Microsoft rumored to be buying...... [2020-04, 2020-07, 2020-11]

[eastmen]

Tell us your secrets

I've already said all I know. Deals don't happen over night in the majority of cases esp big purchases.

I know there is a spread of valuation in terms of the companies i've heard about. I think people expecting 40 or 60B purchases are a bit out of their minds.


Companies like EA don't make much sense because the value of that company is in a lot of sports game and I doubt the NFL and NBA and Fifa will want those games only one one platform. So getting games for the xbox eccosystem that isn't the best bang for your buck.

Activison / Blizzard could be a better pruchase but with everything going on and then the crashing of wow well I think they'd be drasticly over paying .

 

[Silenti]

At current prices:

Take 2 - Down 25% in the last year - Cap of 17B. Figure it costs 50-100% premium. With premium: 25 to 34 B$. That seems a bit much I would think.
Ubisoft - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 8.2B. With Premium:12-16B
CDPR - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 5B. With premium: 7.5-10B

Ubisoft has just become more and more of a political bomb and seems to have games in the same genres MS is already working on. Take 2 would be nuts but it isn't a bad time to buy it seems. CDPR is struggling compared to expectations, might not be a bad time to get them either. Still wouldn't rule out WB, Sega or Square, they just don't feel as likely to me in some ways. Not real clear on the IP situation with WB either.

Hey. Who owns the Dune game IP? Should go look that up.


P.S. - I still like my idea of Disney . Now there's some IP to work with.

 

[cheapchips]

Hey. Who owns the Dune game IP? Should go look that up.

Funcom licenced the IP from Legendary in 2019 and talked about making a survival MMO. Sounds like a good fit for Dune. Not really sure how to rate Funcom as a developer. I didn't like a game of their's I can't remember the name of and I've not played Conan.

 

[Davros]

Most known for Conan and Anarchy Online

 

[cheapchips]

Most known for Conan and Anarchy Online

It wasn't Anarchy. I had to look it up! It was the Secret World.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

It wasn't Anarchy. I had to look it up! It was the Secret World.

Anarchy Online is what put them on the map and earned them a cult following, however. In many people's minds, Anarchy Online is still the IP that they associate the most with Funcom. And they are ever hopeful that the future will bring another Anarchy Online game. Heck, they even have a bit of a cult following for The Longest Journey.

I almost never hear anyone mention The Secret World when they talk about Funcom, although I do believe that this was the game that they advertised the most and the media talked a fair bit about leading up to the release of the game.

Conan Exiles is by far their most successful game and is still receiving regular updates and content drops. Heck, Razer recently sponsored an event in the game with real world prizes. It's been popular enough that there's also now a PnP tabletop Conan Exiles RPG. If I were to ever dip into the sandbox survival open world genre, this would be the game I would do it with. I've been tempted multiple times to try it out even though I have absolutely zero interest in that genre of games. But it just looks so bloody fun when I watch people play it.

If they are working on the Dune IP, I hope people will give them time to iron out bugs and stuff. Because almost all of their games were hot buggy messes when they launched. But given time to work on it, sometimes you get something really really special from them.

Regards,
SB

 

[eastmen]

At current prices:

Take 2 - Down 25% in the last year - Cap of 17B. Figure it costs 50-100% premium. With premium: 25 to 34 B$. That seems a bit much I would think.
Ubisoft - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 8.2B. With Premium:12-16B
CDPR - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 5B. With premium: 7.5-10B

Ubisoft has just become more and more of a political bomb and seems to have games in the same genres MS is already working on. Take 2 would be nuts but it isn't a bad time to buy it seems. CDPR is struggling compared to expectations, might not be a bad time to get them either. Still wouldn't rule out WB, Sega or Square, they just don't feel as likely to me in some ways. Not real clear on the IP situation with WB either.

Hey. Who owns the Dune game IP? Should go look that up.


P.S. - I still like my idea of Disney . Now there's some IP to work with.

20B is at the high end of what I heard. But who knows they may spread further up . Its my understanding that with the next big purchase will be the last big one they make , after that there might be a bethesda level one and then smaller ones like they did a few years ago. The smaller ones get done faster so we may see some of it later this year or early next year

MCC is coming to and end

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

At current prices:

Take 2 - Down 25% in the last year - Cap of 17B. Figure it costs 50-100% premium. With premium: 25 to 34 B$. That seems a bit much I would think.
Ubisoft - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 8.2B. With Premium:12-16B
CDPR - Down 35% in the last year - Cap of 5B. With premium: 7.5-10B

Ubisoft has just become more and more of a political bomb and seems to have games in the same genres MS is already working on. Take 2 would be nuts but it isn't a bad time to buy it seems. CDPR is struggling compared to expectations, might not be a bad time to get them either. Still wouldn't rule out WB, Sega or Square, they just don't feel as likely to me in some ways. Not real clear on the IP situation with WB either.

Hey. Who owns the Dune game IP? Should go look that up.


P.S. - I still like my idea of Disney . Now there's some IP to work with.

Ubisoft won't happening, CDPR is too expensive for what it's worth. I mean 5b for nothing? Almost like Square Enix but without a single big IP (Witcher is not their owned IP anyway).

