Microsoft exposed trying to kill PlayStation

[Rozalia1]

7 hours ago, Z1MZUM said:

This is %100 the reason I want this to happen. We are all being unrealistic thinking that MS would successfully push Sony out of the market. 

 

I have one simple question, are there that many of us that are religiously attached to a Console maker? Yes this is a trophy sight but the best games we will ever see have already been released more or less, every now and then something nice shows up but rarely. If we play Activision on XB or PC and the games are good enough (they aren't) then we shouldn't notice what we are playing on.

 

You want to give Microsoft the 69 billion Activision so they can "compete", something exposed now as a lie as they want to instead dominate. Microsoft who has already boasted they'll be doing more buyouts. Look. It is true that Xbox has been supremely incompetent and might well only continue to collapse even if Microsoft buys them Activision, EA, Take Two, and so forth. It would be very funny yes, however, there is always the chance that all their buyouts eventually get them success which will mean very bad things for everyone. Microsoft already has more developers than Sony. How many do they need to buyout to "compete"? Do they need to have triple Sony's workforce to be able to match them? Sorry, if that is the case then Microsoft either needs to get out as they're failures, or they need to work inward and improve themselves which going by their current track record they appear incapable of doing.

 

Microsoft is certainly working hard to make people like that. What remains of their fanbase are fanatical in their hatred of Sony, something cultivated by Microsoft directly. Sony fans meanwhile were for 10 years content to largely see Xbox as an irrelevant joke not worth actual hate, but now with Microsoft's behaviour and straight up known attempt at destroying PlayStation, can they be blamed if they're becoming more anti-Xbox? As for your comment of 'best games we will ever see have already been released more or less', I'd say that would be pretty accurate if Microsoft's wanted future comes to pass, but thankfully Sony has thus far stopped them.

 

1 hour ago, Colin_Raleigh said:

In the end, I think one console manufacturer trying to run another out of business is a bad idea in the long run. Eliminating the competition would make for less options and less creativity, it's been shown time and again that when any type of business becomes the only game in town that the products they make eventually have less effort, become less interesting, and are full of problems since they know that customers have no other options to turn to. Having no competition results in negative complacency, so doing this is bad for everyone involved in whatever business that it is.

 

That is business 101 yeah. Though when it comes to gaming we do have history to reference. Nintendo when they got on top became very tyrannical, but their quality of games and innovation did not diminish. Sony when they got on top actually brought prices down in both games and consoles and while their 1st party wasn't large at the time, they continued to innovate on hardware. They pushed the PS2 as a cheap DVD player and then the PS3 was the best Blu-ray player to get in it's day. The CELL processor was also exotic tech and could have lead processors in computers in a totally different direction if it had been adapted enough. Both did however improve on themselves from taking bloody noses though yes. Nintendo have only further become better at putting out top quality games, even with limited hardware. Sony meanwhile expanded their 1st party greatly and now have top of the line studios putting out hits for them. 

 

Microsoft is where this breaks down. They've never even been able to "win" a generation, but their close third place that one time was enough for them to do the Xbox One fiasco. Since then their position has only further broken down... and that has only caused them to become worse even if their extensive PR and astroturfing tries to convince people otherwise. Now imagine if Microsoft actually got itself into a dominant position. They act like this from dead last. Some would say that the difference between Sony/Nintendo and Microsoft on this is because of differences between Japanese and American companies, which sure might play a part, but personally I think said American company being Microsoft is even more important. As Steve Jobs famously said, Microsoft is a tasteless company, and many would be shocked if they checked big tech at the sheer difference in money spent on buyouts between Microsoft and everyone else. I'd have to look at the numbers again, but from what I recall Microsoft spends more on buyouts than the rest of big tech combined. They're the poster boy for buying success rather than creating it.

