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OPINION: Microsoft's ZeniMax Acquisition is Bad for Consumers (Shank Rants)

13

Comments

  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    cmacq said:
    Herithius said:
    cmacq said:

    How did you get that deal? Can't seem to see it on their website

    Microsoft has a one time deal where you can pay $1 to convert any subscription time left into Game Pass Ultimate. So if you can find any Xbox Live subscription cards you can max out your subscription (usually sometime in 2023) and then spend $1 to convert it to Game Pass.

    My friend informed me about it and for $120 CAD I've got Game Pass Ultimate until March 2023.
    and this is for PC?
    MS is moving to play Anywhere. So you can buy games on your Xbox that will play on your PC and the other way around. Also the ultimate sub includes about 150 titles you can play on PC or XBox. 
    Catibrie
  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 17,586
    edited September 2020
    cmacq said:
    Herithius said:
    cmacq said:

    How did you get that deal? Can't seem to see it on their website

    Microsoft has a one time deal where you can pay $1 to convert any subscription time left into Game Pass Ultimate. So if you can find any Xbox Live subscription cards you can max out your subscription (usually sometime in 2023) and then spend $1 to convert it to Game Pass.

    My friend informed me about it and for $120 CAD I've got Game Pass Ultimate until March 2023.
    and this is for PC?
    The Ultimate allows you to play most games on the PC.   I just installed Sea of Thieves, No Mans Sky and Outer Worlds

    This is why I said, as a PC fan, on a PC based website... I am really liking this acquisition.   Why the editor of this site would rail against it as hurting Sony/PS5 is kind of puzzling but my suspicion has always been that he was a console gamer first and a PC/MMORPG gamer second. 


    What are the negatives from the perspective of a PC player and in particular a PC MMORPG player which should be the focus of this site?


    SandmanjwRelampago

    All time classic  MY NEW FAVORITE POST!  (Keep laying those bricks)

    "I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator

    Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017. 

    Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018

    "Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018

  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 8,164
    cmacq said:
    Herithius said:
    cmacq said:

    How did you get that deal? Can't seem to see it on their website

    Microsoft has a one time deal where you can pay $1 to convert any subscription time left into Game Pass Ultimate. So if you can find any Xbox Live subscription cards you can max out your subscription (usually sometime in 2023) and then spend $1 to convert it to Game Pass.

    My friend informed me about it and for $120 CAD I've got Game Pass Ultimate until March 2023.
    and this is for PC?
    The Ultimate allows you to play most games on the PC.   I just installed Sea of Thieves, No Mans Sky and Outer Worlds

    This is why I said, as a PC fan, on a PC based website... I am really liking this acquisition.   Why the editor of this site would rail against it as hurting Sony/PS5 is kind of puzzling but my suspicion has always been that he was a console gamer first and a PC/MMORPG gamer second. 


    What are the negatives from the perspective of a PC player and in particular a PC MMORPG player which should be the focus of this site?


    So as a PC holder it is a win win  for me
    [Deleted User]

  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 17,586
    kitarad said:
    cmacq said:
    Herithius said:
    cmacq said:

    How did you get that deal? Can't seem to see it on their website

    Microsoft has a one time deal where you can pay $1 to convert any subscription time left into Game Pass Ultimate. So if you can find any Xbox Live subscription cards you can max out your subscription (usually sometime in 2023) and then spend $1 to convert it to Game Pass.

    My friend informed me about it and for $120 CAD I've got Game Pass Ultimate until March 2023.
    and this is for PC?
    The Ultimate allows you to play most games on the PC.   I just installed Sea of Thieves, No Mans Sky and Outer Worlds

    This is why I said, as a PC fan, on a PC based website... I am really liking this acquisition.   Why the editor of this site would rail against it as hurting Sony/PS5 is kind of puzzling but my suspicion has always been that he was a console gamer first and a PC/MMORPG gamer second. 


    What are the negatives from the perspective of a PC player and in particular a PC MMORPG player which should be the focus of this site?


    So as a PC holder it is a win win  for me
    That’s my take.  
    Relampago

    All time classic  MY NEW FAVORITE POST!  (Keep laying those bricks)

    "I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator

    Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017. 

    Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018

    "Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018

  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 8,028
    Arterius said:
    I feel like if Playstation had bought Bethesda no one would have cared but because xbox got it i have seen a lot that this is bad for consumers
    I disagree. I think the narrative would be similar but with different people saying different things.

    What I do know is that if Sony had been the purchasing party, Bethesda games would be Playstation exclusive, full stop, and that would piss off everyone else. But Bethesda's game quality would also rise through the roof.
  • Ir1shguyIr1shguy Member UncommonPosts: 84
    You are quoting the bloomberg guy that bans you from his twitter if you ask for proof or disagree with something he says. So that makes all your posts complete and utter trash if you regurgitate his bullshit.
  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Scot said:
    foxgirl said:
    Article: DOOM DOOOOOM It's bad all of it! *moan* *complain* harp*

    The acquisition pumped money into ZOS. That's a good thing.

    As for exclusivity, it's ok for consoles to have exclusive games, but not Microsoft?
    Did they need that money? Where we going to see nothing more from them without it? Time will tell how this pans out, but I cannot think of one great gaming company that has been snapped up and continued to make games as great for years afterwards. Perhaps you can?
    Most of my fav studios suffered that fate. Mythic for one, BioWare is still making games but they are a shell of a studio from their former glory. 

    Mojang and Minecraft would like a word with you both. Mojang still supports and sells the Java version of Minecraft. More has happened with Minecraft since Microsoft's acquisition than would have otherwise.
    Yes there is two sides to each coin. I hope MS acquisition turns out for the best but this sort of thing has also killed allot of good studios. All we get to do as customers is wait and see.  
    Catibrie
  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722
    edited September 2020
    Arterius said:
    I feel like if Playstation had bought Bethesda no one would have cared but because xbox got it i have seen a lot that this is bad for consumers

    I think the back and forth would have actually been worse. If SOny had bought them we would see both XB and PC users rage for losing all those games to PS exclusivity. Since Microsoft bought them, it will be available on both XB and PC so disappointment is coming only from PS users.

    As a PS and PC mainly user myself I am honestly only worried about what's going to happen to modding on TES and Fallout. I would not be happy if MS gives Bethesda a "better" engine that lacks the full modding capabilities of the Gamebryo(Creation) engine. I'm not a modder but having access to the Creation Kit and being able to alter existing content for my own use in Skyrim is a surreal experience. EDIT: Sony would have most certainly ruined modding, that's for sure.
    [Deleted User]




  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Scot said:
    foxgirl said:
    Article: DOOM DOOOOOM It's bad all of it! *moan* *complain* harp*

    The acquisition pumped money into ZOS. That's a good thing.

    As for exclusivity, it's ok for consoles to have exclusive games, but not Microsoft?
    Did they need that money? Where we going to see nothing more from them without it? Time will tell how this pans out, but I cannot think of one great gaming company that has been snapped up and continued to make games as great for years afterwards. Perhaps you can?
    Most of my fav studios suffered that fate. Mythic for one, BioWare is still making games but they are a shell of a studio from their former glory. 

    Mojang and Minecraft would like a word with you both. Mojang still supports and sells the Java version of Minecraft. More has happened with Minecraft since Microsoft's acquisition than would have otherwise.
    Yes there is two sides to each coin. I hope MS acquisition turns out for the best but this sort of thing has also killed allot of good studios. All we get to do as customers is wait and see.  

    I don't really see it as a binary thing. Look at Bungie. They complained loudly and made a big stink that it was Microsoft that ruined Destiny. Then they made Destiny 2 with all the same mistakes and blamed Activision. Now that they're self-published Destiny 2 is still covered in Microtransaction plus expensive pushy DLC. They're just as bad or worse than the publishers they blamed. Makes me wonder who was really at fault.

    For some reason the media like to portray dev studios as darling and publishers as the bad guy. Big pub companies don't mind taking the PR hit because it still encourages sales but I think the truth is somewhere in between.

