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Bloomberg: Multiple potential Buyers interested in Square Enix (Debunked: See OP)

The biggest thing that worries me about this, If MS goes on a shopping spree and it doesn't workout, is MS has not qualms about cutting divisions. Whenever MS has poured $$$ into a division as a last ditch effort to "save" a division and it hasn't worked out...

I wonder if they will sell xbox brand or they will just dissolve it like they did with Mixer if that hypothetical scenario happens.
 
The proportion of sales Playstation to Xbox for Final Fantasy is something like 80% to 20%. Acquiring Square-Enix and making Final Fantasy Xbox-only would effectively kill the franchise.

I guess MS has now adopted a scorched earth policy here: if Xbox isn't allowed to rule the world, then MS will simply start deleting major video game franchises until we all submit or video gaming dies.
 

Kerotan

Member
SE have always had an excellent relationship with Sony. As long as they offer a fair price I'm sure they'd much rather sell to them then an American or Chinese company.
 

kyliethicc

Member
Square would be another 10 billion or possibly higher, they trade between 7 and 8 billion but there is usually a 30% premium or more.

But if MSFT bought them, a lot of the company would have to be spun off or sold. I can't see communication being too easy either and the Japanese reaction wouldn't be good.

The value is very dubious to Xbox, it would be more of a move to deny it to PlayStation and it's possibkle that Square leadership might see Sony or other offers as healthier for company in the longterm.

Sony could easily afford it...I would go with 4 billion cash, 4 billion debt and 2 billion stock or something along those lines (Sony has very low debt and using only 4 billion cash still leaves over 40 billion in the bank) .... question is, if PS leadership is smart enough to see how important SE are to them.
My guess is if Square is ever bought by Sony .. for billions .. it won't be up to Jim Ryan lol.
That'd be a decision made by Sony Corp CEO Ken Yoshida, not just the head of SIE.

I assume it'd have to be seen as an investment for all of Sony Corp in games, anime, film, etc... not just PlayStation needs some more exclusives.

If it happens, I wouldn't really give Ryan the credit.
If it doesn't happen, I wouldn't really give Ryan the blame.
 

pasterpl

Member
Acts as if Sony haven’t been putting any games on pc...

It can’t be MS because of Japanese law! Unless they circumvent it.
I think Japanese law doesn’t prohibit these kind of transactions, it just require some addition steps (prescreening etc) prior to the transaction.

re. Ot: i have got serious doubt if this rumour is true
 

Kerotan

Member
I wonder if they will sell xbox brand or they will just dissolve it like they did with Mixer if that hypothetical scenario happens.
Probably sell to Tencent who'd pay a fortune.
The proportion of sales Playstation to Xbox for Final Fantasy is something like 80% to 20%. Acquiring Square-Enix and making Final Fantasy Xbox-only would effectively kill the franchise.

I guess MS has now adopted a scorched earth policy here: if Xbox isn't allowed to rule the world, then MS will simply start deleting major video game franchises until we all submit or video gaming dies.
At least Bethesda titles do well on Xbox. Nowhere near pc or PlayStation sales but respectable. The likes of ff and dq would sell dogshit on Xbox. They thrive on nintendo and Sony platforms. Pc not bad either I guess.
 
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pasterpl

Member

Taking all the above into account, if Square Enix Holdings as a whole is under Merge&Acquisition talks, it’s very likely to be acquired by another Japanese company such as Sony.

Sure, Square Enix Holdings doesn’t own a casino in South Korea like Sega, or tons of gyms in Japan like Konami. But it still seems legally nearly impossible to me for a non-Japanese company like Microsoft to take over Square Enix Holdings as a whole, from arcades to manga. If Square Enix alone, the video games section, is sold though, that’s another story.
 

Zeroing

Banned
It would be awful if any of the three bought Square.

Square’s output has been wide and diverse. They are the best they’ve been.
Or could be a even worse company! Buying them!

We do not know until the deal is done and we know who brought them!

If it is Sony, it would continue develop SE games for pc ( they do it with their first party) who knows, even allow on the switch.
Nintendo is not a direct threat to PS, both have very distinct target brand and users. They have their carved niches.
We will not know for certain ... yet
 
I play Square-Enix games on Playstation, Switch and the Xbox. I hope they Stay 3rd party.

If Sony buys Square Enix, I don't think their games will stop releasing on other platforms except the AAA games. I think the AAA games will be timed exclusive to Sony and PC release later. But they will probably continue to release small games for switch and PC. I don't know about xbox though.
 

Zeroing

Banned
Food for thought.
Nah thanks, we all know 89.9% of the rumors are false.

Discussions are behind close doors and rarely leaks, if you launch a bunch of rumors on a daily basis one is bound to be almost accurate.

if we go by rumors then we can also wonder, why did WB gaming studios refused to be brought by MS....

food for thought
 
If Sony buys Square Enix, I don't think their games will stop releasing on other platforms except the AAA games. I think the AAA games will be timed exclusive to Sony and PC release later. But they will probably continue to release small games for switch and PC. I don't know about xbox though.
Square-Enix basically only releases games on Xbox because MS pays them to at this point. And if MS doesn't pay them to, well, then you have Nier Replicant remaster. Nier Automata didn't get that Xbox port until after MS opened the wallet for example. And it's not the only franchise like this, the vast majority of Square-Enix Japan's catalog has long been Playstation or Nintendo only. DQ doesn't exist on Xbox and FF barely exists on Xbox. Even FF7 Remake didn't get released on Xbox which is kind of hilarious, that's how not relevant Xbox is to Square-Enix Japan.