[Rozalia1]

Update: Microsoft has now given details: https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671534671266562050?s=20. The content in the email was a "thought experiment". Again, they do not deny that Booty talked of buying out companies to ultimately kill PlayStation, he was just thinking it out loud I suppose. It is also just mere coincidence that Microsoft has been carrying out what the "thought experiment" says they should do. Something also worth pointing out is... why does it specifically mention the infamous 10 year deals? If it was in 2019 as the mystery representative said then why not just say it was before the Activision deal? The implication to me is this formless representative is not being honest.

 

[AJ_-_808]

1 hour ago, Rozalia1 said:

Update: Microsoft has now given details: https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671534671266562050?s=20. The content in the email was a "thought experiment". Again, they do not deny that Booty talked of buying out companies to ultimately kill PlayStation, he was just thinking it out loud I suppose. It is also just mere coincidence that Microsoft has been carrying out what the "thought experiment" says they should do. Something also worth pointing out is... why does it specifically mention the infamous 10 year deals? If it was in 2019 as the mystery representative said then why not just say it was before the Activision deal? The implication to me is this formless representative is not being honest.

 

 

"Thought experiment"

Lol

[ruexnimbus]

I think Microsoft is mistaken in thinking that having ownership of a popular online FPS is going to give them a lasting advantage. From my experience in online gaming, most of the players don't give a crap about the game. They just like to shoot each other. First it was Quakeworld Team Fortress. Then it was Half-Life TF2. Then Half-Life: Counter-Strike and after a while Counter-Strike became its own thing. Then Call of Duty became more popular. These gamers will always go to whatever is most popular in the moment. All it will take is another modder like Gooseman to create an actual interesting shooter to pull the attention away.

[SnowxSakura]

I think the funniest part of this whole thing, is if they hadn't made starfield an exclusive, this whole buyout wouldn't have been so scrutinized

[Rozalia1]

58 minutes ago, ruexnimbus said:

I think Microsoft is mistaken in thinking that having ownership of a popular online FPS is going to give them a lasting advantage. From my experience in online gaming, most of the players don't give a crap about the game. They just like to shoot each other. First it was Quakeworld Team Fortress. Then it was Half-Life TF2. Then Half-Life: Counter-Strike and after a while Counter-Strike became its own thing. Then Call of Duty became more popular. These gamers will always go to whatever is most popular in the moment. All it will take is another modder like Gooseman to create an actual interesting shooter to pull the attention away.

 

No problem. Just another company to buyout for Microsoft.

 

If this gets through then the only Sony can assure they can keep a big time shooter on their platform with certainty is if they make one themselves, which Microsoft told them should be no problem for them as they'll have 10 years (if they accept the terrible deal that completely favours Microsoft). A very difficult thing, though honestly whichever way this goes I think Sony should do it anyway. Each of the shooting games they've put out in the past have had solid elements, and if they mix all of those good elements together into one game I think they'll have something nice.

 

1 hour ago, AJ_-_808 said:

"Thought experiment"

Lol

 

Treating everybody like fools with that one.

 

Microsoft's army has declared this a "nothing burger", but considering Microsoft just announced price increases for the Series X and gamepass, something which is silly to do now of all times, it gives the impression that they dropped that news to bury this one.

 

8 minutes ago, SnowxSakura said:

I think the funniest part of this whole thing, is if they hadn't made starfield an exclusive, this whole buyout wouldn't have been so scrutinized

 

There is one even funnier. Making Redfall exclusive, which not only also did what you mentioned, but also caused Spencer to put out that embarrassing display. Only way Starfield tops that is if it too is a massive mess and either Spencer has to do an even more pathetic display, or him and his team finally get some consequences for their terrible performance.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Rozalia1

[Silocia]

12 hours ago, SnowxSakura said:

I think the funniest part of this whole thing, is if they hadn't made starfield an exclusive, this whole buyout wouldn't have been so scrutinized

 

Whats even funnier is how much hot water its bringing across the board.

 

As of yesterday its been reported that Pete Hines has been summoned to court by the FTC. They're arguing (and so did the U.K court) that if going by the examples demonstrated by their acquisition of Zenimax and ultimately Bethesda they will treat the IPs bought out through Activision/Blizzard in the same way.

