And positive I remain, I was just using softer language to be polite. I think the difference in our arguments is this. I am saying Microsoft will have factored in to this - that is a 'no shit' comment, to use your terminology.

You're arguing they had nothing to do with it. Even under normal circumstances it would stretch credulity that a company would spend tens of millions (if not more) they dont have to spend on a studio if they didn't have one eye on the competition When that competition is busy buying up studios, even moreso.

Hiku raised an excellent point - Spiderman did incredibly - but incorrectly (or perhaps, incompletely) applied a conclusion. With that game I've no doubt Insomniac did cement their value. They certainly will have commanded a higher price than previously. And Sony who have previously not given strong indications they'd buy Insomniac suddenly after decades found a hell of a lot of money, purchasing a company at a time when it would otherwise make the least fiscal sense.

This type of thing has been going on forever - you're right. Its always had something to do with competition. Just moreso than usual atm.

Well it will secure Sony interest  by saving Insomniac  being purchased by another competitor such Microsoft, Google and facebook (Oculus VR games).

GOTY version was supposedly briefly up on Amazon which should boost sales some more. Could beat Uncharted 4 to become their best selling 1st party game (on a single platform).

15m+ lifetime is guaranteed anyway. Incredible. Shows the importance of building install base and a fan base through high quality titles. Who would have thought at the start of the generation that Sony would be putting out multiple games that sold more than Halo 5 and Gears 4 combined.

Its a truism to state that these companies are constantly evaluating and attempting to outmanoeuvre one-another.

This was a good move from Sony. Contrary to what you're saying, it will always be taken with one eye on the competition. In another life that might have been Ninty. 2 years ago it would have been a combination of multiple companies. And right now this very expensive purchase was inevitably made with all Sony's competition and a renewed surge of competitive vigour from MS in mind.

To suggest that somehow Sony's management sat around in a room and suggested spending millions of dollars of shareholders money for no competitive reason is fanciful - not to mention an allegation of gross incompetence which I find unfair considering how well Sony has done lately.

Close the door all you want, market forces will crawl in the window.

Was it competitive? Sure. Anything that's helping to strengthen a business is competitive (again, another one of those 'no shit' comments 😛). Was it due to Microsoft's moves to acquisition (when Sony acquires studios in this fashion/timeframe historically) is something that can be argued, but not a certainty. 

Its not just Microsoft out there swallowing up game studios.... Epic is doing it, Stadia is doing it... even Amazon did a few?
At some point Sony must be like... "the hell! if everyone takes everything, we ll get no 2nd party deals!"