Support NeoGAF

[SteelCurtain 59]

So in 2013, or a couple years ago when Sony went on the 3rd party exclusive rampage (including an attempt at Starfield exclusivity) you don't think any of the execs were talking about "ending the Xbox gaming division" in a similar vein to this? Because if you don't then you are very gullible or very biased (or both)

 

[Hendrick's]

Great replies everyone. You really cleared up why the FTC are shilling for Sony.

 

[Tsaki]

Interestingly, what they said about Sony they could do to Steam. Buy Sega, Capcom, SE, etc (all of those are worth less than ABK btw) and make ALL their games Xbox and Windows Store exclusive. They could make Steam just an indie store.

 

[Vognerful]

you can dunk on me all you want, but I really can't tell what is really bad about this email except the string of 5 words together. I mean this sounds like he is predicting that the future of video games will be similar to tv shows; plit between 4/5 streaming service giants. And unless they secure contents now, they will be left out of any cake to eat.

 

[jm89]

So in 2013, or a couple years ago when Sony went on the 3rd party exclusive rampage (including an attempt at Starfield exclusivity) you don't think any of the execs were talking about "ending the Xbox gaming division" in a similar vein to this? Because if you don't then you are very gullible or very biased (or both)

The fact that you think third party exclusives is the same thing as buying a publisher shows how much of a moron some of you are.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Can't tell which one looks like they're being held hostage more.

 

[Kilau]

 

[Yoboman]

Matt Booty is the type of guy working in gaming for 20 years with zero achievements to his name

When he leaves the industry nobody will even remember he was there

 

[Moridianae]

So..that's pretty rough. Still bet the judge ignores it and let's Microsoft go on ahead with no injunction.

Seriously, though--I said long ago that it wouldn't stop with ABK, now there's revelations about Sega, Bungie were on the docket.

And they will be if they snake this deal through.

 

[Agent X]

 

[DeepEnigma]

No lies detected.

 

[Snake29]

TH

Can't tell which one looks like they're being held hostage more.

This one deserves some photoshop.

 

[FrankWza]

Somehow this will be spun as Sony's fault. I'm just trying to figure out the spin.

Psygnosis

 

[DeepEnigma]

Great replies everyone. You really cleared up why the FTC are shilling for Sony.

You're adorable.

 

[THE DUCK]

Yeeuck. I would rather see Valve make some kind of console. They already have the huge library and proton.

They have positioned themselves very nicely for this, a steam "Home" for $399 with something like a 3070 on it would probably do well at this point.

 

[Darsxx82]

The cma knew about this? Where did they mention this email?

Yes, CMA has access to any of those documents as well. And, knowing the very close relationship with the FTC, it would be very ingenious to think that it was not known to them.

Surely it could have been the basis to deny the acquisition due to the game in the cloud and possibly bring it to light before the CAT. The issue is that as proof it is very relative (it is an email from 2019 and it is a standard note) and it has to be supported by financial data and demonstrate that irreparable damage was caused.

What people are not understanding is that the decision is not based on what MS would have tried or wanted to acquire in 2019. It is based on the effects that the ABK acquisition may have on the market.

 

[Gambit2483]

As a judge this would make me block the deal immediately.

But people will disagree with me.

A monopoly? Who said anything about a monopoly, your honor, you cooking?

 

[DForce]

So in 2013, or a couple years ago when Sony went on the 3rd party exclusive rampage (including an attempt at Starfield exclusivity) you don't think any of the execs were talking about "ending the Xbox gaming division" in a similar vein to this? Because if you don't then you are very gullible or very biased (or both)

People are using these documents to point out Microsoft's hypocrisy.

Many people knew this was the case for years, but the Xbox faithful on here wanted to believe Microsoft wouldn't do this because they were the nice guys.

We tried to tell people what they were saying through the media was bullshit, but many people bought it.

This is relevant because Microsoft is trying to convince regulators this is not what they're trying to do. There are regulators who want to stop big tech companies from doing this.

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

When thinking about the ABK deal, previously: all platforms (well, perhaps not Switch). After: XBox and PC. So... everyone wins, right?

I mean cloud would have access to it, so objectively more people would have access to those games, even if the quality is much lower. But even then I don't think anybody seriously thought the whole "play games anywhere" was meant as a justification for this deal, or to say there wouldn't be exclusives, or else things like Halo and Gears would be on Playstation. They're two very separate points that only fanboys try and misconstrue into some hypocrisy. In terms of letting everybody play their games they're substantially closer than any other console maker

 

[Represent.]

Gamers who have access to Xbox First party games: Anybody with an Xbox, PC, or device with a web browser

Gamers who have access to Playstation First party games: Anybody with a Playstation, and some games at a later date on PC

Of all the things to bitch about you picked the category where Xbox is clearly the good guys.

Putting your games on every platform known to man doesn't make you a "good guy". It just means you're watering down the product and devaluing your console.
Theres a reason people hate cross gen games. It limits the potential of the game on the new platform.
Theres also a reason exclusive games tend to launch with less bugs, be more polished, and score higher on average. Less platforms to develop for = smoother development = most likely a better final product

Dont let these corporate ponies trick you. Launching Starfield on Switch would in no way be best for the game.

