Rumour- Microsoft to Buy EA

[neilbey]

With Phil Spencer as SVP in charge of gaming, it's unlikely that an acquisition like this would go to s*** like some one had said earlier. Nadella may not be guiding MS in a consumer-centric direction, but the fact that Phil was appointed to his current position in the company shows that MS is serious about their gaming department.

I'd like to see MS buy EA and put a stop to this stupid lootbox craze. MS needs to turn an EA acquisition into a turnaround story: MS buys EA (the latter, a widely despised and money-hungry company known for shady practices - promoting in-game gambling and pushing out incomplete games at times), push out the EA executives that are responsible for such anti-consumer practices, and start injecting $$ and nurturing the IPs that are on shaky ground right now (Battlefront2, anthem), all the while helping nurture the independent developers. I just want a studio and developer to show the amount of love for it's consumers as CD Projekt Red has shown with Witcher 3.

This could be a really good thing for consumers, and for MS in the eyes of some butt-hurt consumers. Whether we like it or not, EA has their greedy little mitts on A LOT of really good game IP, and if MS can reverse this horrible trend of unfairly squeezing as much money out of consumers, then it'll only look good for MS.

 

[randyoaks187]

I would prefer that they buy Steam.

 

[neilbey]

I doubt that they will turn these games into xbox-exclusives. It think - and it shows with MS's agnostic approach to platforms as of late - that they will keep most of the EA catalogue cross platform (maybe even use it to push through cross-platform multiplayer as they have shown recently).

 

[Awhispersecho]

So a "software" company that releases broken games, buys other developers and inherits franchises only to ruin them or abandon them altogether is going to be bought by a "software" company that doesn't have 1 piece of the software they write that actually runs like it should and abandons 80% of everything they release. Sounds great.

Even though they are a perfect fit for eachother, maybe they should each get their own crap straightened out before worrying about anything else.

 

[ThaKrazyOne]

No, I don't think MSFT should buy EA, but I do suggest this. Maybe MS can guy some of their studios i.e. Respawn, PopCap, Criterion to name a few. If not the studios, maybe som IP's that need to be brought back to life. An article I read was that MS was working on remaking NBA Jam, which EA I believe owns the right from the old Midway. So maybe IP's can be picked up. If that is the case, they should buy the Burnout franchise and bring it back to life.

 

[Guest_aotf]

With Phil Spencer as SVP in charge of gaming, it's unlikely that an acquisition like this would go to s*** like some one had said earlier. Nadella may not be guiding MS in a consumer-centric direction, but the fact that Phil was appointed to his current position in the company shows that MS is serious about their gaming department.

I'd like to see MS buy EA and put a stop to this stupid lootbox craze. MS needs to turn an EA acquisition into a turnaround story: MS buys EA (the latter, a widely despised and money-hungry company known for shady practices - promoting in-game gambling and pushing out incomplete games at times), push out the EA executives that are responsible for such anti-consumer practices, and start injecting $$ and nurturing the IPs that are on shaky ground right now (Battlefront2, anthem), all the while helping nurture the independent developers. I just want a studio and developer to show the amount of love for it's consumers as CD Projekt Red has shown with Witcher 3.

This could be a really good thing for consumers, and for MS in the eyes of some butt-hurt consumers. Whether we like it or not, EA has their greedy little mitts on A LOT of really good game IP, and if MS can reverse this horrible trend of unfairly squeezing as much money out of consumers, then it'll only look good for MS.

1) Spencer was in charge when the bs with Twisted Pixel, Lionhead and Press Play, Darkside... Killing off Scalebound, Xbox fitness, Project Spark, Fable Legends, project knoxville, Phantom Dust...

2) We are talking of MS not CD Projekt Red. MS are also very focused on that games as a service bs. microtransactions, lootbox, countless sponsored DLC's/VIP or other bs passes, multiple different versions and "Pay money or you'll get the game late"...

3) Good thing for consumers??
As a gamer or a consumer and not as a MS "fan":
Would you prefer them investing 40b on EA just to make their games exclusives to XB or would you rather they invest 40b on 10-15 new studios that make amazing content for XB gamers all while keep getting EA games. Be honest

 

[Guest_aotf]

I would prefer that they buy Steam.

Why?

