Current Events > Did MS just win the console war for good?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I didnt expect them to buy Activision at all.

Nintendo fanboys don't move off Nintendo and Japan hates XBOX. Good luck.

By buying some franchises past their prime that had been run into the ground and have a looming air of sexual abuse tied to them?

Lmao, gamers be better than this.

Who knows. If game pass is good enough, it might not be too long before I stop purchasing non Nintendo games for good.

Dakimakura posted...

Nintendo fanboys don't move off Nintendo and Japan hates XBOX. Good luck.

Xbox has been increasing in popularity in Japan. Microsoft's Japanese sales expectations have all been exceeded with Series X.

They should probably try winning a single generation first imo

Tyranthraxus posted...

Xbox has been increasing in popularity in Japan. Microsoft's Japanese sales expectations have all been exceeded with Series X.

The Xbox Series X/S has sold more than 100,000 units in Japan, according to the local industry bible Famitsu. This is at a much faster rate than for its predecessor the Xbox One, which took four and a half years to reach this figure.Nov 20, 2021

Dakimakura posted...

Nintendo fanboys don't move off Nintendo and Japan hates XBOX. Good luck.

PC gaming, however has been growing in japan massively the past 10-15 years. Microsoft's business model isn't about pushing hardware. It's about pushing Gamepass, with the xbox hardware solution being a vector for people who don't want to game on PC.

Win? No. Make a major move that will definitely shake the industry up? Yes (if it goes through). Hopefully this is a good thing though in making Sony step up more. I feel they've gotten too lax this generation.

No but it's in everyone's interest to stop Sony. We just dredged through a 0/10 generation spearheaded by them and we do not need another one.

Nintendo was never interested in this "war." Their systems go for gimmicks, not power and performance.

I'm not too informed where Sony stands so the war if there is one is only between Sony and Microsoft. Although I'd say the war is likely more of a fan war. Has Sony and Xbox shown to care for each other?

Regardless, all 3 will do fine as all 3 have their solid bases.

ViewtifulJoe posted...

No but it's in everyone's interest to stop Sony. We just dredged through a 0/10 generation spearheaded by them and we do not need another one.

Id say it was a 7/10 generation

Dakimakura posted...

Nintendo fanboys don't move off Nintendo and Japan hates XBOX. Good luck.

Watch Microsoft buy Square Enix next.

NatsuSama posted...

Nintendo was never interested in this "war."

I'm not too informed where Sony stands so the war if there is one is only between Sony and Microsoft. Although I'd say the war is likely more of a fan war. Has Sony and Xbox shown to care for each other?

Nintendo pretty much set themselves apart with the Wii and operate in a different market to a different type of consumer, the gamecube was the last time they tried to compete directly. Even xbox publicly acknowledged at E3 with the wii that it was a good companion system to the 360 at the time.

WingsOfGood posted...

By buying some franchises past their prime that had been run into the ground and have a looming air of sexual abuse tied to them?

Lmao, gamers be better than this.

this was essentially my thoughts as well

I might try out new CoD games if they end up on gamepass xd

K181 posted...

Watch Microsoft buy Square Enix next.

The japanese gov't wouldn't let that happen with their current protectionist laws about foreign companies buying stake/buying out japanese ones. iirc, they need to approve any purchase of shares above like 1 or 3%.

pogo_rabid posted...

The japanese gov't wouldn't let that happen with their current protectionist laws about foreign companies buying stake/buying out japanese ones. iirc, they need to approve any purchase of shares above like 1 or 3%.

Square Enix is category 1 FEFTA so they can buy that one without Japanese government approval. They can also buy Capcom. Sony, Konami, Nintendo, Sega, and basically all other major Japanese publishers are category 2 or 3 and are protected.

The biggest Japanese publisher that isn't ranked under FEFTA at all is probably SNK.

really? i didn't know that, thanks for the info

Tyranthraxus posted...

Square Enix is category 1 FEFTA so they can buy that one without Japanese government approval. They can also buy Capcom. Sony, Konami, Nintendo, Sega, and basically all other major Japanese publishers are category 2 or 3 and are protected.

The biggest Japanese publisher that isn't ranked under FEFTA at all is probably SNK.

Sony is Category 2

pogo_rabid posted...

really? i didn't know that, thanks for the info

It's a complicated law and it's essentially meant to prevent a Chinese takeover of Japanese banking and technology industries for national security reasons. Some things were added for cultural significance like Nintendo. That's kind of a mouthful so it gets shortened on the internet a lot to "foreigners can't buy Japanese companies" and while that's honestly a sufficient high level overview, once you start talking about specific companies it's no longer applicable.