 

[Nydius]

except the string of 5 words together

Those 5 words about spending Sony out of business aren’t even the really damning part of the email. Discussing spending billions in 2020 that others couldn’t in order to use content as a “moat” (aka walling off competition) is. And they didn’t just name Sony as a target of that anti-competitive behavior, they also named Google and Amazon.

 

[DeepEnigma]

People are using these documents to point out Microsoft's hypocrisy.

Many people knew this was the case for years, but the Xbox faithful on here wanted to believe Microsoft wouldn't do this because they were the nice guys.

We tried to tell people what they were saying through the media was bullshit, but many people bought it.

This is relevant because Microsoft is trying to convince regulators this is not what they're trying to do. There are regulators who want to stop big tech companies from doing this.

The faithful knew the truth and are hoping for it. They were just repeating the PR spin.

 

[THE DUCK]

It's tough to spin what Matt is saying, but considering the small numbers he's throwing around doesn't he just mean gobbling up smaller companies ahead of Sony or Apple or Amazon, in effect making them the "content king". Bad framing to say put sony out of business, but that's what would effectively happen if you own 75% of the wanted content.

 

[German Hops]

you can dunk on me all you want, but I really can't tell what is really bad about this email except the string of 5 words together.

 

[ulantan]

2019

really dont see the importance of this. Sony and Xbox would gladly kill each other, dont see how this is a suprise at all.

One can the other can't

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Flappy Bootys lose Call of Duties.

 

[tmlDan]

A monopoly? Who said anything about a monopoly, your honor, you cooking?

"Your honor, as you can see, I was talking about Google who has shown no iota of success with stadia - they're clearly just a few years away from fucking us! I was just talking about spending money cause Amazon, who i also stated can't make content, are also gonna get us! Oh! and Tencent, who's net worth is $400B (at the time) is gonna get us! Oh and lastly, we really wanna focus on cloud anyways, the only competitor could be Sony so yea we should outspend them out of business - totally not anti-competitive at all your honor"

 

[Snake29]

Funny how people are getting banned on REEE for being negative at Phil about all of this news

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

The fact that you think third party exclusives is the same thing as buying a publisher shows how much of a moron some of you are.

Where did I say that, like explicitly point me to the place where I said they were the same, if you can't then you're the moron trying to put words in my mouth. I'm talking about the type of quote from Booty about "spending Sony out of business", which I almost 100% guarantee Sony execs have said similar things about Xbox. Like that's the entire point of this thread, acting like somehow Microsoft is more malicious than Sony because they're doing bigger things, when the intent on both sides is the same, merely the magnitude of the actions they can afford to do is different. Just because Microsoft aren't the "good guys" doesn't mean Sony is

 

[Nydius]

Heeeeey why did I get a “she’s right” gif from you earlier?

Didn’t think my username sounded that feminine.

 

[pasterpl]

What is your obsession=ion with these sort of gifs?

 

[ChiefDada]

you can dunk on me all you want, but I really can't tell what is really bad about this email except the string of 5 words together. I mean this sounds like he is predicting that the future of video games will be similar to tv shows; plit between 4/5 streaming service giants. And unless they secure contents now, they will be left out of any cake to eat.

Invitation accepted.

 

[DenchDeckard]

This guys worded it well to cover everyone's back...the email starting with "a different view to the general view below" makes it easy for MS to just say, "yeah that's bootys view...not the general concensus at microsoft"

Unless I'm reading into it incorrectly.

 

[Astray]

Sony
Tencent
Google
Amazon
Hulu
CBS
Disney

All companies that were mentioned in Booty's email.. You know which company is conspicuously absent here?

N I N T E N D O

 

[intheinbetween]

How Sony's PlayStation 2 took the world by storm

It's rare for a company to have such a strong entry into the games market as Sony did with the original PlayStation. Wh…

www.gamesindustry.biz

"We targeted Microsoft from day one -- we were ruthless," he says. "I'm not of this mentality anymore, but at the time it was life or death as far as I was concerned. We had this expression in our business meetings: 'Kill them right at the start and take no prisoners' when it came to Microsoft. It worked at least for PS2, and it continued to work on PS3 and PS4, and it'll probably continue to work on PS5 because we drove piles under the strength of the PlayStation equals games concept at that stage when we were getting ready to take Microsoft on."

Oh the irony in business, how the tides turn

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

Putting your games on every platform known to man doesn't make you a "good guy". It just means you're watering down the product and devaluing your console.
Theres a reason people hate cross gen games. It limits the potential of the game on the new platform.
Theres also a reason exclusive games tend to launch with less bugs, be more polished, and score higher on average. Less platforms to develop for = smoother development = most likely a better final product

Dont let these corporate ponies trick you. Launching Starfield on Switch would in no way be best for the game.

