Freeform thread, who do you feel Microsoft should purchase next and why?
What IPs do you want to see this next purchase make from MS or continue to make of their own that they acquire?
I think they should focus in-house as their issues are more so how they treat who they own vs not owning enough.
I want to see more new AAA IP that they are pre-pared to support just like they do Halo, Gears etc. As we've seen the publisher reluctant to really give any IP that spotlight, budget, marketing etc besides their big 3 (Halo, Gears, Forza) as that just needs to end. That preconceived notion is what is making customers feel those IP are once overs or not to take seriously etc when I feel most would respond positively if MS very much shows that their new stuff is getting the "Halo, Gears, Forza" treatment.
So that is a massive plus as I feel the community sees thru them like paper regarding when they make new IPs. They MUST support those AAA concepts in the same respect they do Halo or Gears if they want to see Halo or Gears response. The Last Of Us outsold Uncharted because it was not treated like a smaller, secondary IP etc. Marketed just as much, budget just as big etc.
I feel they can also find some room with their RTS titles with more outsourcing to Creative Assembly, maybe more Halo Wars, even a Gears RTS or Age Of Empire return etc.
Like stated before, they need to drastically alter how they treat those teams and legit be open to allowing them to create new IP. Uncharted, The Last Of Us, Infamous, Bloodborne, Horizon etc. All new IP, all allowing new consumers to buy said publishers product (same for 3rd party) making something new allows customer to rely on if they like that IP vs the publisher, so MS can't expect to sell to new people on old concepts. So they might make Quantum Break, but their fans clearly know their massive funds are really behind Halo, Gears, Forza......that needs to change.
Horizon being made didn't make customers feel that it was getting lessor attention, budget, marketing etc then Killzone. That is based on how it marketed and history of the publisher.
MS literally needs to show this level of support to those IPs for fans to feel like this is the start of a massive series getting long term support vs timed releases, IPs by teams they don't own etc.
Halo 5's free MP was a great idea for maps, I want to see that continue.
They need balance and need those teams they got FULLY focusing on SP concepts as they are not the only damn company making MP titles and the ones they make clearly are showing its not a market that makes sense for them to continue to saturate.
So I'm not sure who MS needs to buy next, but I feel its more important that they fix what they have now vs buying more teams.