Irony posted...

Sony is Category 2

Sony is actually category 3 last I checked.

So we should be rooting for the good old American company to buy them before Tencent does.

Tyranthraxus posted...

It's a complicated law and it's essentially meant to prevent a Chinese takeover of Japanese banking and technology industries for national security reasons. Some things were added for cultural significance like Nintendo. That's kind of a mouthful so it gets shortened on the internet a lot to "foreigners can't buy Japanese companies" and while that's honestly a sufficient high level overview, once you start talking about specific companies it's no longer applicable.

Is there a short explanation of what the different categories stand for? I would read a long post, but I assume you don't want to write an essay right now lol.

SMAP- posted...

this was essentially my thoughts as well

Yep.

Almost all these ip are bascially irrelevant now. CoD still sells big but it is kinda dying with every release and it not like MS hurting for an FPS ip since they have Halo.

WoW may still have subscribers but they are all miserable and the lore and world has been milked to death. FFXIV basically took off like a rocket last year and this kinda makes the idea of MS "fixing" wow seem like a crazy fanboy fantasy.

Overwatch. This is probably the best buy. It made headlines years ago and then got stale. There is still lots of space to explore however as Valorant is very similar and the big game atm.

Diablo. Diablo could still be fleshed out. There isn't too many huge AAA games like this. D4 prob had many buyers regardless of Blizz shenanigans.

Starcraft. This game was milked to death. There is very little than can be done with it save for rebooting it, taking a poop on established lore or doing prequels. None of that sounds appealing.

CandyCrush. Lol.

Spyro. This could be a good buy I guess. However, wasn't this basically just a cash-in amiibo clone game for the last gen?

Seems to me the biggest thing to come from this is just to deny ps5 CoD and Overwatch.
Most these other games irrelevant to the ps5.
Diablo 3 did release on consoles but idk.

ViewtifulJoe posted...

No but it's in everyone's interest to stop Sony. We just dredged through a 0/10 generation spearheaded by them and we do not need another one.

Microsoft could buy twenty Nintendos and Sonys EACH with the money in their disposal and still have room for Atlus, Capcom, and Konami if they felt like it.

lol "stop Sony"

Jabodie posted...

Is there a short explanation of what the different categories stand for? I would read a long post, but I assume you don't want to write an essay right now lol.

Category 3 = restricted because of financial or national security interest.
Category 2 = not a financial or national security interest but restricted anyway for completely arbitrary reasons
Category 1 = Not restricted but you must notify the Japanese ministry of finance after any purchases over 1% of the market cap.

If you're not on the list then there's no obligation to inform Japan's ministry of finance of anything.

Category 2 and 3 require prior approval for purchases of 1% or more. So technicality Microsoft can still buy Sony but they would need the Japanese government to approve the sale. Such a request will probably be denied however.

WingsOfGood posted...

Yep.

Almost all these ip are bascially irrelevant now. CoD still sells big but it is kinda dying with every release and it not like MS hurting for an FPS ip since they have Halo.

WoW may still have subscribers but they are all miserable and the lore and world has been milked to death. FFXIV basically took off like a rocket last year and this kinda makes the idea of MS "fixing" wow seem like a crazy fanboy fantasy.

Overwatch. This is probably the best buy. It made headlines years ago and then got stale. There is still lots of space to explore however as Valorant is very similar and the big game atm.

Diablo. Diablo could still be fleshed out. There isn't too many huge AAA games like this. D4 prob had many buyers regardless of Blizz shenanigans.

Starcraft. This game was milked to death. There is very little than can be done with it save for rebooting it, taking a poop on established lore or doing prequels. None of that sounds appealing.

CandyCrush. Lol.

Spyro. This could be a good buy I guess. However, wasn't this basically just a cash-in amiibo clone game for the last gen?

Seems to me the biggest thing to come from this is just to deny ps5 CoD and Overwatch.
Most these other games irrelevant to the ps5.
Diablo 3 did release on consoles but idk.

Microsoft seems to think otherwise, and they've been more or less hitting home runs the past few years. I don't even particularly like Blizzard (I was a command and conquer guy growing up, and currently play FFXIV), but this is exciting news regardless. There is a very high ceiling that some fresh leadership could get with these IP's. The name recognition alone will sell titles like hotcakes.

pogo_rabid posted...

Microsoft seems to think otherwise,

lol

Tyranthraxus posted...

