I do hope that EA will buy them up AT least all of their games and engines will be multiplatform

Lionhead Studios

I am not sure what there is to buy, except for the name.

They were doing good when everybody was using their engine. Now everybody built their own engine and has no need for them.

Epic said they were working on an engine for the next gen, but that would be insane, without knowing the architecture your building for.

And from the interview, it doesn't sound like they have been keeping up with everybody else on a technology level.

I thought Epic would be doing fine considering the success of the Gears of War franchise and all of the royalities they recieve for the Unreal Enginee 3.

First Microsoft has plenty of in house studios, and many other studios they work with as wel. Sony has many as well, but just like MS lot of their big titles come from companies they don't own like Insomniac (Ratchet/Resistance) and Suckerpunch (Infamous). 

Why would Microsoft want to buy epic or valve? it's just not for games folks. Microsoft would not only make money off Epics games, but also because of leasing out the Unreal Engine, and other things they do. If they bought Valve, that would mean owning Steam which is the biggest game distribution system on the internet. If they bought any bigger studios those would be the two best investments.

I don't think they would dry up URE3 sales if Microsoft bought them though I'm sure that URE4 would be tightly tailored for the next console and the PC

Well the Epic name... the URE3 license fees... then the Unreal IP and the Gears IP... run it like Bungie and we could see Epic come back in a few years self owned again

I can't help but feel the article made quite a stretch in assuming Epic has any inclination to be bought.

"It's tough being an independent developer, because you're often bound to the will of a large publisher... so let's get bought by the large publisher instead!"

This line in particular:

They don't have plenty, they have Lionhead, Rare and Turn Ten who are actually making games at the moment, because they recently closed down Ensemble and ACES

Sony have SCE London, Liverpool, Cambridge and Santa Monica. And many more....

The point is, M$ aren't interested in expanding their 1st party, they are more interested in working with 2nd party studios like Remedy, Bungie and Ruffian games. They have also worked with Mistwalker, who are now makig a Wii game, and more, but fundamentally, they don't really want in house studios their arrangement is working okay at the moment

Epic has Geow and UE3 which is there big money maker but if MS would say ok we dont want you (the developers) use UE3/UE4 for PS3/PS4 it would destroy the whole purpose of the UE3 . Lets think about it UE3 is a multiplat engine It is mainly used for Multiplat game. Thats part of its success. I think that this is the biggest reason for its success because it is good for both platforms.

Most developers wouldnt use it anymore if they cant programm Multiplat titles. So Epic would lose a big part of is value and that would equal a loss to MS. MS knows that so if MS is buying Epic then they definetly let produce them further engines for Playstation products. If MS highers the fees for the use of Epic Engines and adds resrictions like no Multiplat development then Epic would suffer greatly. And maybe all of them would use Cryengine 3 instead of UE3.