    Let's take Bioware. Is EA really bad or did they give a stagnant studio a lot of leeway and enough rope to hang themselves? For one thing Bioware didn't have to sell themselves to EA, they did that for the big money. Then is it EA's fault Bioware couldn't innovate and tried to ride on the names of their big IPs?

    Going back to Mojang. They're a studio with a focus, whether you like what they do or not. They do this thing and they're dedicated to it. They respond to a fanbase and accommodate them as best they feel they can while still doing their thing. Microsoft has essentially let them do that and hasn't interfered because Mojang hasn't stumbled and stagnated on the easy access to Microsoft money.

    My conclusion is that Bungie was always greedy and short-sighted and now it shows. Bioware was stagnating and their fall was due to their low effort easy access to EA money. Studios that try to skate by pay the consequences. A name is only as good as the people running it. If a studio can't keep talent because they run the ship poorly, then that's on them.

    I'm not sure if Poorna really believes what he's writing in this article or just enjoys catchy inflammatory pieces that spark discussion (and clicks). The long running dialog here of "Epic good, Steam bad" makes me inclined towards the latter.
    Paint all the pictures you want, these things turn out for the bad or the good. For everyone of your good outcomes you could paint just as many bad. MS did awesome with Minecraft, maybe they will do great things with Zeni. Like I said above, I hope MS and their server farms are used to help ESO really bad stability. Would be awesome to see 600v600 again. All we can do is wait and see. No one can rubber stamp this a win or loss.
    Catibrie
  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Scot said:
    foxgirl said:
    Article: DOOM DOOOOOM It's bad all of it! *moan* *complain* harp*

    The acquisition pumped money into ZOS. That's a good thing.

    As for exclusivity, it's ok for consoles to have exclusive games, but not Microsoft?
    Did they need that money? Where we going to see nothing more from them without it? Time will tell how this pans out, but I cannot think of one great gaming company that has been snapped up and continued to make games as great for years afterwards. Perhaps you can?
    Most of my fav studios suffered that fate. Mythic for one, BioWare is still making games but they are a shell of a studio from their former glory. 

    Mojang and Minecraft would like a word with you both. Mojang still supports and sells the Java version of Minecraft. More has happened with Minecraft since Microsoft's acquisition than would have otherwise.
    Yes there is two sides to each coin. I hope MS acquisition turns out for the best but this sort of thing has also killed allot of good studios. All we get to do as customers is wait and see.  

    I don't really see it as a binary thing. Look at Bungie. They complained loudly and made a big stink that it was Microsoft that ruined Destiny. Then they made Destiny 2 with all the same mistakes and blamed Activision. Now that they're self-published Destiny 2 is still covered in Microtransaction plus expensive pushy DLC. They're just as bad or worse than the publishers they blamed. Makes me wonder who was really at fault.

    For some reason the media like to portray dev studios as darling and publishers as the bad guy. Big pub companies don't mind taking the PR hit because it still encourages sales but I think the truth is somewhere in between.

    Let's take Bioware. Is EA really bad or did they give a stagnant studio a lot of leeway and enough rope to hang themselves? For one thing Bioware didn't have to sell themselves to EA, they did that for the big money. Then is it EA's fault Bioware couldn't innovate and tried to ride on the names of their big IPs?

    Going back to Mojang. They're a studio with a focus, whether you like what they do or not. They do this thing and they're dedicated to it. They respond to a fanbase and accommodate them as best they feel they can while still doing their thing. Microsoft has essentially let them do that and hasn't interfered because Mojang hasn't stumbled and stagnated on the easy access to Microsoft money.

    My conclusion is that Bungie was always greedy and short-sighted and now it shows. Bioware was stagnating and their fall was due to their low effort easy access to EA money. Studios that try to skate by pay the consequences. A name is only as good as the people running it. If a studio can't keep talent because they run the ship poorly, then that's on them.