 

Bethesda Boss Summoned by FTC to Explain Starfield Xbox Exclusivity (playstationlifestyle.net)

[Oberlin1694]

I feel with the existence of this document being made public and just what it says, that Microsoft may be entirely fucked going forward. There’s no chance of the ABK deal being pushed through now, and there’s nothing stopping those who have already authorised it from changing their minds. 
 

This document shows us Microsoft’s true end goal, and shows us that everything they’ve said, every promise they have made is a lie.

 

They’re going to be under mass scrutiny and it wouldn’t surprise me if during the hearing that’s due to take place the FTC demands for the full document to be revealed. And when and if it is revealed I personally believe it’ll be what pushes Microsoft out of the console market completely. As all of the Japanese-centric studios are likely to outright refuse to work with them, due to their loyalty to Sony, as it’s the dominant tech company in Asian markets.

 

A small part of me feels bad for Bethesda/Zenimax as they’re going to be absolutely put through the wringer for being a part of this whole thing, even if they weren’t aware of it at first. It’s never a good luck to be a major part of an attempt to kill off a companies main competitor.

 

Watch this space; Microsoft will either stick to their guns and be entirely shut down with any further purchases they make, or they’ll go major damage control and every single exclusive they have with Beth/Zeni will start to hit PlayStation to try and ‘prove’ this document was only a ‘thought experiment’ and is ‘false’.

 

Either way I think they’re truly fucked. No amount of PR cover-ups and fluff pieces can change the fact that the higher-ups at the company have outright stated their intention with the buyouts is to kill Sony. Stupid move on their part for leaving that paper trail 

[Oberlin1694]

8 hours ago, Silocia said:

 

Whats even funnier is how much hot water its bringing across the board.

 

As of yesterday its been reported that Pete Hines has been summoned to court by the FTC. They're arguing (and so did the U.K court) that if going by the examples demonstrated by their acquisition of Zenimax and ultimately Bethesda they will treat the IPs bought out through Activision/Blizzard in the same way.

 

Bethesda Boss Summoned by FTC to Explain Starfield Xbox Exclusivity (playstationlifestyle.net)

They should have never made Starfield exclusive honestly. Bethesda RPG’s sell better on PlayStation, a lot better. Fallout and Skyrim especially. So there was no reason to make the game exclusive. They didn’t do it for any reason other than to shaft PlayStation consumers and to force them to purchase an Xbox. Something needs to be done about this as I believe it’s been revealed that before it went exclusive Starfield was being developed on PS5 first and was being ported to PC/Xbox during the process.

 

The fact it suddenly went exclusive and had to be delayed just adds to those rumours.

 

Any judge that rules in favor of the buyout is quite frankly deluded and wrong. This is nothing but bad, bad news. If it does happen Sony needs to double down on the Asian studios. Sega, Atlus, Capcom, Square, Konami. There’s no chance they’d go Xbox exclusive, but if they all suddenly went PS5/Switch exclusive it would harm Xbox so much, as it’d severely limit the types of games available on the console. And RE, MGS, Persona, Final Fantasy, Sonic etc will help to push sales hard for Sony. Doubt they’d ask for major money either as I believe all of these studios have made multiple PlayStation exclusive games anyway, and still are

Edited June 22, 2023 by Oberlin1694

[Rozalia1]

UPDATE: The "thought experiment" is now instead an "old strategy". https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671924523946450944?s=20. Just lie after lie which exposes the previous lies as lies.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Rozalia1

[MidnightDragon]

5 minutes ago, Rozalia1 said:

UPDATE: The "thought experiment" is now instead an "old strategy". https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671924523946450944?s=20. Just lie after lie which exposes the previous lies as lies.

 

Of course he’s gonna say that. It’d just make him look worse to be honest.  

[Rokukou2]

Lmao homeboys defending Sony like their lives depend on it. Sony literally a scum company to literally pay some companies to not put their games on Xbox. I know Xbox started with the exclusive long time ago but Sony pushed it too far. I 100% hope the deal goes through just for Sony to taste its own medicine. 