Its my understanding that with the next big purchase will be the last big one they make , after that there might be a bethesda level one and then smaller ones like they did a few years ago

Imagine saying that "bethesda-level purchase is not big". Dat scale.

Still I am wondering what can cost up to 20b. If it is really a game publisher then there is not many options at all as all of them are under 10b. 100% premium only with bidding?

 

[tuna]

I think CDPR would work pretty well with MS, they have GOG etc as well as their games.

 

[Malo]

I think CDPR would work pretty well with MS, they have GOG etc as well as their games.

What would MS get out of owning GoG? I can't see them having any interest in completely DRM-free game platform.

 

[cheapchips]

Ubisoft won't happening,

Any particular reason you say that? MS have enough clout to "we'll ensure that management are all lovely now they're part of the Xbox family" etc.

Ubi did resist the somewhat hostile EA takeover but that's almost ancient history. The real question is the family, as majority of the management, in the mood to sell. (As well as MS wanting Ubi games as part of Gamepass)

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Any particular reason you say that? MS have enough clout to "we'll ensure that management are all lovely now they're part of the Xbox family" etc.

Ubi did resist the somewhat hostile EA takeover but that's almost ancient history. The real question is the family, as majority of the management, in the mood to sell. (As well as MS wanting Ubi games as part of Gamepass)

The main reason? The Guillemot family. Yves Guillemot is not the type of person that would "work" for anyone else. He has to be the top dog in the company ... the one in charge.

The only way I see UBIsoft being acquired by MS is if Yves Guillemot dies or MS makes Yves Guillemot the CEO of MS and the chairman of the board of directors for MS. Oh and if Yves Guillemot dies, then you still have to deal with the Guillemot family who may or may not be more amenable to selling the company than Yves.

In short, if MS becomes a subsidiary of UBIsoft, then UBIsoft would join MS.

Other than that MS would have to somehow manage a hostile takeover.

I guess one other situation is if Yves Guillemot decides to retire and he doesn't think his family deserves to continue ownership of UBIsoft, so to spite them he sells the company.

Regards,
SB

 

[see colon]

My money is on Avalanche. The company behind Just Cause, Generation Zero, Mad Max and Rage 2. They have a feature rich engine, a relationship with now 1st party studios with their work with Rage 2, and their smaller games like Generation Zero and Second Extinction are essentially early access games that have frequent feature and content drops, making them perfect for a service like Gamepass. Plus, I bet they are relatively inexpensive. Their new game Contraband is launching directly into Gamepass as well.

IP wise, they mad Hunter: Call of the Wild in addition to the game I already mentioned, and that's a genre that isn't really represented in first party games from MS right now either. With the success of Flight Simulator, they may may shift that into Microsoft Hunting Simulator.

 

[cheapchips]

The main reason? The Guillemot family. Yves Guillemot is not the type of person that would "work" for anyone else. He has to be the top dog in the company ... the one in charge.

The only way I see UBIsoft being acquired by MS is if Yves Guillemot dies or MS makes Yves Guillemot the CEO of MS and the chairman of the board of directors for MS. Oh and if Yves Guillemot dies, then you still have to deal with the Guillemot family who may or may not be more amenable to selling the company than Yves.

In short, if MS becomes a subsidiary of UBIsoft, then UBIsoft would join MS.

Other than that MS would have to somehow manage a hostile takeover.

I guess one other situation is if Yves Guillemot decides to retire and he doesn't think his family deserves to continue ownership of UBIsoft, so to spite them he sells the company.

I agree that it's a strong reason for Ubi to not be acquired. All it takes a good offer and Yves/family to go "actually all the cash looks sweet" and a sale happens. These things can take all parties by surprise sometimes.

 

[tuna]

What would MS get out of owning GoG? I can't see them having any interest in completely DRM-free game platform.

Five years ago no one would think that an MS employee would be one the the few people Linus Thorvalds trust enough to release the official version of Linux. But that happened.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

My money is on Avalanche.

Then Microsoft would have a monopoly on development studios called Avalanche!

 

[SmooTh]

My money is on Avalanche.

Don't see why Nordisk would give Avalanche away.

I mean yeah they're working with MS (Second Extinction and Contraband) but doubt it's more than a collaboration.

 

[see colon]

Don't see why Nordisk would give Avalanche away.

I mean yeah they're working with MS (Second Extinction and Contraband) but doubt it's more than a collaboration.

I don't know. They are a film studio and the market for theatrical releases hasn't exactly been doing that great for the last few years, and I'm doubtful it will all go back to normal in the next year as well. Nordisk haven't released a film since 2019 and they usually have 2-4 releases a year. If Avalanche isn't making enough to support the entire parent company Nordisk could easily be motivated to sell, especially if they can turn a profit while doing so.

Then Microsoft would have a monopoly on development studios called Avalanche!

Doesn't WBGames own a studio called Avalanche Software?

 

[Eolirin]

If it really is ~20 billion then I think it'd have to be either Take Two or Valve. I can't see any of the other players being worth enough, except EA which is even more expensive. And I can only see Valve as being possible if Gabe wants to retire.

Maybe Square Enix, but I really can't see them wanting to sell to MS.

If it is Take Two GTA becoming an Xbox exclusive would be seismic.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Take 2 would be huge. On the smaller end Square Enix would be amazing, but difficult to get by the regulators.