What studio acquisitions do you predict we could see this year and why?

[Warmsignal]

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1488210878369460224
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-31-sony-buying-bungie-for-usd3-6-billion

gamesindustry article isn't loading, but Sony acquires Bungie for $3.6 billion.

Will be interesting to see if this acquisition causes another Internet meltdown, when Sony's the one doing the buying. I somehow doubt it.

Honestly, I don't think one can compare MS buying Activision to Sony buying Bungie.  To my knowledge Bungie just has Destiny, I'm sure I'm wrong, but that's all that comes to my mind.  Also, ~$4 billion sounds like a lot for Bungie.

An interesting part of the deal is that Bungie is still considered an independent studio and would not be part of PlayStation Studios, this acquisition is largely geared towards supplemental media (TV, Movies, books, comics, etc).

Sony is more calculated in their business decisions, they acquire a lot of moderately sized studios that have great potential. But no matter how you slice, it's still another piece of the third party pie, so to speak. At least for those who are concerned about mega-corps owning and having too much control over one industry.

I feel more ambivalent about it than I probably should. More than likely will result in more studio closures whenever future hyped up AAA projects fall flat. The too big to fail model is a dangerous, and destructive one for video games.

[sworddude]

https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1488210878369460224
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-31-sony-buying-bungie-for-usd3-6-billion

gamesindustry article isn't loading, but Sony acquires Bungie for $3.6 billion.

Will be interesting to see if this acquisition causes another Internet meltdown, when Sony's the one doing the buying. I somehow doubt it.

Honestly, I don't think one can compare MS buying Activision to Sony buying Bungie.  To my knowledge Bungie just has Destiny, I'm sure I'm wrong, but that's all that comes to my mind.  Also, ~$4 billion sounds like a lot for Bungie.

An interesting part of the deal is that Bungie is still considered an independent studio and would not be part of PlayStation Studios, this acquisition is largely geared towards supplemental media (TV, Movies, books, comics, etc).

From what I've read they where the creators of the og halo trilogy on the classic xbox. Halo was the face of xbox

Could just be a small punch in microsoft's face considering that they have basicly taken over what most people would have otherwise considered sony mascots in spyro and crash.

I doubt it was for destiny, it's because of their origins with halo.

[dhaabi]

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-01-31-sony-buying-bungie-for-usd3-6-billion

From the article:

Sony has said Bungie will remain a multiplatform studio, with the option "to self-publish and reach players wherever they choose to play."

So, $3.6 billion spent to ensure that someone else doesn't exclusively secure the studio.

[kamikazekeeg]

From what I've read they where the creators of the og halo trilogy on the classic xbox. Halo was the face of xbox

Could just be a small punch in microsoft's face considering that they have basicly taken over what most people would have otherwise considered sony mascots in spyro and crash.

I doubt it was for destiny, it's because of their origins with halo.

That really doesn't make any sense for them to do, Microsoft doesn't care about Bungie, because they got Halo.  Even if it was true, Microsoft got Spyro and Crash, Sony didn't get Master Chief, it's not much of a snub.  Not too mention that acquisitions take weeks to months of negotiation, so this was likely happening during the same time as Microsoft was acquiring ActiBlizz.  If anything, with slightly different timing, Sony's info could've come out first over Microsoft's.

[sworddude]

From what I've read they where the creators of the og halo trilogy on the classic xbox. Halo was the face of xbox

Could just be a small punch in microsoft's face considering that they have basicly taken over what most people would have otherwise considered sony mascots in spyro and crash.

I doubt it was for destiny, it's because of their origins with halo.

That really doesn't make any sense for them to do, Microsoft doesn't care about Bungie, because they got Halo.  Even if it was true, Microsoft got Spyro and Crash, Sony didn't get Master Chief, it's not much of a snub.  Not too mention that acquisitions take weeks to months of negotiation, so this was likely happening during the same time as Microsoft was acquiring ActiBlizz.  If anything, with slightly different timing, Sony's info could've come out first over Microsoft's.

Sure, however I'm fairly sure sony was aware that microsoft was trying to buy out blizzard/ activision. While the common man wouldn't know I'm fairly sure higher ups at sony knew, this might have been their response.

Besides even if it doesn't mean them owning halo wich was already a given, they are the company that made them good halo games. It's the company that put xbox on the map really.

Eitherway just my 2 cents, I otherwise don't see anything special in bungie.

[burningdoom]

From what I've read they where the creators of the og halo trilogy on the classic xbox. Halo was the face of xbox

Could just be a small punch in microsoft's face considering that they have basicly taken over what most people would have otherwise considered sony mascots in spyro and crash.

I doubt it was for destiny, it's because of their origins with halo.

That really doesn't make any sense for them to do, Microsoft doesn't care about Bungie, because they got Halo.  Even if it was true, Microsoft got Spyro and Crash, Sony didn't get Master Chief, it's not much of a snub.  Not too mention that acquisitions take weeks to months of negotiation, so this was likely happening during the same time as Microsoft was acquiring ActiBlizz.  If anything, with slightly different timing, Sony's info could've come out first over Microsoft's.

Yeah, this.

[weirdfeline]

What a boring acquisition. Sony will somehow have less exclusive content (zero) after buying them than they did before buying them. When Destiny was published by Activision PlayStation had a whole bunch of year exclusive content.

