I must say that this aquisition is a bit weird :P
Getting Havok to implement their physics into the cloud, but couldn't they just use the Crackdown engine for that? Or did that already use the Havok engine?

There could be more to it than that though. Now Micorsoft could potentially offer Havok for free to developers that exclusively (timed or lifetime) makes games for Xbox/Windows. Maybe not that big of a deal for bigger studios but maybe smaller ones?

I must say that this aquisition is a bit weird :P
Getting Havok to implement their physics into the cloud, but couldn't they just use the Crackdown engine for that? Or did that already use the Havok engine?

There could be more to it than that though. Now Micorsoft could potentially offer Havok for free to developers that exclusively (timed or lifetime) makes games for Xbox/Windows. Maybe not that big of a deal for bigger studios but maybe smaller ones?

Your analogy doesn't work though because havoc is an engine that everyone already uses, and on top of which there are multiple competitors. Azure is a great tool indeed, but it's not like it's doing anything to 'secure' exclusive content.

So you are saying that leveraging Azure for cloud compute which is something pretty much no other gaming company can do is not a way to secure exclusive content.  Yes, Sony or Nintendo can rent space from other vendors like amazon, rackspace etc, but the cost would not be even close to what MS can provide and already is providing with Azure.  If cloud compute really does become the next thing how will that not entice developers to make games for MS console.  

While I agree that MS is a big company, and not just xbox, we haven't seen any moves with xbox that seem geared towards getting new games, but rather most of the news has had to do with them gearing up to launching a new service platform via windows 10.

When you say you have not seen any new moves to get new games have you just totally threw out what has been shone so far.  So Recore, scalebound, Sea of Theves , Quantum Break does not count.  Crackdown or Halo war are not new games from MS.  Are you just dismissing those games or are you saying they don't interest you so they are not revelant.

Cutting away dev houses doesn't reinforce the idea that they're pushing to expand their game development.

In the last 5 years Sony has cut 5 studios, so by this statement I guess Sony isn't reinforcing the idea that they are pusing to expand their development.  In the same timeframe MS has actually added 5 new studios.

At the end of the day, the question is

Are these moves going to increase exclusive content. If the answer is yes, it's hard to see how it would, since like I said a lot of tools are already available to devs no matter who they sign with. If the answer is no, then it propogates the idea that they are moving toward something new. That's how I see it. It could go either way, but the fact that the question exists should give cause to follow that lead and think about possibilities not yet accounted for.

At the end of the day, you nor I have a clue if this will increase exclusive content because its too early.  I can give an opinion and say yes but that is dependant on how important cloud compute become to making games in the future.  You state there are a lot of tools avaliable to developers today but tell me outside of Couldgine, and maybe you could throw in Nvidia who is doing Cloud compute for video games based on Physics engine.  Even MMOs do not do this today so not understanding where all these tools are coming from.

As for why this question exist is because anyone can pull any question on any unrelated event and find a cause.  Basically I can say just because the chicken cross the road the earth would be destroyed.  Without any more information then what I have given it means absolutly nothing.  What I am saying you are bringing up a question from a purchase and stating that MS is withdrawing with nothig more than a gut feeling.  

So if MS purchase AMD, would your position be the same since that would also not be increasing exclusive content.

Wasn't that statement made during the time they were still under Gates and was considered the Evil Empire of tech?

Rumor....is that Havock didn't naturally suport what Microsoft wanted to do with the cloud, and were goint to charge so much it made sense to just buy them outright. Microsoft has big plans for the could, them pulling it off would benefit gamers everywhere!

Either way this could be great for Microsoft beyond gaming.

Great for microsoft doesnt mean it is good for anyone else.