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[beerbelly]

Holy hell if this is true! It would be sad if Epic once bought turned out like Rare!

Rare is fine. The transition process was a mess, with tons of projects from Gamecube moved over to Xbox1 and then to 360. Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero were great efforts considering they were both supposed to be Gamecube titles and suffered from several artstyle/story changes. Viva Pinata is Sexcellent. Now that Rare has a good grasp of the 360 hardware I think we can expect some very high quality titles.

 

[Caspel]

Ranking the Rumored Purchases:
1. Epic
2. Yahoo
3. Logitech

This is from a perspective for the 360 alone.

 

[WrikaWrek]

Lol i was here thinking of a cool developer for MS to buy...and there's no one.

 

[speculawyer]

My BS meter is up in the red.

 

[Kafel]

Why isn't this and the BR one locked already ?

 

[NullPointer]

Pinatas of War!

Make it happen MS!

 

[Nooreo]

i dont know how people will react if this happens. I dont even know how to react if this happens lol

 

[solid2snake]

Why isn't this and the BR one locked already ?

because MS rumors are allways 110% true. look at the 360 Elite, Bungie gone or ME for PC.

 

[Teknoman]

I know this is a rumor, but my doubt is very high of this even being logical

Damn it you beat me to it by a long shot :lol

 

[Tieno]

i dont know how people will react if this happens. I dont even know how to react if this happens lol

 

[GenericPseudonym]

Buying Epic doesn't make sense if its for Gears, but it does make sense when you factor in just how many games run UE3 and just how many games will run UE4 in the future.

 

[Kittonwy]

It would also halve the number of eyecandy games on a rival platform, so yeah, likely.

Why would it? SCEWW (not including SOE) makes most of the eyecandy games on the PS3 and they don't use UE3.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

:lol The only possible way in whic this would make sense is:-

MS have made an agreement with Sony to shelve plans for Xbox 720 in return for MS providing the OS and Services for the PS4, i.e. MS getting out of the hardware business, at which point owning UE3 would be a good investment.

In other words, NOT FUCKING HAPPENING! :lol

 

[Slavik81]

Epic's privately owned...
As such, we have practically no data to tell if this is plausible.

I really don't think the guy spreading this rumour has any more of an idea about it than we do. The only way he could know is if he was there discussing it with Microsoft execs, Tim Sweeney and whoever else owns parts of Epic.

 

[TDG]

Why the hell is this still even being discussed?
1. It's Gamepro.
2. There's no evidence.
3. It's Gamepro.
4. It's not even a rumor, just a dumbass prediction.
5. It's fucking Gamepro.

 

[gollumsluvslave]

Also, due to the amount of UnrealEngine licencees, this screams anti-competetive to me.

This purchase would likely land MS in soapy water if it was true.

Which it's not. :lol

 

[Arkaerial]

Epic's privately owned...
As such, we have practically no data to tell if this is plausible.

I really don't think the guy spreading this rumour has any more of an idea about it than we do. The only way he could know is if he was there discussing it with Microsoft execs, Tim Sweeney and whoever else owns parts of Epic.

Mark Rein and Tim Sweeney are the founders of Epic. I can't imagine Tim Sweeney would sell Epic, but if MS did offer a billion he may be tempted. Then you have to ask the question if MS does buy Epic, would Sweeney stay. If he doesn't that would be a huge blow to Epic, since he is to Epic what Carmack is to ID Software. I know as of right now Sweeney has been working on the UE4 engine for a few years.

 

[CowboyAstronaut]

As much as I like the 360, if MS did this... SHOOTERBOX CONFIRMED! :lol

Epic fail.

 

[WrikaWrek]

Also, due to the amount of UnrealEngine licencees, this screams anti-competetive to me.

This purchase would likely land MS in soapy water if it was true.

Which it's not. :lol

What?

EA bought Renderware dude. MS buying EPic wouldn't make anything bad for MS happen.

 

[Zzoram]

Microsoft buying Epic Games for $1Bn is infinitely smarter than buying Yahoo! for $4.4Bn.

 

[Arkaerial]

Microsoft buying Epic Games for $1Bn is infinitely smarter than buying Yahoo! for $4.4Bn.

Actually they offered $44.6 billion for Yahoo.

 

[TemplaerDude]

lol @ gamepro.

what a joke of a publication.

 

[Zzoram]

Actually they offered $44.6 billion for Yahoo.

Okay, buying Epic Games is infinitely infinitely better than buying Yahoo!

 

[Dali]

It's a good fit. MS makes PC software used by a number of different companies, and Epic and their UE3 is like the videogame equivalent of Windows. MS buys Epic and tries to grow the UE into ubiquitous piece of shitware that Windows is, while subsidizing this endeavor with Gears of War and Unreal Tournament.

 

[Xater]

lol @ gamepro.

what a joke of a publication.

I don't even ge how you can get paid for doing predictions with no evidence what so ever. I mean they can give me money for pulling stuff like this out of my ass, it's not that hard...

 

[Odysseus]

another shining example of brilliant gaming journalism

 

[shifty100]

I think the money would be better spent setting up new internal studios, as MS developer purchases have not worked out well for them at all.


Rare anyone.

 

[Tieno]

another shining example of brilliant gaming journalism

Jesus fucking christ on a stick, you can't be serious???

 

[speculawyer]

Let's get some perspective people.