    I'm not sure if Poorna really believes what he's writing in this article or just enjoys catchy inflammatory pieces that spark discussion (and clicks). The long running dialog here of "Epic good, Steam bad" makes me inclined towards the latter.
    Paint all the pictures you want, these things turn out for the bad or the good. For everyone of your good outcomes you could paint just as many bad. MS did awesome with Minecraft, maybe they will do great things with Zeni. Like I said above, I hope MS and their server farms are used to help ESO really bad stability. Would be awesome to see 600v600 again. All we can do is wait and see. No one can rubber stamp this a win or loss.

    Umm, I'm not painting pictures. That sounds kind of dismissive on your part. And everything turns out for the good or bad so I'm not seeing your point. I'm just bringing up history and a different perspective in a conversation where some assumptions were being presented about Bioware and other studios being victims. Like I said before, I don't see this or much of anything as a binary win/lose.

    Here's another thing to consider. Zenimax bought up the Fallout IP from Interplay and ID studios with the DOOM franchise. From my perspective their management of those has been lackluster. It wasn't a win or lose, but more a situation with a lot of room for improvement. Like you said, we'll see if Microsoft will manage them better.
    Not dismissive but your thoughts on how BioWare could be spun as a positive is not how many see it. Im sure there are others that see it your way as well. I call it painting a picture because its just not how I see that situation. I just dont feel like arguing about how EA has turned my two fav Studios into a shell of what they used to be. Again, no one can rubber stamp what MS has done as a good or a bad thing. The outcome has yet to happen. 
    [Deleted User]Catibrie
  • cameltosiscameltosis Member LegendaryPosts: 3,832
    I think the title for this article should have been "Acquisition POSSIBLY bad for PLAYSTATION consumers"

    and the entire article seemed to be about exclusivity, which is a blight on all platforms and perpretrated by a whole host of different companies. Weirdly, microsoft actually seems to be one of the better players in this regard.


    where was the worry about IPs getting ignored or dropped?

    where was the worry about game design stagnating due to risk-averse nature of big corporations?

    where was the worry about mod-support being dropped?

    where was the worry about business model changes so that MS can recoup that large buyout fee?



    There are plenty of things to be worried about (not that i am personally as TES is the only franchise I like), and exclusivity seems to be the least of those worries from a consumers point of view.
    Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman

  • AmatheAmathe Member LegendaryPosts: 7,630
    Heavy on negative speculation about the future.

    Light on anything bad MS has said it will do because of this aquisition.

    Maybe give them a chance?


    Nanfoodle[Deleted User]

    EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests

  • SandmanjwSandmanjw Member RarePosts: 531
    Biased article? You bet... but got people talking, which has been lacking around here on most articles:P

    So got to give a "good job" on that part:)




  • RelampagoRelampago Member UncommonPosts: 451
    Herithius said:
    cmacq said:

    How did you get that deal? Can't seem to see it on their website

    Microsoft has a one time deal where you can pay $1 to convert any subscription time left into Game Pass Ultimate. So if you can find any Xbox Live subscription cards you can max out your subscription (usually sometime in 2023) and then spend $1 to convert it to Game Pass.

    My friend informed me about it and for $120 CAD I've got Game Pass Ultimate until March 2023.
    This.  I don't own an Xbox I saw MS making the play for ultimate so I bought live gold cards converted to ultimate and now have 3 years of ultimate that closes out Sept 17th 2023 for $150.  It is great for this consumer.  Returning dividends already.  I bought the 2 year and 1 year live gold card from BJ's.
  • silentfury007silentfury007 Member UncommonPosts: 22
    edited August 2022
     
    Post edited by silentfury007 on
  • IyatosIyatos Member UncommonPosts: 2
    I don't understand (like the author) the big praise for the move... given statements actually outlined by Phil in this article this goes against those statements.

    The problem the author is showing is that ALL of these games were NOT just on one platform, they've been on PS and nintendo and now both of these segments are potentially out of these games because Microsoft "NEEDS" exclusives... from games that were multiplatform for over a decade.

