Will M$ continue to buy out popular franchises?

[mibuokami]

CAL4M1TY said:
Let me see here: You made a conclusive statement that MS bought out franchises based upon, as you said, speculation?

Look, I'm not going to scream fanboy, but post PS3 slim and price drop, the number of PS3 fanboys has exploded over the internet, so be careful about the timing when you bring up certain discussions.

I think the more interesting question is, how long until Sony stops trying to be Nintendo and starts paying to retain those franchises exclusively. I'm not saying MS paid for exclusivity (a year head start and a bigger install base makes them more enticing anyway), but if they did, can you blame these companies for going with the better business option

I course they paid for exclusivety! It might not be an outright monetary transaction but there was certainly a financially beneficial deal being strucked to entice some third parties.

You really think Namco decided to make their flagship RPG on a console with less than a million in install-base in the games' biggest selling market when every alternative would have netted them FAR more profit? (Wii, PS3, PSP, DS take your pick!).

Company don't make absurd choices like that without being finanically assisted.

It's nothing to be ashame of too, God knows MS didn't start the practice.