MS' Next Acquisition May Be Bigger Than Bethesda

[The Mad Titan]

A potential Sega acquisition makes sense to us solely because we're not in Japan, frankly.

Yakuza 7 is a next gen exclusive to XBox, and (if that infographic from earlier is to be believed), it didn't make a difference. Still getting outsold by the PS4. The PS4.

Those don't become system sellers for Microsoft because the Japanese public just doesn't seem interested in the rest of the XBox lineup. They REALLY tried with JRPGs in the 360 generation, which was the height of the brand's popularity and quality. Still didn't matter.

So, from a Japanese standpoint, it'd be easy to see how they would think this would ultimately damage their two best brands right now (Persona and Yakuza) if they went exclusive worldwide. They'd really only protect themselves if, for some crazy reason, the games didn't go exclusive, or went exclusive everywhere BUT Japan. Doing either of those really doesn't help them break into Japan the way they seem to want to.

If anything, they'd be better off attempting to establish a Japanese studio with maybe some poached talent.

So you think being under one of the biggest and most successful companies would somehow damage the brand or put them at financial risk?


If anything it would give them more creative freedom to make whatever they want because the pressure of a publisher wouldn't be as strong with 1st party games going to gamepass anyway.

Like I said it's pretty much a win win, the only question is does sega feel like they are going to lose their identity or if they are going to break out in the next couple years like capcom did recently this year.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

A potential Sega acquisition makes sense to us solely because we're not in Japan, frankly.

Yakuza 7 is a next gen exclusive to XBox, and (if that infographic from earlier is to be believed), it didn't make a difference. Still getting outsold by the PS4. The PS4.

Those don't become system sellers for Microsoft because the Japanese public just doesn't seem interested in the rest of the XBox lineup. They REALLY tried with JRPGs in the 360 generation, which was the height of the brand's popularity and quality. Still didn't matter.

So, from a Japanese standpoint, it'd be easy to see how they would think this would ultimately damage their two best brands right now (Persona and Yakuza) if they went exclusive worldwide. They'd really only protect themselves if, for some crazy reason, the games didn't go exclusive, or went exclusive everywhere BUT Japan. Doing either of those really doesn't help them break into Japan the way they seem to want to.

If anything, they'd be better off attempting to establish a Japanese studio with maybe some poached talent.

Or they can just fund the studio they already own, mistwalker

 

[Jchr is]

So you think being under one of the biggest and most successful companies would somehow damage the brand or put them at financial risk?


If anything it would give them more creative freedom to make whatever they want because the pressure of a publisher wouldn't be as strong with 1st party games going to gamepass anyway.

Like I said it's pretty much a win win, the only question is does sega feel like they are going to lose their identity or if they are going to break out in the next couple years like capcom did recently this year.

Microsoft still has a lot to show and improve with their acquisitions. Hopefully this gen they break the Halo, gears, forza, also ran cycle and allow their teams to breathe and not be focus tested and microtransactioned to death.

 

[The Mad Titan]

Microsoft still has a lot to show and improve with their acquisitions. Hopefully this gen they break the Halo, gears, forza, also ran cycle and allow their teams to breathe and not be focus tested and microtransactioned to death.

Hmm I guess I don't see how it's any different from consistent gow's, uncharted, jax, ratchet, or gran turismo games.


But I do think they haven't proved they can put out a non shooter high quality triple AAA single player game of any sort yet.

 

[Jchr is]

Hmm I guess I don't see how it's any different from consistent gow's, uncharted, jax, ratchet, or gran turismo games.


But I do think they haven't proved they can put out a non shooter high quality triple AAA single player game of any sort yet.

I get where you coming from, PS4 was Sonys most safe generation as far as variety of new IPs, but they do allow their people to try something new (Ghost, Horizon, ect)

I'm sure with once the Beth thing solidifies and with Obsidian on the team they should be able to break out of the rotating three atleast but I still need to see them give their folks freedom. Let me see them allow a team the same level as Fumeto Ueda on a sony game and I'll concede fully.

 

[SCJoe]

MS was considering buying them out to get into the console game way back before they started XBOX and also licensed a special version of windows for Dreamcast as well. SEGA was also one of the first major 3rd party publishers to back the original Xbox so you’ve gotta figure they have a solid business relationship

Imo, getting Sega is less about feeding the japanese market+ than it is, getting an expanded roster for here and Europe with established IP's. The japanese market is fickle as hell anyway and really truly Nintendo is the big dog over there.

 

[Legal]

So you think being under one of the biggest and most successful companies would somehow damage the brand or put them at financial risk?


If anything it would give them more creative freedom to make whatever they want because the pressure of a publisher wouldn't be as strong with 1st party games going to gamepass anyway.

