drkohler said:
That is PRECISELY how Microsoft has been operating for decades. "If you can't compete with the competitor, buyout the competitor" has been the modus operandi since Visicalc times. Microsoft (like Apple) has a lot (and I mean A LOT) of cash floating around the globe. If they moved those piles of cash to the States, the US-taxman would be more than happy to grab a sizeable part of it. So what companies do instead of paying taxes or having unused money lieing around is buying other companies. No surprise here. And since MS has a monoply on many things, the piles of cash will be there in the future as well. It will be interesting to see how MS handles this takeover. Activision/Blizzard essentially having been on an accelerating downspiral for years. Can they restructure this mammoth into something productive? $70b is a lot of microtransactions...., and they have 5000+ (?) more mouths to feed now. It is also time finally that this Spencer guy actually delivers ("Taking a ay ips from the competitors is bad for gaming" - then starts on to do exactly that every f*ing time)... |
Buying studio for to bolster first party offering <> Buying studio so that the Ips does not release on competition. Again if this was the case There's way cheaper route. So no, that's not how Microsoft has been operating for years because that's simply not how they look at things and make their decision.
Also what monopoly does MS have exactly? From what I can tell they have more than healthy competition in every sector they're in.
-Activision/Blizzard essentially having been on an accelerating downspiral for years. That's arguable at best, you can argue game wise but Activision Blizzard were at their peak value just before the scandals last year.
$70b is a lot of microtransactions - Again this allude to the false idea that somehow Microsoft need to get there money back through profits. They exchanged $70B in cash for what they value at $70B worth of assets. They may eventually end up getting there money back but this is in the long run, like 20 -30 years+(doesn't really matter). The most likely outcome though is that they will get there money back by increase the value of those assets.
they have 5000+ (?) more mouths to feed now. Don't worry those Mouths were feeding themselves quite well and, with better management, will most likely do so better than ever, even with no investment from Microsoft simply trhough Activision Blizzard own revenue.
It is also time finally that this Spencer guy actually delivers. I would argue he has delivered quite well, I get way more value out of my Xbox than I was under Mattrick, he killed the Xbox as no game narrative, reversed the bad management with Rare and other studios. What else would do you want, Spencer to deliver for playstation user?? He already did. He could have full well scrapped the deals with Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop and removed Minecraft from PS store, he didn't.
