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Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)
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demigod
Member
They were working from home. Stop acting like them moving back into the office affected their work for the worse or months to move back in.
Isn’t it funny how covid only affects ms and not any sony studios?
feynoob
Gold Member
10% of annual turnover but actually looking at the fact sheet, I am wondering another question re the actual cap is on an annual basis or for the whole antitrust infringement. It makes sense if it's annual but cant see if that's the case. I would be happy if anyone has a source although it doesn't make a difference. MS ain't paying an extra 20bn for this deal.
demigod
Member
Your point?
feynoob
Gold Member
My point is, Ninja theory moved to a new HQ, which affected their work on early stages.
They were also waiting for UE5 to continue their development.
Its not mismanagement as some people makes out to be.
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ToTTenTranz
Banned
Why must ATVI be sold to anyone? They're a perfectly healthy company making over $2B a year in profits.
If they really needed money they could easily sell a division or one of the IPs they refuse to develop new games on.
The only reason their board of directors need to sell the company is for each of them to get a massive golden parachute to bail with, after their ESG rating got dragged through the mud with the sex harassment lawsuits and accusations.
If they fail to sell the company, Kotick and his friends simply need to leave it as millionaires instead of billionaires.
On ATVI's side, this acquisition is only happening to save Kotick's sex-harassment-enabler's ass.
So you think all software developers in Cambridge suddenly dropped their computers and went to the construction site to lay bricks for a year? And that's fine because otherwise they'd be dwindling their thumbs waiting for the Epic engineers to finish UE5?
Dude just stop...
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
No one needs to.
They earn more than $8 billion in revenue and more than $2 billion in profit annually. They'd be perfectly fine independent.
feynoob
Gold Member
https://pinglestudio.com/blog/full-...ges#:~:text=The 7 stages of game development (Planning%2C%20Pre%2Dproduction,structured%20throughout%20the%20development%20process.
feynoob
Gold Member
That is the only option here.
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
Perhaps a new owner such as MS who are trying to create as much content for GP would get more out of under-utilised IP than ActiBlizz do currently, as you said they’re doing just fine with what they have at the moment m.
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thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
I'm glad you tied this back to ESG ratings because that's the crux of the reason why ABK are selling. They pretty much destroyed their rating due to the harassment allegations and workplace culture being exposed, and that impacts their ability to get investors in the future, or look like a safe company to provide loans to if you're a bank, etc.
Never mind that ESG ratings themselves are pretty controversial (IMO). Fact is they exist and ABK having its issues pop up tanked theirs for the foreseeable future. It's like having a bad credit score; if it's REALLY bad then the only way out is probably filing for bankruptcy.
Selling to MS is basically ABK filing for bankruptcy. As ridiculous as that sounds. Because this has nothing to do with their actual market performance (which is very strong in terms of revenue and profit).
Ass of Can Whooping
Gold Member
What makes you think Microsoft is going to utilize those IPs?
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
Necessity, for one. Whether they can is another story.
Ass of Can Whooping
Gold Member
Necessary how? Microsoft have enough underutilized IP under their belt as is.
PuffyCan
Member
Isn’t it funny how GT7, God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West were also delayed because of covid, it's like Microsoft is held to a different standard than Sony. Both were affected by Covid... or do you think Sony also mismanaged their studios because of those delays?
laddergoat89
Neo Member
They're opinions.
demigod
Member
GT7 was always going to be delayed, it’s polyphony you’re talking about. HFW wasn’t affected as much, i’ll give you GoW tho.
So what AAA game has ms released since covid?
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Off the top of my head of underutilized IP:
-Conker
-Banjo
-Perfect Dark
-Jet Force Gemini (Maybe they could've worked with Platinum on a sequel to this instead of Scalebound, considering similarities with Vanquish)
-Battletoads (a real one, not that Nick Jr. CalArts Flash abomination they came out with)
-Phantom Dust (cancelled the reboot)
-Crackdown (could've been their own 1P GTA, instead they killed the franchise. Sony stopped The Getaway but that had a WAY stronger finish than Crackdown)
-Crimson Skies (why no Crimson Skies content for Flight Simulator? Maybe a mission campaign mode like the Crimson Skies series?)
Yeah Sony have some underutilized IP too IMO. Socom, Resistance, Killzone, Syphon Filter (I don't personally care for those four but I see their potential). Parappa/UmJammer, Motorstorm, PS All-Stars, etc. But Sony do have legacy IP they've stuck with and have made massively successful, like GOW, Gran Turismo, Uncharted, plus new franchises they've established successfully like Insomniac Spiderman, Ghosts of Tsushima, Death Stranding (with KojiPro), Returnal etc.