 

[Hilltoppot]

I hope Microsoft does purchase EA if they can. Microsoft needs to do something big try to not end up in last place out of the 3 main consoles. they buy EA and let them do their own thing except maybe squashing microtransactions. only in time will tell.

 

[argeniszurita]

I would prefer they buy Sony :]

 

[Vincent McLaughlin]

There are many people for and against this transaction. I don't care if they do or don't. What I do care about is, whoever buys it has to maintain the current franchise of games and do them well. i haven't done any research into why EA has been trying to sell, but what other company can buy EA and consumers will not have to necessarily worry about all EA titles becoming Xbox One exclusives. There may be system exclusive content, but I believe PS ownwers will still get to enjoy EA games. EA has too many loyal fans of their games for MS not to continue to that route. Besides, with MS current business model, "services everywhere" I don't think other platforms have anything to worry about.

Now, what I would worry about is, MS selling off certain titles to other studios that may not continue the legacy of quality in EA games. Hopefully, if MS does make the make the purchase, there would be something in the deal that keeps MS from selling of the rights to individual titles. Like I said, EA is a money maker and MS is about making money. The other thing to consider, EA is a large company and MS will have to customize it to its business model. That may mean some layoffs and cuts of EA services that would be redundant.

 

[Dush Ku]

buy EA, take all the dev studios and IP they own, then shut down EA publishing and bring that inhouse to Microsoft

 

[Guest_aotf]

I hope Microsoft does purchase EA if they can. Microsoft needs to do something big try to not end up in last place out of the 3 main consoles. they buy EA and let them do their own thing except maybe squashing microtransactions. only in time will tell.

Why do you hope that? Does MS not finishing 3rd means that much to you?
With the amount of money that they are talking, as a consumer don't you rather want to see them invest in making their own studios, new IPs or revive existing franchise?
Getting EA's games exclusives or getting a whole bunch of exclusive while still getting EA's games as 3rd party games?

 

[Guest_aotf]

I would prefer they buy Sony :]

Right. Because not having competition is a great thing for gaming and gamers...:eck:
Unless your priority is MS over gaming... hmm

 

[will christiansen]

Being that u are an ea fan explains your reasons for thinking why ms would turn It into garbage... Look at bungie when they had them b4 Activision bought them bungie made some of the greatest games of all time. But now they make some of the worst..

 

[will christiansen]

Actually fable 4 is all but confirmed.. And that's bs they will learn from ea's mistakes..

 

[will christiansen]

I think it would do wonders for Ms to buy them cause they basically let the producers do what they want with the game opposed to ea where they for them to make the game 100% money focused to the point where balanced gameplay and enjoyablity doesn't matter just retention and $$$$$

 

[randyoaks187]

Separate all games from the Windows store and merge them in with Steam and rebrand it to Xbox store. The store for games on any device. Keep apps with apps and games with games. Work on tying in Steam features deep into Microsoft gaming on any platform.

This is all to say that I think Microsoft is not lacking a top like game studio, but more to align with what I see is what the vision of the company, and that is cloud services, and Steam fits that to a T.

 

[Richard Loveridge]

Yay. I'm famous. Hahahaha. Jokes. Nice to be part of a main article though. Felt weird. But kinda cool. Love Windows Central. And only ever use your reviews for games.

 

[Richard Loveridge]

Being that u are an ea fan explains your reasons for thinking why ms would turn It into garbage... Look at bungie when they had them b4 Activision bought them bungie made some of the greatest games of all time. But now they make some of the worst..

Bungie is an ironic situation i think. They wanted to be independent again. Yet ended up under Activision which has stifled their games tremendously. Destiny has lost all that storytelling and cohesive universe that Bungie was known for. It's pretty sad what happened to Bungie.

 

[Guest_aotf]

Yay. I'm famous. Hahahaha. Jokes. Nice to be part of a main article though. Felt weird. But kinda cool. Love Windows Central. And only ever use your reviews for games.

You often ran away when I ask for proof. But this time it looks like you're trying to avoid answering this question that I asked earlier:

"But seriously answer this as a gamer or a consumer and not as a MS ******:
Would you prefer them investing 40b on EA just to make their games exclusives to XB or would you rather they invest 40b on 10-15 new studios that make amazing content for XB gamers all while keep getting EA games. Be honest..."