    I understand their want... but sony's internal studios and nintendo's studios built their pedigree on their respective systems and stuck to that... all of these acquistions from microsoft isn't them fielding talent and creating new studios (2 or 3 are from my memory) but most of them are not... and that is the issue. I won't get mad at a sony exclusive or a nintendo exclusive because they haven't been releasing outside their ecosystem since forever... all these games have and now they aren't which is against their notion of "screw exclusives, we want gamers to play anywhere".
  • BruceYeeBruceYee Member EpicPosts: 2,556
    Didn't read through the last 3 pages but as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow I can say this is good for one reason >>> Toys. After MS bought Mojang they released Minecraft toys everywhere so I'm expecting to see both Elder Scrolls and Fallout toys.

    Also, let's be honest about ESO being stuck in a content creation rut for the past couple years plus the decision to put Elder Scrolls Legends on life support. Releasing the same old reskinned content in ESO and the same overpriced cosmetics & crown crates in their store. Buy the game, buy the expac, buy the sub PLUS pay waaay too much for cosmetics that aren't even really that nice = not a good deal. Not saying MS will change any of it but it honestly can't get any worse than it is now IMO.
    xpsync
  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 17,586
    Iyatos said:
    I don't understand (like the author) the big praise for the move... given statements actually outlined by Phil in this article this goes against those statements.


    Again... this is a PC gaming forum (focused on MMORPGs).  As a PC Gamer, what is not to like?  I couldn't care less if Playstation people can't play a specific game. They can play them on their PC :)

    PS: This is from someone that has already Pre-Ordered 2 copies of both PS5 and XBOX Series X...  but PC> All and all these games will now go on the Gamepass Ultimate which means I will not have to buy them.




    xpsyncnewbismx

    All time classic  MY NEW FAVORITE POST!  (Keep laying those bricks)

    "I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator

    Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017. 

    Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018

    "Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,273
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Scot said:
    foxgirl said:
    Article: DOOM DOOOOOM It's bad all of it! *moan* *complain* harp*

    The acquisition pumped money into ZOS. That's a good thing.

    As for exclusivity, it's ok for consoles to have exclusive games, but not Microsoft?
    Did they need that money? Where we going to see nothing more from them without it? Time will tell how this pans out, but I cannot think of one great gaming company that has been snapped up and continued to make games as great for years afterwards. Perhaps you can?
    Most of my fav studios suffered that fate. Mythic for one, BioWare is still making games but they are a shell of a studio from their former glory. 

    Mojang and Minecraft would like a word with you both. Mojang still supports and sells the Java version of Minecraft. More has happened with Minecraft since Microsoft's acquisition than would have otherwise.
    Yes there is two sides to each coin. I hope MS acquisition turns out for the best but this sort of thing has also killed allot of good studios. All we get to do as customers is wait and see.  

    I don't really see it as a binary thing. Look at Bungie. They complained loudly and made a big stink that it was Microsoft that ruined Destiny. Then they made Destiny 2 with all the same mistakes and blamed Activision. Now that they're self-published Destiny 2 is still covered in Microtransaction plus expensive pushy DLC. They're just as bad or worse than the publishers they blamed. Makes me wonder who was really at fault.

    For some reason the media like to portray dev studios as darling and publishers as the bad guy. Big pub companies don't mind taking the PR hit because it still encourages sales but I think the truth is somewhere in between.

    Let's take Bioware. Is EA really bad or did they give a stagnant studio a lot of leeway and enough rope to hang themselves? For one thing Bioware didn't have to sell themselves to EA, they did that for the big money. Then is it EA's fault Bioware couldn't innovate and tried to ride on the names of their big IPs?

    Going back to Mojang. They're a studio with a focus, whether you like what they do or not. They do this thing and they're dedicated to it. They respond to a fanbase and accommodate them as best they feel they can while still doing their thing. Microsoft has essentially let them do that and hasn't interfered because Mojang hasn't stumbled and stagnated on the easy access to Microsoft money.

    My conclusion is that Bungie was always greedy and short-sighted and now it shows. Bioware was stagnating and their fall was due to their low effort easy access to EA money. Studios that try to skate by pay the consequences. A name is only as good as the people running it. If a studio can't keep talent because they run the ship poorly, then that's on them.

