MS would probably shrink EA, MS itself is bloated. Hopefully MS would fire all the PC devs, the PC devs would regroup and find new ways of distribution, such as STEAM and new publishers eager to fill the gap. Who knows, but MS is a disaster in the PC gaming field.

 

[Glitchny]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

well i highly doubt they would make EA stop making games for the PC. Actually it would be dumb for them to ignore the PS3 and Wii right away as well.

If they owned EA it makes more sense to keep selling games on other systems as most money comes from game sales not hardware sales and ignoring the Wii and PS3 would cost them money whereas making games for the other systems would still make money for the company. Unless we're talking about exclusive games, those I can see being made MS only.

 

[destrekor]

What if this would signal Microsoft dropping the console market and becoming a developer/publisher of epic proportions?
That'd be intriguing - instead of a company being forced to retreat due to low sales (Sega), it would be an epic retirement of a company with a console that has sold very well.
Maybe they are realizing there is more money to be made in developing/publishing for multiple consoles instead of only reaping the profits from licensing from a single console. A logical conclusion Microsoft could potentially reach at some point. They are still more of a software company than a hardware company.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

Why on Earth would they do that? MS owns the largest PC gaming platform in the world.

 

[lupi]

heavily torn on whether this would be good or bad.

 

[Schadenfroh]

As much as I dislike EA, I do not want this to happen.

Originally posted by: destrekor
What if this would signal Microsoft dropping the console market and becoming a developer/publisher of epic proportions?

They could have purchased many good developers and publishers with the amount of money they have invested (and lost) in the Xbox franchise.

 

[UberNeuman]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

Why on Earth would they do that? MS owns the largest PC gaming platform in the world.

You have to admit, MS has been doing the most damage to the PC gaming platform for a few years now - in favor of boosting their console market.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: lupi
heavily torn on whether this would be good or bad.

Yeah same... i dunno what to think. I dont care anymore lol its too late EA's done its damage and wrecked all my fav franchises. For pc gamers this shouldnt make a difference, for console gamers it should be fine as long as MS dont screw up mass effect or dead space, which im already worried about EA doing by itsself at some point.

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

Why on Earth would they do that? MS owns the largest PC gaming platform in the world.

Because they want PC gamers to switch to the Xbox. Microsoft has already shutdown all their PC gaming studios, or converted them to Xbox gaming studios. They even shutdown ACES studio with made Flight Simulator and ESP. Flight Simulator was Microsoft's longest running title. So it was a lot more important than just a gaming studio, but they shut them down anyways. Microsoft use to be one of the biggest developers of PC games, now I don't think they are making any PC games.

When they buy exclusives they usually demand that the developers cancel or delay the PC version. Just look at Alan Wake.

Microsoft is doing everything they can to crush PC gaming for the benefit of the Xbox. They want the choice to be Xbox or nothing.

 

[TehMac]

Steve Ballmer is a fucking asshole, I blame Steve.

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

Why on Earth would they do that? MS owns the largest PC gaming platform in the world.

Because they want PC gamers to switch to the Xbox. Microsoft has already shutdown all their PC gaming studios, or converted them to Xbox gaming studios. They even shutdown ACES studio with made Flight Simulator and ESP. Flight Simulator was Microsoft's longest running title. So it was a lot more important than just a gaming studio, but they shut them down anyways. Microsoft use to be one of the biggest developers of PC games, now I don't think they are making any PC games.

When they buy exclusives they usually demand that the developers cancel or delay the PC version. Just look at Alan Wake.

Microsoft is doing everything they can to crush PC gaming for the benefit of the Xbox. They want the choice to be Xbox or nothing.

that makes no sense, especially that vista comes with dx10 and windows 7 with DX11, both are very progressive and had to cost a lot to develop, they made investment in PC gaming on Windows "Games for Windows" brand.

 

[paperfist]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: BladeVenom

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

I know everyone bashes EA, but I liked the Battlefield games.

Why on Earth would they do that? MS owns the largest PC gaming platform in the world.

Because they want PC gamers to switch to the Xbox. Microsoft has already shutdown all their PC gaming studios, or converted them to Xbox gaming studios. They even shutdown ACES studio with made Flight Simulator and ESP. Flight Simulator was Microsoft's longest running title. So it was a lot more important than just a gaming studio, but they shut them down anyways. Microsoft use to be one of the biggest developers of PC games, now I don't think they are making any PC games.