[DarkHpokinsn]

9 minutes ago, Rokukou2 said:

Lmao homeboys defending Sony like their lives depend on it. Sony literally a scum company to literally pay some companies to not put their games on Xbox. I know Xbox started with the exclusive long time ago but Sony pushed it too far. I 100% hope the deal goes through just for Sony to taste its own medicine. 

Opp looks like Microsoft hired somebody on the forum to do damage control for them. Microsoft is the scum here buddy. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by DarkHpokinsn

[VigilantCrow]

Microsoft has always been a cancer, just look at the things they did to establish itself as the market leader in the OS sphere. It's no surprise they'd try the same thing for console. People have goldfish memories though so this will be forgotten 6 months after everything is settled.

Edited June 22, 2023 by VigilantCrow

[Silocia]

8 hours ago, Oberlin1694 said:

They should have never made Starfield exclusive honestly. Bethesda RPG’s sell better on PlayStation, a lot better. Fallout and Skyrim especially. So there was no reason to make the game exclusive. They didn’t do it for any reason other than to shaft PlayStation consumers and to force them to purchase an Xbox. Something needs to be done about this as I believe it’s been revealed that before it went exclusive Starfield was being developed on PS5 first and was being ported to PC/Xbox during the process.

 

The fact it suddenly went exclusive and had to be delayed just adds to those rumours.

 

Any judge that rules in favor of the buyout is quite frankly deluded and wrong. This is nothing but bad, bad news. If it does happen Sony needs to double down on the Asian studios. Sega, Atlus, Capcom, Square, Konami. There’s no chance they’d go Xbox exclusive, but if they all suddenly went PS5/Switch exclusive it would harm Xbox so much, as it’d severely limit the types of games available on the console. And RE, MGS, Persona, Final Fantasy, Sonic etc will help to push sales hard for Sony. Doubt they’d ask for major money either as I believe all of these studios have made multiple PlayStation exclusive games anyway, and still are

 

I'll tell you exactly what they should have done.

 

They should have put Starfield on Gamepass and charged PS5 and PC. Gamepass makes zero money and typically costs them hundreds of millions to put a game on there but this game is theirs and it could have been funding by their rival markets.

 

Instead what they've opted to do is spend god knows how much more money in court cases. Such an excellent business move *chefs kiss*

Edited June 22, 2023 by Silocia

[Terra]

Kind of glad this is happening. Xbox has never been the same anyway

[Oberlin1694]

46 minutes ago, Silocia said:

 

I'll tell you exactly what they should have done.

 

They should have put Starfield on Gamepass and charged PS5 and PC. Gamepass makes zero money and typically costs them hundreds of millions to put a game on there but this game is theirs and it could have been funding by their rival markets.

 

Instead what they've opted to do is spend god knows how much more money in court cases. Such an excellent business move *chefs kiss*

This honestly would have been their best move. That way their precious Xbox fanboys get the game for free while the PlayStation audience had to pay £64.99. 
 

It would have been the best way of handling it, people wouldn’t be kicking up such a storm and they wouldn’t be down shits creek.

 

And the sheer number of sales on PS5 would offset the loss from it going to Game Pass on Xbox.

 

Microsoft are honestly stupid. All of their decisions seem so ass backwards, and there’s no other way of looking at it than as an attempt to hurt Sony.

 

Im so sick of people arguing Microsoft doing this is fair as PS also has exclusives. Yet the exclusives they get they don’t get by outright buying the entire god damn studio and MAKING THEM block the game from coming to Playstation.

 

Hell, Square supposedly turned down an offer to make FF XVI Xbox exclusive and partnered with Sony instead which is honestly telling. Why would Square most likely accept less money and give it to Sony? So many questions.

 

And TLOU, Horizon, Spider-Man, GoW, Death Stranding as PS exclusives really can’t be used in any argument ad the fact is those games were all made by studios Sony has always had ridiculously strong relationships with. They didn’t suddenly just go to Insomniac who was making primarily multiplatform games (not that they ever did) and throw billions at them to make all their future games PS exclusive and non-Xbox.