Like I said it's pretty much a win win, the only question is does sega feel like they are going to lose their identity or if they are going to break out in the next couple years like capcom did recently this year.

It is a risk, considering that the first party output from Microsoft means little to nothing in Japan. So, this would be an acquisition made primarily to get them a foothold there. And just going off of the data we've got available, it suggests nthe Japanese will just play something else instead of rushing out to get into the XBox ecosystem.

And until more info comes out on how publishers are getting compensated for Gamepass, we've got to chill with thinking it's the be all end all for these studios.

Trying to be the Netflix of gaming is still debatable as being a good approach, since people still can't make up their mind if Netflix is ACTUALLY making money (they're turning profits, but blowing through cash at a rate much faster than their subscriber growth).

Or they can just fund the studio they already own, mistwalker

The fact that I forgot they existed, read up and found that they haven't released a a game on a Microsoft console since 2007, and somehow wasn't surprised says everything.

(also, apparently Microsoft doesn't own them, they just financed them when they started )

If putting out a game from the creator of Final Fantasy, with art from the creator of Dragon Ball, and music by Nobuo Uematsu doesn't move the needle they way they wanted to, not sure what does.

 

[winb83]

A potential Sega acquisition makes sense to us solely because we're not in Japan, frankly.

Yakuza 7 is a next gen exclusive to XBox, and (if that infographic from earlier is to be believed), it didn't make a difference. Still getting outsold by the PS4. The PS4.

Those don't become system sellers for Microsoft because the Japanese public just doesn't seem interested in the rest of the XBox lineup. They REALLY tried with JRPGs in the 360 generation, which was the height of the brand's popularity and quality. Still didn't matter.

So, from a Japanese standpoint, it'd be easy to see how they would think this would ultimately damage their two best brands right now (Persona and Yakuza) if they went exclusive worldwide. They'd really only protect themselves if, for some crazy reason, the games didn't go exclusive, or went exclusive everywhere BUT Japan. Doing either of those really doesn't help them break into Japan the way they seem to want to.

If anything, they'd be better off attempting to establish a Japanese studio with maybe some poached talent.

Persona and Yakuza abandoning PlayStation will only shrink both as brands. A rather decent chunk of the fanbase won't follow those games over.

You also have people like me. I'm not an Xbox guy. You can check my gamercard I barely play any of their games but I own an Xbox in the event a game I want to play comes to it. I have a PlayStation and that's my primary console and if Persona went Xbox exclusive it wouldn't impact me at all because I already own one. Sega has a lot of legacy franchises but I doubt they help Microsoft. If we're being honest Microsoft already has legacy franchises like stuff they got from Rare that nothing is going on with.

I don't really think Microsoft needs to focus on Japanese developers or publishers for acquisitions. They need stuff that has a more mainstream appeal and is more relevant today.

Persona and Yakuza can thrive on PlayStation because there's also a wide variety of other games like them on the platform so people like me that play those games end up owning PlayStation consoles. Microsoft had the better idea when they made Lost Odyssey. If they want a JRPG just build it up themselves. Back in the Persona 3 days that was a series that sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It took time to build it up to P5 selling close to 5 million copies.

Thing is Microsoft swings for the fences. If it's not this massive hit they're gonna abandon it. That's why they got down to just Gears, Forza, and Halo because all they cared about were mega franchises. Their studios would make other games or they'd partner and make other games and instead of building the franchises when the first game came out and sales weren't a home run Microsoft would abandon it. Their gaming attitude is like DC films. DC didn't wanna lay the groundwork to build up to Justice League so they piggybacked it off of Man of Steel and skipped the Marvel approach of building up to a mega franchise. Sony is more like Marvel in that respect.

So no I don't want Persona and Yakuza in Microsoft's hands because I'd prefer those franchises not die.

 

[Legal]

Persona and Yakuza abandoning PlayStation will only shrink both as brands. A rather decent chunk of the fanbase won't follow those games over.

You also have people like me. I'm not an Xbox guy. You can check my gamercard I barely play any of their games but I own an Xbox in the event a game I want to play comes to it. I have a PlayStation and that's my primary console and if Persona went Xbox exclusive it wouldn't impact me at all because I already own one. Sega has a lot of legacy franchises but I doubt they help Microsoft. If we're being honest Microsoft already has legacy franchises like stuff they got from Rare that nothing is going on with.

I don't really think Microsoft needs to focus on Japanese developers or publishers for acquisitions. They need stuff that has a more mainstream appeal and is more relevant today.

Persona and Yakuza can thrive on PlayStation because there's also a wide variety of other games like them on the platform so people like me that play those games end up owning PlayStation consoles. Microsoft had the better idea when they made Lost Odyssey. If they want a JRPG just build it up themselves. Back in the Persona 3 days that was a series that sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It took time to build it up to P5 selling close to 5 million copies.