Most importantly all of that is current stuff. MS don't have that balance of healthy legacy IP and new big IP over the past 5 - 10 years like Sony or Nintendo. And I mean "big" as in games that obviously do major things for the brand. Sea of Thieves might have reached 20 million players but no one's rushing out to buy Xboxes or sub to Game Pass to play Sea of Thieves.
gothmog
Gold Member
Who decides to move everyone into a new HQ and to wait for a new engine to continue development? Starts with man. Ends in ment.
bitbydeath
Member
GoW was delayed because of Christopher Judge’s health issues.
feynoob
Gold Member
Do people think companies start gaming production immediatly?
What happened to the step by step production? Do these things not exist?
Schmick
Member
gothmog
Gold Member
If you make games, you should maybe focus on making games? I have personally worked at companies that stopped focusing on their core businesses to focus on things like new buildings, large acquisitions, and such. I would qualify such focuses as mismanagement.
feynoob
Gold Member
Here is the thing.
Making games need time and discusion on what type of game the company is going to make. Early stage is all about the project, the art and that type of shit.
Its not a quick fire. Things take time. Not everything has to be a bad management.
People are so obessed with these management issues, that it clouds their judgement.
If you follow Ninja theory story, they usually give you follow up with their process. Especially the mocap with their actress.
Here is their youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@officialninjatheory/videos
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
We’ll undeniably the instant boost of IP like COD, etc. helps short term but they may want the other IP to use in future as it’s easier to use existing IP than develop new ones. And some of those IPS they’ll be picking up would probably have a lot more interest than those they currently have and aren’t utilising.
Schmick
Member
I actually think SoT, FS2020, Grounded, FH5 have been well managed. The amount support these games get from the developers is second to none. Updates are frequent and the interaction with the communities has been fantastic.
Halo on the other hand not so good. Disappointing even.
But 4 out of 5 games is pretty good.
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NonPhixion
Member
Ninja Theory isn’t poorly managed. Putting time and resources into Bleeding Edge is not what a mismanaged company does.
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Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
Compare those titles to the likes of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo and you would definitely have more interest in the latter.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
is this sarcasm?
Topher
Gold Member
ChorizoPicozo
Member
wait wat? are some people still in denial about MS mismanagement of Studios, IPs and even the Xbox Brand?
c'mon now.
c'mon now.
Ass of Can Whooping
Gold Member
Most of Activision IPs are underutilized for a reason. Microsoft isn't going to change that when they don't even bother with their own legacy. That's just a pipedream
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feynoob
Gold Member
People like to get outrage over stuff, that is out of controll sometimes.
Any production issues is immediatly called bad management.
Its like people here think they know what is happpening in the production floor.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
when is systematic and we have years of evidence.....i mean.....the results speak for themselves.
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
And MS’s aren’t? Sure we can just default ‘well MS would just fuck it up anyway’ but I was just putting forward possible benefit of them acquiring the IP.
feynoob
Gold Member
Every company goes through bad period. I am not ignoring that part of xbox.
MS is shit and dont know how to handle their companies. I am not gonna pretend they are not. I still bash them for their stupidity.
But that doesnt mean people can use the same shit on other department. MS other department are still in good shape, and keep bumping out those games.
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Iced Arcade
Member
We need some news/info on this acquisition so some of yas stop favorite toy wars lol
Ass of Can Whooping
Gold Member
A pipe dream isn't a justifiable reason for them to get acquired
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
Ass of Can Whooping
Gold Member
gothmog
Gold Member
Not sure what this has to do with you saying that moving HQs and waiting for an engine were excuses why the game isn't ready? Both of those things can be managed and if you're saying those are why then their management is not doing a good job. Hence mismanagement.
I worked for years developing, doing technical management, and then doing actual management for software teams. There are constant distractions and reasons teams lose their way. Management's job should be mostly around keeping the finger on the pulse of the teams, focus them when they lose focus, and to minimize distractions that lead to loss of focus. Most managers fail miserably at this because they're stuck in meetings all day focusing on things that really don't matter.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
Well, this is the thing.....Skepticism.
MS has earn it slow and steady over the years....Since the second half of the 360 era.
Now is on them to prove otherwise. there is no "benefit of the doubt" (only for fanboys).
So....until they show the receipts with consistency...This conversation is like entertaining someone who belives the earth is flat.
feynoob
Gold Member
Which the game doesnt have. If it did, we would have heard that by now.
People are making their assumptions, without actually knowning what the company is doing.
Do you think this news would escape this guys nose?
https://twitter.com/jasonschreier?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Hero of Spielberg
Gold Member
Always happy to educate the peons
No, you're just an insufferable fanboy.
feynoob
Gold Member
It would be hard for a company like MS.
You are asking someone with insane money, if they give a crap about their ouput.
Couple of money flash, and they can hide their issues.
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