 

It’s all just so hypocritical to me. Xbox fanboys demanding the deal MUST go through, and that they DESERVE AKB, yet in the same breath they’ll attack Sony for Bloodborne, FF XVI, Silent Hill 2 being PS exclusive. It’s just stupid. There’s a major difference between the two companies. Neither are great, but Microsoft is beyond scummy 

[zaibro]

Damn bruh everyone here going hard on Xbox here. I feel like everyone forgot that Sony tried to make Starfield an exclusive for them. There was an article about it years ago. But in honestly yall gotta chill you guys making essays I never did back in high-school when it mattered.

[Iker_01]

2 hours ago, Rozalia1 said:

UPDATE: The "thought experiment" is now instead an "old strategy". https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671924523946450944?s=20. Just lie after lie which exposes the previous lies as lies.

 

 

Don't know how old this "old strategy" is, since they seem to be following it with their recent purchases, along with their claims that they'll continue buying publishers and developers.

[SelectiveGamer]

Nobody should really be surprised here. Is Sony trying to do the same thing? I'm sure they are

 

But are they coming right out and saying it? Well... not in the same way Xbox just did...

 

Just saying.... ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look before you start responding to me in a 50 page essay (that I won't read lol) I don't actually have a preference. Even though most Xbox stuff hasn't interested or intrigued me up to this point and I feel like it never will. But clearly that's just only me. Competition makes everyone better at the end of the day. But this Microsoft stuff... is just getting worse and worse. That's the perception I get at least.

[The_Jigsaw_Cult]

16 minutes ago, SelectiveGamer said:

Nobody should really be surprised here. Is Sony trying to do the same thing? I'm sure they are

 

But are they coming right out and saying it? Well... not in the same way Xbox just did...

 

Just saying.... ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look before you start responding to me in a 50 page essay (that I won't read lol) I don't actually have a preference. Even though most Xbox stuff hasn't interested or intrigued me up to this point and I feel like it never will. But clearly that's just only me. Competition makes everyone better at the end of the day. But this Microsoft stuff... is just getting worse and worse. That's the perception I get at least.

Sony just aren’t maliciously going around buying publishers to run Xbox out of business that’s all bud. It’s a big difference. Anyone that couldn’t see it from the start is either an Xbot or just not wise to gaming business in general.

[AJ_-_808]

3 hours ago, SelectiveGamer said:

Nobody should really be surprised here. Is Sony trying to do the same thing? I'm sure they are

 

Please name 1 studio - nevermind big publisher, just a single studio - that has a long history of being multiplatform that Sony bought out and made exclusive.

 

Excluding Bungie because a.) they haven't been made exclusive and b.) they were bought after Bethesda happened.

Edited June 23, 2023 by AJ_-_808

[Terra]

14 hours ago, Rozalia1 said:

UPDATE: The "thought experiment" is now instead an "old strategy". https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671924523946450944?s=20. Just lie after lie which exposes the previous lies as lies.

 

They might as well just dig themselves a grave. Absolutely pathetic

[The_Jigsaw_Cult]

15 hours ago, Rokukou2 said:

Lmao homeboys defending Sony like their lives depend on it. Sony literally a scum company to literally pay some companies to not put their games on Xbox. I know Xbox started with the exclusive long time ago but Sony pushed it too far. I 100% hope the deal goes through just for Sony to taste its own medicine. 

Are you an xbot? Literally piss off kid. This is a PlayStation site. Don’t you have games to play or something? 

[Rozalia1]

17 hours ago, Rokukou2 said:

Lmao homeboys defending Sony like their lives depend on it. Sony literally a scum company to literally pay some companies to not put their games on Xbox. I know Xbox started with the exclusive long time ago but Sony pushed it too far. I 100% hope the deal goes through just for Sony to taste its own medicine. 