Thing is Microsoft swings for the fences. If it's not this massive hit they're gonna abandon it. That's why they got down to just Gears, Forza, and Halo because all they cared about were mega franchises. Their studios would make other games or they'd partner and make other games and instead of building the franchises when the first game came out and sales weren't a home run Microsoft would abandon it. Their gaming attitude is like DC films. DC didn't wanna lay the groundwork to build up to Justice League so they piggybacked it off of Man of Steel and skipped the Marvel approach of building up to a mega franchise. Sony is more like Marvel in that respect.

So no I don't want Persona and Yakuza in Microsoft's hands because I'd prefer those franchises not die.

Agree with evey bit of that. You could argue that them buying Bethesda, while a smart purchase, is an example of them just wanting to get to the part at the end where the games sell millions of copies. They're borderline obsessed with established franchises. They spent what had to be a decent amount of money headhunting talent for a AAAA studio, and.........they're making another Perfect Dark. I'm excited to see what it ends up being, but still.

If Microsoft owned Sega, I don't think the Yakuza studio gets the freedom to say fukk it, and go the complete opposite direction with Like a Dragon being turn based.

 

[The Mad Titan]

Persona and Yakuza abandoning PlayStation will only shrink both as brands. A rather decent chunk of the fanbase won't follow those games over.

You also have people like me. I'm not an Xbox guy. You can check my gamercard I barely play any of their games but I own an Xbox in the event a game I want to play comes to it. I have a PlayStation and that's my primary console and if Persona went Xbox exclusive it wouldn't impact me at all because I already own one. Sega has a lot of legacy franchises but I doubt they help Microsoft. If we're being honest Microsoft already has legacy franchises like stuff they got from Rare that nothing is going on with.

I don't really think Microsoft needs to focus on Japanese developers or publishers for acquisitions. They need stuff that has a more mainstream appeal and is more relevant today.

Persona and Yakuza can thrive on PlayStation because there's also a wide variety of other games like them on the platform so people like me that play those games end up owning PlayStation consoles. Microsoft had the better idea when they made Lost Odyssey. If they want a JRPG just build it up themselves. Back in the Persona 3 days that was a series that sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It took time to build it up to P5 selling close to 5 million copies.

Thing is Microsoft swings for the fences. If it's not this massive hit they're gonna abandon it. That's why they got down to just Gears, Forza, and Halo because all they cared about were mega franchises. Their studios would make other games or they'd partner and make other games and instead of building the franchises when the first game came out and sales weren't a home run Microsoft would abandon it. Their gaming attitude is like DC films. DC didn't wanna lay the groundwork to build up to Justice League so they piggybacked it off of Man of Steel and skipped the Marvel approach of building up to a mega franchise. Sony is more like Marvel in that respect.

So no I don't want Persona and Yakuza in Microsoft's hands because I'd prefer those franchises not die.

Disagree with all this, I don't really know where to start, but I'll just agree to disagree.

 

[winb83]

Disagree with all this, I don't really know where to start, but I'll just agree to disagree.

Can you show any actual evidence of JRPGs thriving on Microsoft platforms? They tried. Put a decent amount of effort into it during better times. Those games flopped in Japan to the point that they either didn't get sequels or ended up on other platforms altogether.

JRPGs are too niche to have a drastic effect on system numbers. The console market in Japan isn't what it was even back then. Microsoft Xbox is a western centric platform. You play to your strengths.

You stick Persona 6 on Xbox as an exclusive and the sales probably drop by at least half. In Japan they'd fall even worse. What you're not gonna get is millions of people buying an Xbox just because Persona 6 is on it. Maybe they push some copies on PC but Atlus has already started to see that PC can be a factor with Golden's release.

Microsoft also has a clear track record of abandoning franchises that aren't smash hits. Thanks but no thanks.

 

[Fctftl]

Hmm I guess I don't see how it's any different from consistent gow's, uncharted, jax, ratchet, or gran turismo games.


But I do think they haven't proved they can put out a non shooter high quality triple AAA single player game of any sort yet.

Dreams
Last Guardian
Horizon
Ghosts of Tushima
Bloodborne
Insomniacs Spiderman
Detroit
Death Stranding

weren't new IPs?

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Dreams
Last Guardian
Horizon
Ghosts of Tushima
Bloodborne
Insomniacs Spiderman
Detroit
Death Stranding

weren't new IPs?

 

[Fctftl]

I don't do console wars. playin on my series x right now meech. but Sony had the most new IPs out of the big 3 last gen. this is facts.

 

[4-Rin]

I don't do console wars. playin on my series x right now meech. but Sony had the most new IPs out of the big 3 last gen. this is facts.

Spiderman isn't a new IP, it's an exclusive. You seem to be confusing the two.