The only thing MS would really get out of an SE acquisition would be basically the old Eidos (now Square-Enix Europe) properties like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex and I really doubt MS thinks making TR and DX Xbox-only will magically drive sales and bring Xbox to world domination.
 
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Zeroing

Banned
Square Enix also has tons of small JRPGs. Sony will have a gold mine of small games to put on PS+ or PSNow.
People always said PS needed for JRPGS

I wonder if
I think Japanese law doesn’t prohibit these kind of transactions, it just require some addition steps (prescreening etc) prior to the transaction.

re. Ot: i have got serious doubt if this rumour is true
last time a country or a union screened an American company, European Union found out that Apple had a lot of money hidden and it was a mess.

no company wants to be screened!
Tax paradises ;)
 

TheDreadLord

Gold Member
Square-Enix basically only releases games on Xbox because MS pays them to at this point. And if MS doesn't pay them to, well, then you have Nier Replicant remaster. Nier Automata didn't get that Xbox port until after MS opened the wallet for example. And it's not the only franchise like this, the vast majority of Square-Enix Japan's catalog has long been Playstation or Nintendo only. DQ doesn't exist on Xbox and FF barely exists on Xbox. Even FF7 Remake didn't get released on Xbox which is kind of hilarious, that's how not relevant Xbox is to Square-Enix Japan.

The only thing MS would really get out of an SE acquisition would be basically the old Eidos (now Square-Enix Europe) properties like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex and I really doubt MS thinks making TR and DX Xbox-only will magically drive sales and bring Xbox to world domination.
I don’t think this is totally accurate. All FF mainline from VII on are on the XBox (minus the remake which will eventually be announced as the exclusivity period is over). DQXI is on game pass.
 

NoviDon

Member
I mean, I made a whole thread saying that MS buying bethesda was a declaration of war, and that it would set off a decade long acquisition frenzy, and what that will entail. and many laughed in my face. They couldn't (or didn't want to) believe it, or even entertain what was happening was real. but here we are...
 
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Mr.ODST

Member
FF7 Remake still not announced for xbox so Phils buying to force them to do it

on a serious note .. Making crazy moves if MS purchase, Sony has a long relationship with Square but if rumours of a MS/Nintendo partnership, SE games sell like mad on switch.
 

Tiamat2san

Member
If true...
Do it MS!
I am sure if they close the deal, they will honour past agreements with Sony.
FF XVI would release on both platforms + PC and games will continue to be released on switch.

if it’s Sony, they won’t be so nice.
 
The Sony fanboys are having a melt down and nobody has bought anyone yet 😂 Square are looking to be bought, and good luck to whoever buys them. It's not the end of the world people.
 

Kumomeme

Member
This just says that foreign companies looking to purchase more than a 1% stake in said listed firms will be subject to pre-screening.

If anyone can correct me please but this just sounds like MS would undergo stricter scrutineering.
this is what i understand too.
 

//DEVIL//

Member
I don’t get the news?
Many parties interested in buying capcom or Namco or whatever . Where are the news in this ? I am friggin interested in buying Microsoft. Doesn’t really mean shit.

Why people are so stupid ? How is this news ?
 
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Zeroing

Banned
Source? Afaik At&t figured out that they weren't going to get the money that they wanted so just stopped trying to flog it
We do not know what was the real reason.. that is my point! Rumors and trying to find out what happened/is happening just goes into nothing. It’s just a bunch of “what if”... multiple hypothesis no real answer.
 
The Sony fanboys are having a melt down and nobody has bought anyone yet 😂 Square are looking to be bought, and good luck to whoever buys them. It's not the end of the world people.
It's not the end of the world for me because I'm fine with playing mobile games and PC games. But for you console gamers, this sort of consolidation will always go badly for you guys in the end. I'll still have Genshin Impact, you might not have Final Fantasy soon.
 

onesvenus

Member
The only thing MS would really get out of an SE acquisition would be basically the old Eidos (now Square-Enix Europe) properties like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex and I really doubt MS thinks making TR and DX Xbox-only will magically drive sales and bring Xbox to world domination.
Isn't the point bringing games that are not there? Xbox would be getting a lot of games they are not getting now, thus making the console more attractive to people that wouldn't consider it before.
 

Sweep14

Member
werent there rumors that Phil bought Bethesda because Sony was trying to buy Starfield and other bethesda timed exclusives which forced Phil's hands. Well Sony has FF7, FF14, FF16 and Project Athia timed exclusivity so maybe Phil is like fuck this. Im going all in.
Come on, this is ridiculous. MS could have easily countered Sony's Bethesda moneyhats by simply offering more money than them...
 

Zeroing

Banned
This is awful and all you cheering for this are very sad.

That is all.
I also felt very sad for the Bethesda thing. But people told me and many other that we were salty... when my point was the same as yours, less 3rd party games... for us gamers, but right now we are just discussing it!

you want to feel even sadder? Read the rumors threads about MS buying things, there, people are celebrating, hard!
 

Kikorin

Member
I guess is really possibile someone is interested in buying them, but I can't imagine someone with the legacy and the success of Square Enix could be interested in beeing bought right now.
 
I 80% believe that Sony is not involved simply because in that case they would not need to money hat time exclusivity for FF and Forspoken.

But it would be funny if it is MS. Each time Sony money hats something -> MS purchases the company :messenger_tears_of_joy: People will cry No No Sony, do not moneyhat Street Fighter
 
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