Also announced today, for the second year in a row, PlayStation's MLB The Show will be day one on Game Pass while the stupid suckers that faithfully bought a PS5 will have to cough up $70. For an annual title that loses all value in a year there's not really any pro to actually buying the game vs "renting" it from Game Pass. It's also releasing on Nintendo Switch this year.

[kamikazekeeg]

Sure, however I'm fairly sure sony was aware that microsoft was trying to buy out blizzard/ activision. While the common man wouldn't know I'm fairly sure higher ups at sony knew, this might have been their response.

Besides even if it doesn't mean them owning halo wich was already a given, they are the company that made them good halo games. It's the company that put xbox on the map really.

Eitherway just my 2 cents, I otherwise don't see anything special in bungie.

It's possible they knew, but if we look at this in a console war sense, Microsoft's action was a bunker buster and Sony's was a brazen kick to the shin.  You don't spend billions of dollars acquiring a company, while still letting them be independent and multi-platform, just to mock someone who doesn't care about an old company they use to own.  Companies can get a little petty at times, but while Destiny isn't a huge deal, it's got enough legs that I think Sony sees future potential in them, maybe based on that new IP of theirs or maybe exclusive content for Playstation for Destiny 2 and it's inevitable sequel.  We know Sony isn't above that for games.

[telekill]

As it would seem Bungie will remain third party on all platforms they're already on... I have to wonder why Sony would spend  billions to acquire them in the first place. The deal eludes to Bungie IPs becoming bigger... possibly shows or movies?

I don't get it. Maybe Sony buying up Bungie is some kind of weird insurance policy against the likes of Microsoft and Tencent acquisitions? Buying Bungie ensures their games will remain on Playstation platforms? Seems like an expensive insurance policy though.

[martymcfly]

As it would seem Bungie will remain third party on all platforms they're already on... I have to wonder why Sony would spend  billions to acquire them in the first place. The deal eludes to Bungie IPs becoming bigger... possibly shows or movies?

I don't get it. Maybe Sony buying up Bungie is some kind of weird insurance policy against the likes of Microsoft and Tencent acquisitions? Buying Bungie ensures their games will remain on Playstation platforms? Seems like an expensive insurance policy though.

I think they bought them so they could own a live service games as a service title. Look at Minecraft Microsoft bought it in 2014 and have kept it on every platform under the sun meaning whenever the latest dlc drops for the game Microsoft just gets to sit back and rake in the cash. I think Sony is trying to do the same. Destiny has a decently sized player base and with the game being on pretty much every platform (except Switch) and not costing anywhere near as much to make/add on to than something like God Of War or Horizon Sony gets to sit back and let the cash roll in which they can then use to fund a lot of the single player narrative projects they are known for.

[Warmsignal]

As it would seem Bungie will remain third party on all platforms they're already on... I have to wonder why Sony would spend  billions to acquire them in the first place. The deal eludes to Bungie IPs becoming bigger... possibly shows or movies?

I don't get it. Maybe Sony buying up Bungie is some kind of weird insurance policy against the likes of Microsoft and Tencent acquisitions? Buying Bungie ensures their games will remain on Playstation platforms? Seems like an expensive insurance policy though.

You still make money with your IPs, whether they are exclusive to your platform or not. In fact, if it's not exclusive you're probably making more money. Only reason you make something exclusive is to drive up sales of your hardware (in theory). These big tech companies are sort of thinking in the long term of how they can become the Disney of gaming. Microsoft probably won't keep anything as big as Activation exclusive to any one platform. It's just a brand that's going to make them a ton of money over time.

[leynos]

I can see Nintendo snagging Grezzo and putting a minority stake in Platinum Games.

[sworddude]

As it would seem Bungie will remain third party on all platforms they're already on... I have to wonder why Sony would spend  billions to acquire them in the first place. The deal eludes to Bungie IPs becoming bigger... possibly shows or movies?

I don't get it. Maybe Sony buying up Bungie is some kind of weird insurance policy against the likes of Microsoft and Tencent acquisitions? Buying Bungie ensures their games will remain on Playstation platforms? Seems like an expensive insurance policy though.

You still make money with your IPs, whether they are exclusive to your platform or not. In fact, if it's not exclusive you're probably making more money. Only reason you make something exclusive is to drive up sales of your hardware (in theory). These big tech companies are sort of thinking in the long term of how they can become the Disney of gaming. Microsoft probably won't keep anything as big as Activation exclusive to any one platform. It's just a brand that's going to make them a ton of money over time.

ps4 vs xbox one era is proof that this works. Xbox one sold 51M hardware wise vs ps4 at 115M, not to mention all the bad rep that xbox had almost no exclusives and was the hot thing for memes. also don't forget that the game sales where way less on xbox.

Plus it's the main selling point of Nintendo, there ain't any title on a single platform that surpasses nintendo in term of game sales. unless where going pc or mobile in wich prices are just far cheaper or free2play

[ignition365]

https://www.pcgamer.com/nacon-acquires-daedalic-entertainment-for-dollar60-million/

[vivigamer]

https://www.pcgamer.com/nacon-acquires-daedalic-entertainment-for-dollar60-million/

Could be either good or bad... I really enjoyed their last game State of Mind! Hope they can work on a title of a similar budget!