When they buy exclusives they usually demand that the developers cancel or delay the PC version. Just look at Alan Wake.

Microsoft is doing everything they can to crush PC gaming for the benefit of the Xbox. They want the choice to be Xbox or nothing.

that makes no sense, especially that vista comes with dx10 and windows 7 with DX11, both are very progressive and had to cost a lot to develop, they made investment in PC gaming on Windows "Games for Windows" brand.

Games for Windows is a joke and whatever dx they develop ends up on the X-Box anyway. It's all just smoke and mirrors, MS can charge a fee to developers making X-Box games, they can't on a PC. MS advertises X-Box games, you never see them do that on the PC side. And as pointed out MS will pay to hold off PC exclusives.

Anyway, this would have to go through the DoJ, wouldn't it? I can't image creating a larger MS would be something they would allow.

 

[Zenoth]

I am undecided on the potential of such a thing happening, if it would do bad only, good only, or both to some extent. It's a tough one to analyze, but I have the feeling that if it does happen then it's because Microsoft are absolutely certain of something concerning the XBOX 360's successor, perhaps they are certain of its success, but that's an epic gamble (with Sony, their main competitor, but also with Nintendo) which I think should be the one platform to benefit (general term) from such a move, simply because I don't see EA focusing only on PC gaming, they largely prefer the home console market that's for sure. If Microsoft can monopolize EA to work only on their next generation console along with making games for Games for Windows Live... then I seriously don't know what to think.

I see two possibilities at first glance:

1) Microsoft condemn themselves to generally mediocre games by monopolizing arguably the worst video games developer on the market as of now, paving the way to entire success for both Sony and Nintendo since EA is now gone on those platforms and now better games emerge for them, also giving more opportunities for smaller development studios and not risking to get over-shadowed by the behemoth.

2) Microsoft somehow miraculously "change" EA's game development methods and philosophies and end up being a large part in the re-creation of a "new EA", one that would regularly develop quality products, which would help convince consumers to buy "Microsoft only" (for their next console but might also help increase GFWL's popularity and usage frequency) and thus having more cash flow in (the ultimate reason, that is) by selling most of the blockbuster titles, somewhat leaving Sony and Nintendo in its dust trail at least for certain game types, mostly sports titles.

They're both extremes of possibilities, nothing of all that could happen, it's just rumors, but it's fun to speculate on this one in particular, I like it, just for what it could imply, just thinking about it... I mean, Microsoft, buying/merging EA... that's almost Hollywood-worthy. I wonder if that would be the biggest transaction in the video gaming history?

 

[JSt0rm]

guys its EA. Who gives a fuck. When was the last time you bought some ea crapola? If they are gone thats more dollars to be spent elsewhere and that elsewhere could be making some really cool new ip.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
guys its EA. Who gives a fuck. When was the last time you bought some ea crapola? If they are gone thats more dollars to be spent elsewhere and that elsewhere could be making some really cool new ip.

Dead Space was pretty good IMO.

 

[Yukmouth]

And next they'll buy the NFL.

 

[Sylvanas]

They can't make EA worse than they already are surely....

 

[Schadenfroh]

Text

"We have no plans to acquire EA," Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. "They remain a very important partner to us. No acquisitions."

Think a "partnership" is in the works? **cough** yahoo ** cough**

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Text

"We have no plans to acquire EA," Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. "They remain a very important partner to us. No acquisitions."

Think a "partnership" is in the works? **cough** yahoo ** cough**

No.

That is, not beyond their existing relationship of course.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Per Microsofts statement this morning "We have no plans to acquire EA." Sounds pretty definate to me.

http://www.marketwatch.com/sto...-acquire-ea-2009-09-23

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
That would be a horrible blow to gamers. Microsoft would make EA stop producing games for the PC, PS3, and the Wii.

If EA left the PC gaming market, perhaps it would open the door for studios and publishers that are not yet consolized and perhaps don't ever want to be consolized, such as Ironclad Games (Sins of a Solar Empire) and its publisher Stardock (Galactic Civilizations, Demigod).

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Text

"We have no plans to acquire EA," Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. "They remain a very important partner to us. No acquisitions."

Think a "partnership" is in the works? **cough** yahoo ** cough**

No.

That is, not beyond their existing relationship of course.

You mean the one that EA takes the ass without lube and Microsoft takes whatever hole is available up front?