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Forums - Sony Discussion - Sony acquires Media Molecule

letsdance on 02 March 2010

weird... I thought sony couldnt possibly buy a company without the talent running away.



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kitler53 on 02 March 2010

nice addition to sony's first party line-up! i wonder what kind of think MM will come up with next.



Twistedpixel on 02 March 2010
makingmusic476 said:
omgggggg

Ok.

omg

I am pleased. <3 Media Molecule.

This doesn't effect anything, they still have 2 games left out of their exclusivity contract.



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Icyedge on 02 March 2010
nordlead said:
Carl2291 said:
nordlead said:
dbrad000 said:

That's one way to keep your exclusives...

at least they don't buy their exclusivity like microsoft

There is a difference between buying a very talented, small studio that comes to you for help on a big award winning game... And paying off a big third party company to keep a game or DLC away from another platform forever, or for a certain period of time.

OT: Great news. Should see more and more great new games come from MM now!

you are right. In MS's case, they buy the product separate from the company. They give the company that creates the game greater creative rights and are allowed to branch out and do whatever they want with their next game. This is like an inventor who sells his product to the highest bidder who then produces and sells his invention. He also has potential to earn a bucket load of money if he invents something popular or necessary.

In Sony's case, they buy the developer (and the games that go with it). The reduce the creative rights of the company and they are now forced to develop on Sony's platforms. This is like an inventor who works for a big firm. They may tell him what to work on or not, but the invention is owned by the company and they aren't obligated to pay him royalties, but he might make the company rich.

I personally don't have a problem with either method, as they are two means to an end. MS's method has a 1 time effect on the consumer. Sony's has a much longer effect. However, Sony is the one claiming that buying a game is "evil" (bribing). Yet, they essentially the same thing while taking away creative rights for a larger chunk of $$$ up front.

The thing is, Sony see that as a partnership. They help develop the game, they will also lend technical assistance and funding to the company. Its different than buying the final product, that was the point of Jack Tretton, partnership against purchasing rights. Also Tretton didnt talk about Microsoft, he was talking of the way Sony usually do business. It doesnt mean that theres never an exception either, its business after all.

Edit: I also forgot to add that its the choice of the studio to be purchase or not. And if they are not purchase like Imsomniac, they can release other games on other platform if they want. But it doesnt seem like it would be better for their creativity since they stick with their partneship with Sony.



Icyedge on 02 March 2010

On another note, I wander why Microsoft is not trying to gather and/or open up studios. Seems to me that as a business practice and long term thinking it would provide better return on investment. Someone know microsoft enough to make an educated guess?



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jonnhytesta on 02 March 2010
Icyedge said:
On another note, I wander why Microsoft is not trying to gather and/or open up studios. Seems to me that as a business practice and long term thinking it would provide better return on investment. Someone know microsoft enough to make an educated guess?

m$ is a huge monopoly, its cheaper and easier  to moneyhat bioware, ea, activisio,etc.



chocoloco on 02 March 2010

Good I was starting to think exclusives wouldn't exist anymore after whats happened since last generation. Microsoft please follow suit and stop just paying for exclusives. I mean danm I don't even like Fable at all.



chocoloco on 02 March 2010

@ CGI Unfortunately, Halo is the only one on the list I care for. Alan Wake is guaranteed to change that for me though.



Notorius.A.i.G on 02 March 2010

I thought Media Molecule was already a Sony first party studio. Oh well.



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makingmusic476 on 02 March 2010
Twistedpixel said:
makingmusic476 said:
omgggggg

Ok.

omg

I am pleased. <3 Media Molecule.

This doesn't effect anything, they still have 2 games left out of their exclusivity contract.

So?  All I care about is what Media Molecule can do with the increased manpower, budget, and technology that comes with being first party.  The guys made LittleBigPlanet with a team of only 37 people.  Imagine what they could do with more.

Hell, look at what Guerrilla Games pulled off after being bought by Sony.