1) EA just got Bioware and pandemic for around $800 million.
2) Take-Two is worth barely over a billion and that includes all its studios and IP such as (GTA & its studios, Midnight Club & its studio, all 2K Sports, Bioshock & its studios, Firaxis/Civilization, Mafia & its studio, Carnival Games & its studio, etc.) . . . of course Take-Two is heavily under-valued.
3) THQI is also barely worth more than a billion and that includes WWE, Pixar deal, all their studios, Nickelodeon deal, etc.

$1 billion for Epic is ridiculous. Yeah, so they have a popular engine. Many others have good engines too. And look what happens when a publisher buys an engine licensor . . . all the licensees bail on that engine. (See Renderware bought by EA.)

 

[Odysseus]

you can't be serious???

i can be many things.

 

[speculawyer]

Jesus fucking christ on a stick, you can't be serious???

Odysseus serious? You know better than that.

 

[Dali]

I don't even ge how you can get paid for doing predictions with no evidence what so ever. I mean they can give me money for pulling stuff like this out of my ass, it's not that hard...

Just looking at your avatar I came up with a bunch of SFIV predictions:

1)SFIV will get an upgrade and a new subtitle less than a year after its full release.
2)The upgrade will include at least one new character
3)After the initial upgrade, expect at least one more including at least one new character per version change.

Not that hard. Where's my check Gamepro? And don't jack my shit surfergirl!

 

[Hero of Legend]

the Gears of War IP alone is more valuable than all those crap Sega IPs you speak of.

Sonic is a goldmine if used properly.

However, MS knows jack shit about Sonic, unless they were to bring Artoon into the picture, Sonic's virtually of no use to Microsoft.

Nintendo should buy Sonic and have EAD Tokyo or the regular EAD studio develop a Sonic game with zero strings attached, Nintendo could make as much money as their other First Party franchises.

The reason why Sonic sells less today is due to the lack of trust, which ain't surprising, but Nintendo taking control could skyrocket interest in the franchise again.

 

[Oblivion]

I can absolutely believe this. I heard that MS were buying the Gears Of War IP from EPIC.

Don't MS already own the GoW IP?

 

[TemplaerDude]

I don't even ge how you can get paid for doing predictions with no evidence what so ever. I mean they can give me money for pulling stuff like this out of my ass, it's not that hard...

the funniest thing is people pay for it too.

 

[kbear]

This makes no sense.

For a billion dollars, Microsoft could fund about 25 Killzone 2 quality AAA exclusives with insane production values which would be more than everything Epic would give them for the next 2-3 gens.

 

[Pachael]

From an investment POV, this doesn't make sense either. But I'm sure Rein and Cliffy would be chomping at the bits to cash out, right? Anyway after last year's UT3 debacle I see Epic grovelling back to Microsoft. Those dreams of millions sold...

 

[Randy Lanzarote]

Don't MS already own the GoW IP?

No, the IP does belong to Epic, but I think that MS have the publishing rights.

 

[ThirdEye]

I know this is a rumor, but my doubt is very high of this even being logical

exactly my thought :lol

 

[Ninja Scooter]

i believe MS has publishing rights to Gears II and then if another agreement isn't worked out Epic is free to put Gears III on any platform they choose.

 

[davepoobond]

i dont think its going to happen. Epic is in a boon right now, and their middleware is making them the #1 supplier of technology this generation. they have no real need to sell off.

 

[devilscallmedad]

If anything MS needs to buy a Japanese developer, infact publisher so that they can gain some foothold there. How much would Capcom cost ?


Although i don't think MS are buying anyone, otherwise they would have bought Bioware before EA.

 

[WinFonda]

Microsoft really needs to make some sort of studio acquisition -- their 1st party initiative is in the gutter at the moment. 1 billion seems a bit excessive for Epic, as they could probably buy 2 or 3 solid studios for that price.

 

[dLMN8R]

Only one other person already brought this up, but most seem to have missed it


APRIL ISSUE

 

[Brimstone]

If I recall correctly ID software is valued at just over $100 million dollars. That came out as a result of them firing co-owner/artist Adrian Carmack.


There is no way Epic is worth ten times the value of ID.

 

[George Claw M.D.]

No, the IP does belong to Epic, but I think that MS have the publishing rights.

From the point of view of the competition, what's the difference? Doesn't Microsoft's exclusive publishing rights still lock the Gears franchise to Microsoft's platforms? Am I misunderstanding things?

Edit: Just saw Ninja Scooter's post.

i believe MS has publishing rights to Gears II and then if another agreement isn't worked out Epic is free to put Gears III on any platform they choose.

 

[Ether_Snake]

I wouldn't be surprised.

While UE3 has been somewhat popular, PC gaming is not doing very well and more and more companies are making their own engines anyway.

I don't see Epic being able to survive without becoming an exclusive development studio.

EDIT: That doesn't mean MS will buy them, but I could see them focusing on expanding production and the size of their studio.

 

[Kittonwy]

And look what happens when a publisher buys an engine licensor . . . all the licensees bail on that engine. (See Renderware bought by EA.)

I wonder what third-party games would have looked like if they stuck with Renderware Next-Gen instead of moving on to UE3.

 

[Flavius]

Makes absolutely no sense.

Which is precisely why Microsoft will do it. :lol

Jeff Bell: I'm waiting for your PM on pins and needles!

I speak Spanish, btw...un poco.

 

[itsgreen]

I believe MS isn't planning on buying studio's.

What might happen is MS buying 50% of shares and Gears IP.

But not for the price of 1 billion dollar.