    I'm not sure if Poorna really believes what he's writing in this article or just enjoys catchy inflammatory pieces that spark discussion (and clicks). The long running dialog here of "Epic good, Steam bad" makes me inclined towards the latter.
    Paint all the pictures you want, these things turn out for the bad or the good. For everyone of your good outcomes you could paint just as many bad. MS did awesome with Minecraft, maybe they will do great things with Zeni. Like I said above, I hope MS and their server farms are used to help ESO really bad stability. Would be awesome to see 600v600 again. All we can do is wait and see. No one can rubber stamp this a win or loss.

    Umm, I'm not painting pictures. That sounds kind of dismissive on your part. And everything turns out for the good or bad so I'm not seeing your point. I'm just bringing up history and a different perspective in a conversation where some assumptions were being presented about Bioware and other studios being victims. Like I said before, I don't see this or much of anything as a binary win/lose.

    Here's another thing to consider. Zenimax bought up the Fallout IP from Interplay and ID studios with the DOOM franchise. From my perspective their management of those has been lackluster. It wasn't a win or lose, but more a situation with a lot of room for improvement. Like you said, we'll see if Microsoft will manage them better.
    Not dismissive but your thoughts on how BioWare could be spun as a positive is not how many see it. Im sure there are others that see it your way as well. I call it painting a picture because its just not how I see that situation. I just dont feel like arguing about how EA has turned my two fav Studios into a shell of what they used to be. Again, no one can rubber stamp what MS has done as a good or a bad thing. The outcome has yet to happen. 
    It seems to me that the batting average is against a good outcome, there are examples of positive results from such acquisitions but they are the minority. On another note, I am wondering about the impact of game passes on gaming as a whole.

    To me this could challenge the likes of Steam and Epic, how many games a year can you play anyway? If you are like me many more, but I think for many players a "pass worth" of games may be all they need each year. As these passes gobble up more and more titles they will/are(?) become as significant as console exclusives.
    Nanfoodlexpsync
  • AethaerynAethaeryn Member RarePosts: 3,150
    edited September 2020
    When you look at what EA did with good developers (Origin etc.). . that was bad.

    I look at where Bethesda is now and I think it just can't hurt.

    So far things coming out of MS studios has been good. I expect to see a LOT of base games on game pass with expansions being the money maker in the end. I am okay with this. I have been exposed to a lot of new games that I have loved because of game pass. I an also play a game to try it out without extra commitment.

    I don't know where it will go for Bethesda but I was starting to worry about what they have been putting out. Looking at things like Grounded, I have been pretty happy. Edit: Yes, this is a "it works for me" post but I am not saying "what's the problem" I do see the issues and concerns around exclusivity or people having to buy into MS ecosystem. Maybe subscriptions are bad for gaming but I also think that smaller games and indie games will have a great chance and will be curated unlike on Steam (I like Steam as well).
    xpsync

    Wa min God! Se æx on min heafod is!

  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    edited September 2020
    Scot said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Torval said:
    Nanfoodle said:
    Scot said:
    foxgirl said:
    Article: DOOM DOOOOOM It's bad all of it! *moan* *complain* harp*

    The acquisition pumped money into ZOS. That's a good thing.

    As for exclusivity, it's ok for consoles to have exclusive games, but not Microsoft?
    Did they need that money? Where we going to see nothing more from them without it? Time will tell how this pans out, but I cannot think of one great gaming company that has been snapped up and continued to make games as great for years afterwards. Perhaps you can?
    Most of my fav studios suffered that fate. Mythic for one, BioWare is still making games but they are a shell of a studio from their former glory. 

    Mojang and Minecraft would like a word with you both. Mojang still supports and sells the Java version of Minecraft. More has happened with Minecraft since Microsoft's acquisition than would have otherwise.
    Yes there is two sides to each coin. I hope MS acquisition turns out for the best but this sort of thing has also killed allot of good studios. All we get to do as customers is wait and see.  

    I don't really see it as a binary thing. Look at Bungie. They complained loudly and made a big stink that it was Microsoft that ruined Destiny. Then they made Destiny 2 with all the same mistakes and blamed Activision. Now that they're self-published Destiny 2 is still covered in Microtransaction plus expensive pushy DLC. They're just as bad or worse than the publishers they blamed. Makes me wonder who was really at fault.