None of the additional platforms Xbox puts their stuff on (PC, cloud) have any effect on the quality of the game. The two examples you give (cross-gen, Switch) are bad examples because they're last gen consoles, which isn't relevant to the comparison

 

[lh032]

So in 2013, or a couple years ago when Sony went on the 3rd party exclusive rampage (including an attempt at Starfield exclusivity) you don't think any of the execs were talking about "ending the Xbox gaming division" in a similar vein to this? Because if you don't then you are very gullible or very biased (or both)

i dont think anyone stupid enough to think that "hey we just kept doing time exclusive, Microsoft a 2-3 trillion company is going to shut down xbox!!!"

 

[proandrad]

But... but game pass.

I'm actually worried if the deal gets blocked Microsoft will give up on gaming and then we have to deal with a Sony monopoly. No matter who wins we lose.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Heeeeey why did I get a “she’s right” gif from you earlier?

Didn’t think my username sounded that feminine.

I want to be different. I could have gone with an 'IT'

But nah just kidding man. You just have to laugh at this shit with Xbox. I honestly can't believe it yo.

 

[adamsapple]

Yo adamsapple you kept saying you wanted to see the full un-redacted email before condemning Booty.

Well, here it is.

Have you been fed a line yet?

Duplicate thread, mate

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

i dont think anyone stupid enough to think that "hey we just kept doing time exclusive, Microsoft a 2-3 trillion company is going to shut down xbox!!!"

Xbox != Microsoft, there's been strong rumors about Xbox going third party or getting sold off for long periods of time, you don't think Sony at any point over the past decade has thought that they could kill their competition and have expressed that to each other?

 

[Varteras]

Great replies everyone. You really cleared up why the FTC are shilling for Sony.

The FTC doesn't care if Sony lives, dies, or grows mushrooms in its ass. The chair either wants to make a name for herself by stopping a big deal, or use the loss to push for reforms.

 

[VAVA Mk2]

Spencer will be fine at least but Booty will definitely get the boot.

Booty gets the boot

 

[Crispy Gamer]

he actually said this in an email and yeah this is pretty much 2020 crazy stuff but if regulators let them buy Activision-Blizzard that's pretty much a wrap it'll be a license to buy whatever they want going forward. It's wild to me that it's even a question if Microsoft would try to foreclose on Sony by denying them all of this content they're buying up man they don't care about all of the losses as long as Sony is gone in a decade or two. Congrats to the few who was catastrophizing all of these years about gamepass because it was in fact a Trojan horse I guess a lot of us just couldn't see past the value but it turned out to be the main reason media/people defend them buying the whole damn industry smh the CMA was pretty much the only one to get it right.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

 

[German Hops]

Invitation accepted.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

You’re right that all corporations are scum and shouldn’t be regarded as our friends. But this is under the microscope because Microsoft is trying to make good on their plans of buying up the industry and regulators are looking into it, as they should.

As others have pointed out, the critical difference is Microsoft has more cash on hand than Sony’s entire company is worth. Or, put another way, Sony is worth 0.12T, Microsoft is worth $2.6T (or was the last report $2.8T?).

This email isn’t just scummy, it proves they’re leveraging that massive difference to stifle competition.

That’s the whole point of every acquisition, though. “there’s another company that’s doing some thing that you wish you could be doing and you have lots of money, so just buy them out instead of doing it yourself”. I mean that’s like, Standard Business Practice in America 101.

And as far as money-hatting and wheeling and dealing for console exclusivity, or timed exclusives, Sony drives everyone else off the road with those kinds of deals. So, I’m not understanding the double standard.

And since we all agree that all of these companies are basically terrible, and they all want to drive the other one out of business, so that they’re the only one left, I’m not see how Microsoft is any worse than Sony is in that regard.

Please tell me how I’m wrong

 

[Darsxx82]

Because they believed making games exclusive wouldn't hurt Sony..

THey did in fact say Microsoft could make xcloud games exclusive which would hurt competition.

And the context?

It does so in 2019, then it only had 10 Studios. What surprises me is that people are surprised that MS wanted at that time that their first party games were exclusive to their platform at that time

What must be demonstrated by the FTC is that MS has no intention of making exclusive COD (because in the end it all comes down to COD no matter what) and not launching it on PS5. This on the side of a possible console harm that all the regulators have already taken it upon themselves to deny.

On the cloud gaming side, the FTC must demonstrate that allowing the acquisition will cause real damage to the competition and for that it needs financial data and, among other things, convince the judge that it is a separate market.

 

[jm89]

I'm talking about the type of quote from Booty about "spending Sony out of business", which I almost 100% guarantee Sony execs have said similar things about Xbox.

No you can't guarantee shit. You are talking out of your ass.

Xbox are executing their strategy with buying out publishers, i don't need to explain that bringing up third party exclusives is silly.

 

[Slicker than your average]

This guys worded it well to cover everyone's back...the email starting with "a different view to the general view below" makes it easy for MS to just say, "yeah that's bootys view...not the general concensus at microsoft"

Unless I'm reading into it incorrectly.

No you're just spinning as per usual.

Funny how it's always the forum's biggest Xboxes reading it incorrectly.

I'm looking forward to hear the forum's biggest shill and spin doctors take on this .