Category 3 = restricted because of financial or national security interest.
Category 2 = not a financial or national security interest but restricted anyway for completely arbitrary reasons
Category 1 = Not restricted but you must notify the Japanese ministry of finance after any purchases over 1% of the market cap.

If you're not on the list then there's no obligation to inform Japan's ministry of finance of anything.

Category 2 and 3 require prior approval for purchases of 1% or more. So technicality Microsoft can still buy Sony but they would need the Japanese government to approve the sale. Such a request will probably be denied however.

Interested. So the Japanese government basically doesn't consider SE important enough to protect?

WingsOfGood posted...

lol

I'm sorry that I'd rather trust the judgement of Phil Spencer over a gamefaqs user.

pogo_rabid posted...

I'm sorry that I'd rather trust the judgement of Phil Spencer over a gamefaqs user.

This is what fanboys always do, not surprising.

Jabodie posted...

Interested. So the Japanese government basically doesn't consider SE important enough to protect?

Essentially yes. At least not to the same standard as Nintendo. What's really baffling is they rated Konami higher than Square & Capcom. I feel like some of these decisions are definitely being made by some level of fanboyism on part of the government officials lol.

WoW hasnt been good since about 2007 lol. If they can hit WoW subscription numbers from back then, maybe. Otherwise, who the hell still plays WoW? Lol

X-wingPilot posted...

WoW hasnt been good since about 2007 lol. If they can hit WoW subscription numbers from back then, maybe. Otherwise, who the hell still plays WoW? Lol

Legion was the last good expansion. BFA and SB have been shitshows.

X-wingPilot posted...

WoW hasnt been good since about 2007 lol. If they can hit WoW subscription numbers from back then, maybe. Otherwise, who the hell still plays WoW? Lol

"Phil Spencer disagrees!!!!!"

Tyranthraxus posted...

Essentially yes. At least not to the same standard as Nintendo. What's really baffling is they rated Konami higher than Square & Capcom. I feel like some of these decisions are definitely being made by some level of fanboyism on part of the government officials lol.

Konami is deep in the gambling business

Possibly, though most of the COD players I.know play on Sony

WingsOfGood posted...

CandyCrush. Lol.

Do you have any idea how much Candy Crush makes? Shit puts up more than a billion in revenue every year

CRON posted...

I didnt expect them to buy Activision at all.

Games like CoD that have already existed will likely still be multiplat. It's the single player like games that will more likely be exclusive. But cod games will get priority on MS most likely

UnholyMudcrab posted...

Do you have any idea how much Candy Crush makes? Shit puts up more than a billion in revenue every year

Yeah on mobile. No one is going to play it on Xbox let alone buy one just to play it.

Arcanine2009 posted...

Games like CoD that have already existed will likely still be multiplat. It's the single player like games that will more likely be exclusive. But cod games will get priority on MS most likely

I don't think so. I think we are just never going to see CoD on Playstation again. It'll still be on PC of course.

Legato-and-Vash posted...

Win? No. Make a major move that will definitely shake the industry up? Yes (if it goes through). Hopefully this is a good thing though in making Sony step up more. I feel they've gotten too lax this generation.

ViewtifulJoe posted...

No but it's in everyone's interest to stop Sony. We just dredged through a 0/10 generation spearheaded by them and we do not need another one.

fuck no, totally not rooting for Ms after this. It's a real shit show at this point. They've always tried to one up each other, but MS bought rareware, Bethesda and now them..

Tyranthraxus posted...

I don't think so. I think we are just never going to see CoD on Playstation again. It'll still be on PC of course.

they won't do that. It's going to be similar to Bethesda.

They're not gonna get nearly as much sales from their franchises without Sony.

Irony posted...

Yeah on mobile. No one is going to play it on Xbox let alone buy one just to play it.

You are only thinking about this in terms of hardware sales. There's a much bigger picture here. Candy Crush is basically going to come preinstalled on windows from now on. It's going to become the new Klondike.

Arcanine2009 posted...

they won't do that. It's going to be similar to Bethesda.

They're not gonna get nearly as much sales from their franchises without Sony.

They only didn't cancel existing Bethesda playstation games. All Future ones like Starfield and ES6 are Microsoft.

I mean...did they stop Minecraft from being on everything?

pogo_rabid posted...

Legion was the last good expansion. BFA and SB have been shitshows.

People gotta take the goggles off for Legion, it introduced so many of the current problems with WoW

TheoryzC posted...

I mean...did they stop Minecraft from being on everything?

Minecraft was a singular exception & they said as such when they bought it.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Candy Crush is basically going to come preinstalled on windows from now on

You're way late to the party, it has for years now