    For some reason the media like to portray dev studios as darling and publishers as the bad guy. Big pub companies don't mind taking the PR hit because it still encourages sales but I think the truth is somewhere in between.

    Let's take Bioware. Is EA really bad or did they give a stagnant studio a lot of leeway and enough rope to hang themselves? For one thing Bioware didn't have to sell themselves to EA, they did that for the big money. Then is it EA's fault Bioware couldn't innovate and tried to ride on the names of their big IPs?

    Going back to Mojang. They're a studio with a focus, whether you like what they do or not. They do this thing and they're dedicated to it. They respond to a fanbase and accommodate them as best they feel they can while still doing their thing. Microsoft has essentially let them do that and hasn't interfered because Mojang hasn't stumbled and stagnated on the easy access to Microsoft money.

    My conclusion is that Bungie was always greedy and short-sighted and now it shows. Bioware was stagnating and their fall was due to their low effort easy access to EA money. Studios that try to skate by pay the consequences. A name is only as good as the people running it. If a studio can't keep talent because they run the ship poorly, then that's on them.

    I'm not sure if Poorna really believes what he's writing in this article or just enjoys catchy inflammatory pieces that spark discussion (and clicks). The long running dialog here of "Epic good, Steam bad" makes me inclined towards the latter.
    Paint all the pictures you want, these things turn out for the bad or the good. For everyone of your good outcomes you could paint just as many bad. MS did awesome with Minecraft, maybe they will do great things with Zeni. Like I said above, I hope MS and their server farms are used to help ESO really bad stability. Would be awesome to see 600v600 again. All we can do is wait and see. No one can rubber stamp this a win or loss.

    Umm, I'm not painting pictures. That sounds kind of dismissive on your part. And everything turns out for the good or bad so I'm not seeing your point. I'm just bringing up history and a different perspective in a conversation where some assumptions were being presented about Bioware and other studios being victims. Like I said before, I don't see this or much of anything as a binary win/lose.

    Here's another thing to consider. Zenimax bought up the Fallout IP from Interplay and ID studios with the DOOM franchise. From my perspective their management of those has been lackluster. It wasn't a win or lose, but more a situation with a lot of room for improvement. Like you said, we'll see if Microsoft will manage them better.
    Not dismissive but your thoughts on how BioWare could be spun as a positive is not how many see it. Im sure there are others that see it your way as well. I call it painting a picture because its just not how I see that situation. I just dont feel like arguing about how EA has turned my two fav Studios into a shell of what they used to be. Again, no one can rubber stamp what MS has done as a good or a bad thing. The outcome has yet to happen. 
    It seems to me that the batting average is against a good outcome, there are examples of positive results from such acquisitions but they are the minority. On another note, I am wondering about the impact of game passes on gaming as a whole.

    To me this could challenge the likes of Steam and Epic, how many games a year can you play anyway? If you are like me many more, but I think for many players a "pass worth" of games may be all they need each year. As these passes gobble up more and more titles they will/are(?) become as significant as console exclusives.
    I find game passes dont do much for me even if they have great value. I find for me, the games I enjoy are often limited on game passes. Also I take longer to finish games because of my busy life. So sometimes I have been in the middle or close to finishing a game and it gets pulled from the gamepass to rotate new games in. So again I am stuck buying the game to finish it.

    Steam lets me save money on games and play them at my pace, while also letting me pick what games I want. I have many friends in the same boat. I dont think services like Steam are going anywhere but they will need to expand their services. Steam has partnered with GEForce Now and will be offering more streaming services soon. 
    xpsyncScotCatibrie
  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 8,028
    I'm glad that Gamepass exists for people who like saving via a subscription service.

    I am not one of those people. I like purchasing games directly, at my own pace, and at a price I am comfortable with. That gives me "voting" power - the power to support what I like and not support what I don't like. That doesn't exist on a subscription service like Gamepass. 