 

If you want a Microsoft friendly view then you can easily find it in many places, larger ones too, as the internet is awash with their astroturfers. Unless you're one, then welcome, but you'll have to up your game if you're going to be working here.

 

As for your comment. It is a funny one to make when you even have to take note that Microsoft started it, but it was Sony who took it too far? What is a timed exclusive compared to doing massive buyouts of multiplatform developers and even publishers? Also own medicine? Are you saying that Sony has bullied Microsoft of all companies with money? Come on now. The sweet thing in all of this is Microsoft has thus far found its money useless and continued to get styled on by quality games. They bought Bethesda for 7 billion and had to admit in court that it had 0 positive effect on market share. So they're now trying to buy something x10 hoping that will be big enough to matter. Typical Microsoft. Just throw more and more money at things until you win. Just tasteless.

 

16 hours ago, Silocia said:

I'll tell you exactly what they should have done.

 

They should have put Starfield on Gamepass and charged PS5 and PC. Gamepass makes zero money and typically costs them hundreds of millions to put a game on there but this game is theirs and it could have been funding by their rival markets.

 

Instead what they've opted to do is spend god knows how much more money in court cases. Such an excellent business move *chefs kiss*

 

You're correct, but to monopoly obsessed Microsoft that wouldn't be the correct way to do things. Xbox would never have gotten this massive level of funding for a buyout if the idea was it was simply going to make gamepass sustainable/profitable. That would be seen as a bad investment for Microsoft. Now investing all that money to crush Sony and from there work on establishing a monopoly? That is the big money. They crave adding what Sony makes to their own number. As for Nintendo and even Valve, as Microsoft's known playbook says, play nice with third parties in your conflict and even help them if you need to, all until the job is done and your enemy is defeated, then stab those third parties in the back and work on eliminating them too.

 

15 hours ago, Iker_01 said:

Don't know how old this "old strategy" is, since they seem to be following it with their recent purchases, along with their claims that they'll continue buying publishers and developers.

 

Microsoft would have you believe that such a thing is a coincidence.

 

15 hours ago, SelectiveGamer said:

Nobody should really be surprised here. Is Sony trying to do the same thing? I'm sure they are

 

Sony are certainly trying to eliminate Microsoft (in gaming) with good games yes. Such a thing is normal in business. It is your competitor's problem if they can't do a good product. The competitor responding to this lack of ability with massive buyouts in an attempt to drive the other company out of business? Not an acceptable move.

 

16 hours ago, Oberlin1694 said:

It’s all just so hypocritical to me. Xbox fanboys demanding the deal MUST go through, and that they DESERVE AKB, yet in the same breath they’ll attack Sony for Bloodborne, FF XVI, Silent Hill 2 being PS exclusive. It’s just stupid. There’s a major difference between the two companies. Neither are great, but Microsoft is beyond scummy 

 

According to such people timed exclusives are actually worse than buying up companies and making their games exclusive. Personally I don't believe they're that stupid to actually believe that, they're just being dishonest in a stupid manner due to how obvious it is.

 

15 hours ago, zaibro said:

Damn bruh everyone here going hard on Xbox here. I feel like everyone forgot that Sony tried to make Starfield an exclusive for them. There was an article about it years ago. But in honestly yall gotta chill you guys making essays I never did back in high-school when it mattered.

 

Funny what views people have when you don't have astroturfers present huh?

 

We have it stated in court that Bethesda went to Sony when it came to timed exclusives on their games. If Starfield was talked about as possibly being an exclusive, and as far as I remember there is nothing concrete on that, then it would have been because Bethesda talked to Sony, not the other way around. The narrative that PlayStation had been trying to kill Xbox by buying up timed exclusivity on Bethesda is dead with this court case.

 

17 hours ago, DarkHpokinsn said:

Opp looks like Microsoft hired somebody on the forum to do damage control for them. Microsoft is the scum here buddy. 

 

I'm not sure if getting Microsoft's astroturfing department's attention would be something to celebrate or not. On one hand they see you as worth astroturfing, on the other dealing with such people is quite the annoyance.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Rozalia1