Board 8 > Microsoft looking to acquire Electronic Arts

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://twitter.com/gameinformer/status/958095145467039748

Madden exclusive to XBONE?!
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Whoa. What would EA get out of this?
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pjbasis posted...

Whoa. What would EA get out of this?

Money. What else?
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... how would that at all be possible

gmun-chama posted...

... how would that at all be possible

Lightning Strikes posted...

Money.

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bolstering game pass library
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Well

EA can't get worse
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If you're hoping this would persuade me to buy an X-Box Microsoft, you are very very wrong.
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Looks like EA's currently worth ~$36B? I wonder how that compares with what Microsoft's spent developing games over the last 15 years.
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I mean

There's always a chance that this could actually be a good thing, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
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Could EA actually improve, kind of like Disney improving Lucasfilm?
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Wedge Antilles posted...

If you hoping this would persuade me to buy an X-Box Microsoft, you are very very wrong.

if this happens, which who knows, i think it would be more likely that microsoft becomes a third party publisher
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BowserCuffs posted...

I mean

There's always a chance that this could actually be a good thing, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

some of Square's best years were when they were merged with EA
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LeonhartFour posted...

BowserCuffs posted...

I mean

There's always a chance that this could actually be a good thing, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

some of Square's best years were when they were merged with EA

Was that before or after EA started using abhorrent business practices?
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gmun-chama posted...

... how would that at all be possible

EA is valued at around $35 billion. Microsoft is valued at around $700. If Microsoft makes a good enough offer to EA's shareholders, it could happen. My pulled-out-my-ass guess is around $50 billion.
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I will love Microsoft forever if they do this and fix BioWare.
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CaptainOfCrush posted...

Microsoft is valued at around $700.

*buys Microsoft*
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RyoCaliente posted...

I will love Microsoft forever if they do this and fix BioWare.

well this is certainly an optimistic view
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BowserCuffs posted...

LeonhartFour posted...

BowserCuffs posted...

I mean

There's always a chance that this could actually be a good thing, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

some of Square's best years were when they were merged with EA

Was that before or after EA started using abhorrent business practices?

After. EA's business practices extend back at least to 1989 when they blackmailed Sega when they released the Genesis.
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What if EA infects Microsoft instead? There could be a new version of Windows built around loot boxes
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good

have Sony pay someone to make better sports games

Disney will probably take back the Star Wars license too

and they can keep Mass Effect if they don't know what they wanna do with it. RIP
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iiicon posted...

Wedge Antilles posted...

If you hoping this would persuade me to buy an X-Box Microsoft, you are very very wrong.

if this happens, which who knows, i think it would be more likely that microsoft becomes a third party publisher

Honestly interested to hear your rationale for this.
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they also said they wanted valve or something
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both microsoft and ea are shifting their games businesses to subscription and service based models. you don't have success with that, particularly not the level of success to justify a $40-50B purchase, in a closed ecosystem that only does well in one territory, and even in that one territory will be running in third place not before long.

microsoft has already seen how well something like minecraft does when it's on every platform imaginable. it would be suicide to purchase fifa and keep it on xboxes
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I think Microsoft would be more likely to use this purchase to push their own digital games platform to compete with Steam, not to make EA games Xbox exclusive

iiicon posted...

both microsoft and ea are shifting their games businesses to subscription and service based models. you don't have success with that, particularly not the level of success to justify a $40-50B purchase, in a closed ecosystem that only does well in one territory, and even in that one territory will be running in third place not before long.

microsoft has already seen how well something like minecraft does when it's on every platform imaginable. it would be suicide to purchase fifa and keep it on xboxes

I 100% agree with this. If Microsoft purchases EA, it would be a shift in their business toward software services/publishing, not doubling down on pushing the Xbox exclusivity.

iiicon posted...

both microsoft and ea are shifting their games businesses to subscription and service based models. you don't have success with that, particularly not the level of success to justify a $40-50B purchase, in a closed ecosystem that only does well in one territory, and even in that one territory will be running in third place not before long.

microsoft has already seen how well something like minecraft does when it's on every platform imaginable. it would be suicide to purchase fifa and keep it on xboxes

True, but Microsoft is in a bad spot right now regarding their console business. This could be their one play to get ahead again.

Or maybe not. It feels like they're going to go all in on consoles or totally out.
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they will not get out of the console business simply because they have a foot in the door in people's living room already

they are getting most 3rd party games, they have great relationship with all developers

they are in a great position to compete against Apple/Google/Amazon in the streaming media box space
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But also they have executives consistently trying to jettison the division and they are losing lots of money. They have to do SOMETHING. This could be something.
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Lightning Strikes posted...

But also they have executives consistently trying to jettison the division and they are losing lots of money. They have to do SOMETHING. This could be something.

I dont think this is true, Im pretty sure I saw the CEO of Microsoft specifically say the Xbox division was profitable and growing?
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ChaosTonyV4 posted...

Lightning Strikes posted...

But also they have executives consistently trying to jettison the division and they are losing lots of money. They have to do SOMETHING. This could be something.

I dont think this is true, Im pretty sure I saw the CEO of Microsoft specifically say the Xbox division was profitable and growing?

I don't doubt it has been profitable. They could potentially stand to make substantially more if they spun off the business though. Or drastically improved their platform by buying a major publisher and their IPs. Of course, in the same statement he also said they were increasing first party investment so you know, relative terms.
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