    Also, somewhat off topic, but in response to the previous poster, and common sentiment... can we stop pretending that Steam/PC is the only platform with frequent deep discounts? Sales have become increasingly common on all platforms. There are major sales going on for the Playstation store right this moment, and I struggle to think of a substantial time this year without major sales going on. The Nintendo Switch eshop rotates sales literally every week - it always has some discount going on hundreds of games.
    xpsync
  • LordRhysLordRhys Member UncommonPosts: 18

    Albatroes said:

    This article is a little naive imo....All the exclusives Sony has had over the years and what is the ONE thing that people have always told Microsoft they've lacked.....Exclusives.....so now they solve that problem....and people complain. Just blame Sony at this point. The one thing Microsoft is doing right is incorporating the PC market this time around. What is Sony doing exactly? If sony wants to barter with God of War or something, that helps everyone....The only people I see really suffering from this deal are people who only support Sony (nintendo too I guess).



    I agree, this is Sony getting bit in their ass for their arrogance, they started the exclusivity wars way back when original XBox came out, they should have relied on the ability of their hardware to outclass and not start a war they could not win. Sony has always been a miser which is why many of their own game dev studios have disbanded and restarted as independents or with another company.
    xpsync
  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,875
    Aeander said:
    I'm glad that Gamepass exists for people who like saving via a subscription service.

    I am not one of those people. I like purchasing games directly, at my own pace, and at a price I am comfortable with. That gives me "voting" power - the power to support what I like and not support what I don't like. That doesn't exist on a subscription service like Gamepass. 



    Also, somewhat off topic, but in response to the previous poster, and common sentiment... can we stop pretending that Steam/PC is the only platform with frequent deep discounts? Sales have become increasingly common on all platforms. There are major sales going on for the Playstation store right this moment, and I struggle to think of a substantial time this year without major sales going on. The Nintendo Switch eshop rotates sales literally every week - it always has some discount going on hundreds of games.
    I never said Steam is the only place to save money. I use G2A and many other services. I like Steam the most because of the services they offer. Like playing couch coop games via steam link with friends not local and they dont need to own a copy of the game. How it works with my Shield so I can stream any game from my PC to my Livingroom PC. How my friends and I can share each others game library when we are offline. How they will be adding games to GEForce Now for more streaming options. Sure I can save money on many platforms but the services on Steam are no where else. 
    xpsyncCatibrie
  • xpsyncxpsync Member EpicPosts: 1,854
    edited September 2020
    Aeander said:
    I'm glad that Gamepass exists for people who like saving via a subscription service.

    I am not one of those people. I like purchasing games directly, at my own pace, and at a price I am comfortable with. That gives me "voting" power - the power to support what I like and not support what I don't like. That doesn't exist on a subscription service like Gamepass. 



    Also, somewhat off topic, but in response to the previous poster, and common sentiment... can we stop pretending that Steam/PC is the only platform with frequent deep discounts? Sales have become increasingly common on all platforms. There are major sales going on for the Playstation store right this moment, and I struggle to think of a substantial time this year without major sales going on. The Nintendo Switch eshop rotates sales literally every week - it always has some discount going on hundreds of games.

    Excellent point and yeah i can't argue with your logic, i myself am like that to some degree, i know, but as an fyi only, to put it bluntly, gamepass is pretty f'ing cheap overall.

    What most people do, if they know, my kids told me, and i gotta make numbers up a bit don't want to research it, but if you get gold which is ballpark 60 bones a year, and you can buy up to three years, 180 for three years.

    Then you convert to gamepass for a dollar, 60 bones and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of game at your whim.

    One game will pay for itself, that's a pretty hard deal to pass up to stick to ones guns.

    So when gold runs out it's 15 a month when it's over, 180'ish a year ouch, but wait!!!

    You can cancel at anytime and buy back into gold, and buy 1 to 3 years again and then convert again for a buck. Just fyi, i love it on the PC, and when the boys drop buy they love checking everything out for free on the xbox.

    Nutshell, it's like steam but everything is FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Catibrie
    My faith is my shield! - Turalyon 2022

    Your legend ends here and now! - (Battles Won Long Ago)

    Currently Playing; Dragonflight and SWG:L
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