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Microsoft Says Live Intact, No Interest in Take Two
Yesterday we discussed possible problems with Microsoft's Xbox Live service, and Take Two's shaky future. The Gamerscore blog reports that worried Live users should know the service has not been compromised. "We want to reassure all of our 6 million Xbox Live members that we have looked into the situation and found no evidence of any compromise of the security of Bungie.net or our LIVE network. There have been a few isolated incidents where malicious users have been attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users and use it to gain access to their LIVE account." Meanwhile Chis Morris has it on good authority that, even if Take Two does sell, it won't be to Microsoft. "Because today's independent publishers are platform agnostic - that is to say, they build games for all major systems - taking over one would result in a massive revenue loss for Microsoft, as all development would be redirected toward the Xbox 360."
Well, as a whole unit Take-Two is not a good purchase ...
... Few people who have $2 Billion (or more) will want the massive bloted company that is Take Two
The company has to be broken down into much smaller units and sold off. Someone will want Rockstar North with Grand Theft Auto, another will want Visual Concepts and so on
Microsoft might be willing to take a revenue hit in order to increase the number of X-box "exclusive" games. Might not help w/ the Wii, but the PS3's game list is small enough that their losing a few would significantly impact its desirability.
Either Take Two isn't posing enough threats to MS's game division, or MS-Game has learnt to play well among competitors.
MS in the software/application front is another story entirely.
Virtual Betting on Facebook for non-geeks.
IF MS isn't buying then who will? The only other company that I could see having interest and the financial backing is EA... Honestly I think I'd rather have their games arrive on just Xbox 360 and maybe Windows later on, rather then anual and buggy releases on every platform under the sun.
I can see it now... GTA08, GTA09, GTA10...
Collector's Edition
Google could but Rockstar, and put so many ads in GTA4 that the game could be given away free of charge and still make them billions in profit. Just imagine how many products they could advertise(that is the the brands could overlook GTA "bad rep")
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
Gamers whose accounts have been hijacked will be glad to know that it's not a bug, it's a feature.
Yes, but it is a Rare event for a MGS buyout to actually turn out a good thing.
cmd-q.co.uk - some sort of stupid fucking internet bullshit
MS has done pretty damn good with the Xbox, I have to admit. And game exclusivity is king. The fact that so many publishers are going cross-platform isn't a political shift, it's a result of shifting market-share leaders. Meaning no longer just Sony, for example.
So this is the middle step in the Console Wars, before a new leader is established. And when that happens, it will cemented by more exclusivity. And how does that happen? Exclusive titles! And that means buy outright or bribe the hell out of publishers. And don't lie and try to say that (the exclusive) GTA hasn't done miracles for the PS2...don't you do it!
So: yes, buy(1) and keep(2) and refine(3) and make magic(4) out of titles and march to victory(5).
1) no matter the cost...doesn't really matter anyway, long term.
2) exclusive! gets folks buying consoles. Or at least port a really shitty version...
3) Throw out the rot and garbage, maybe to EA, like somebody suggested.
4) ala Bungie. Give them the resources, let them make magic. Never break this rule! (like Sony, one division crippling the other's products)
5) Ah yes, but for how many (next)gen's, broken down to fiscal quarters? Then you are the fat bloated worthless bastard who forgets how to make money. Repeat as needed.
In fact, I say buy them just to keep from Sony, give ported crap versions (out of necessity)to Nintendo. Why do I hate Sony? Eh, I finally got off the fence to get away from Sony's bullshit. Right now MS's is smelling more like decaying broccoli.
*sigh*
Do I have to explain to you the difference between a publisher and a developer. Take Two is a PUBLISHER. Bungie Games is a DEVELOPER. Take Two makes its money by PUBLISHING games to PC, 360, PS3, Wii and wherever else they can. Buying Take Two, to steal its DEVELOPERS would be like buying Apple so that you could sell new Newtons. You're getting chump change for what it would cost.
Now, if the stockholders decide a corporate firesale is in order, a purchase of Rockstar Games, or 2k, those would be winning proposals.
Microsoft doesn't want to provoke EA. EA support on the Xbox console is a major reason why the Xbox didn't fade out like the Dreamcast. Nearly all of the Xbox's library was PS2 or PC ports...and buying a publisher the size of Take Two would be a definite shot across EA's bow.
What would the Xbox 360's library look like if EA dropped it? Due to EA's exclusivity deal with the NFL, there wouldn't be anymore Madden football on 360. Microsoft is far more dependent on sports titles to perpetuate its image than Sony or Nintendo. They couldn't buy Take Two without provoking EA.
(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
Because today's independent publishers are platform agnostic - that is to say, they build games for all major systems - taking over one would result in a massive revenue loss for Microsoft, as all development would be redirected toward the Xbox 360.
At the risk of asking a stupid question.... does this make sense? If Microsoft bought them then logically they wouldn't be independent any more. And why does Microsoft care about games getting released for other systems anyway? Are they trying to do Sony a favor?