440°

Pachter: “If Sony was really smart, they’d buy Warner Bros Interactive”

Michael Pachter, everyone's favourite gaming analyst runs through all the rumoured game company acquisitions that Sony should purchase and deems that Warner Bros Interactive makes the most sense as long as it includes one major thing.

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playstationing.com
lelo2play745d ago

Well, apparently Sony are trying to buy Warner Bros Interactive...

"Interested parties include EA, Take-Two, Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, Netease, and PUBG Corp"
https://twitter.com/imranzo...

sparky77745d ago

They won't be able to outbid MS or Tencent so I don't see them trying for it.

Thegr81745d ago

I don’t know how you are getting downvoted cause that’s true. I love Sony but they aren’t winning a bidding war. Money talks sadly.

roadkillers745d ago

Sony could definitely outbid Microsoft on the basis that Microsoft needs asset allocation in different sectors and seeing how they are going to spend 70 Billion+ on Activision it might be more difficult. Tencent on the other hand, they have as much money as China allows them.

745d ago
neutralgamer1992745d ago

They won't sell for more than 10 billion and Sony can afford it. Ms paid more than 40% above market value . As far as WB are concerned so much of their work is working on established IP's owned by DC. So someone buying WB doesn't guarantee DC IP's

Also I think many of you don't understand the difference between company being valued higher and having actual cash in hand for acquisitions

Also Sony is a bank in Japan so they can come up with cash and have some of the most valuable assets in music and movies. They outright own the movie rights to the biggest and most sold superhero merchandise Spiderman

As far as patcher is concerned I don't believe anything he says. Whatever he says do the opposite

roadkillers745d ago

My biggest thing, whoever gets them would own one of the most historic gaming franchises: Mortal Kombat!

mkis007744d ago

The fact it would certainly fail to be approved is a factor. Gov't is pushing back on Activision as it is.

ABizzel1744d ago

MS is true, but they’re stuck with the Activision stuff and any new acquisitions would completely derail that. Tencent is debatable, and as capitalistic and greedy as the US and companies are there is a real fear of China becoming to large of a superpower that extra efforts have been going in place to slow down Chinese takeovers.

There’s also the influence of relationships and connections within the industry. Would developers rather go to tencent and be stifled, or go somewhere like Sony and be able to thrive.

Also they’re allegedly selling the developers individually so there’s no need to buy the entire company. If anything Netherealms, Rocksteady, and maybe Avalanche are the 3 Sony should entertain.

myfathersbastard744d ago (Edited 744d ago )

Not only could they not, there’s very little value in it. WBIE are a subsidiary of WB. One of Sony’s biggest competitors. And they own all the property’s/IP, that WBIE has worked on. That wouldn’t go with them to Sony. So all they would be buying is a developer, not a library of new content and IP to work with. WB wouldn’t hand over those licenses.
WBIE is a good developer for sure, but they aren’t worth as much as some people on here are thinking when you remove all the IP they have worked on.

ElvisHuxley744d ago

Don't know why everyone just assumes that Xbox has unlimited access to all of the MS coffers, they don't, and have probably cut back drastically after acquiring the most expensive sinking ship in history.

ShadowWolf712744d ago

You're assuming that MS or Tencent would be WILLING to outspend there.

If Sony is willing to pay a price higher than MS or Tencent is, especially if the IP would only be licensed and not owned, then they very much can outbid others.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 744d ago
porkChop745d ago

Sony are interested, but WBIE would be worth considerably more than Bungie which Sony just spent $3.6B on. Whoever buys them will be dropping a lot of money. Especially with companies like Tencent, Microsoft, etc., looking to buy them, that number is going to go up.

Side note: I'm surprised Take-Two is even interested, they're only worth somewhere around $15B or so if I remember correctly. This would be a massive purchase for them, how are they planning to afford it?

LOGICWINS745d ago

In Sony’s shoes, Embracer Group would have been my first and only priority. Imagine getting 240 new first-party IPs over night. IPs they can use for games, TV shows, AND movies.

I don’t know what the hell Sony’s thinking spending billions of dollars on these smaller lukewarm acquisitions when they could’ve pooled their funds for one significant purchase instead.

DarXyde745d ago

If it is as straightforward as giving money, they could easily be outbid and that's the end of it.

However, they might sell for less if there were other conditions. Bungie and Activision were overvalued, but I think it's not unreasonable to suggest prices are negotiable if it comes with other benefits.

Development costs must be nerve wracking if acquisitions are so in season now.

neutralgamer1992745d ago

Logic

Embracer group would cost upwards of 40+ billion so I don't think that's happening along with the fact embracer group themselves are acquiring talent

zsquaresoff745d ago

'Michael Pachter, everyone's favourite gaming analyst'
I hope this statement was made as a joke.

Fonsecap744d ago

That was going to be my exact comment, lol

Gardenia744d ago

If Sony was really smart, they'd do the exact opposite of what Pachter says.

SullysCigar745d ago

Well, Michael Pachter, if YOU were really smart, you'd be right more often. You're strike rate is awful as far as gaming goes.

JackBNimble745d ago

So show some stats... I'm not a Patcher fan by any means, but at least back up what you're saying.
Or are you just looking for some easy up votes?

tay8701745d ago

dude EVERYONE knows pachter is a hack. is that you michael?

JackBNimble745d ago

I never said he wasn't, but you guy's just regurgitate the same BS and never provide sources to back it all up.

SullysCigar744d ago

Are you new to following gaming news or are you just looking for some easy downvotes?

I'm happy for you to show me I'm wrong. Seeing as you feel so strongly about it, I'm sure you must have the stats I'm missing and can back up your outrage?

calactyte744d ago (Edited 744d ago )

https://segmentnext.com/a-v...

Yes, he's a hack.

Stats on how wrong he's been in the past:

1. Grand Theft Auto V would release 2010 (released Sept 2013)
2. Predicted the price of Kinect would be $50.00 (was over $150)
3. Said Microsoft would double the price of Xbox Live
4. Said Wii was in no shape to compete with Xbox 360 and PS3. (Wii outsold both)
5. Said Assassin's Creed 2 would feature Altair and would be set in the French Revolution.
6. Predicted PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii would be the last generation of consoles.
7. Predicted Xbox One was going to outsell PS4 by 75,000 units. (PS4 tripled Xbox One sales)

That's just the ones in the article.

jznrpg744d ago

Console will be dead . Sony will lose to Xbox last gen just off the top of my head . He’s said a bunch of dumb shit , I don’t need to catalogue it because he does it so often .

Mr_Writer85744d ago

"but you guy's just regurgitate the same BS and never provide sources to back it all up."

Why? It's not a court of law, those of us who have been following gaming news for the past 15-20+ years all know he is a hack.

If YOU don't agree, that's fine, just ignore it, or do some digging yourself and find out for yourself.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 744d ago
Unknown_Gamer5794744d ago

I for one am impressed by one thing Patcher has that most people don’t: the ability to miss the mark, over and over again, and still have a job. Most of us have to consider something called job performance, or in the case of self-employment, public perception is often key. It baffles me to no end that Patcher has somehow transcended that. Is that a perk of being rich and famous?

darthv72745d ago

If Patcher says they should... you know it will be someone else who does.

KingofBandits745d ago

agreed we need to keep the filthy CCP out of gaming at all costs. China owns most of hollywood and influences much of the media with their filth. If gaming goes to the commies it might as well die

sourOG745d ago

The AmCP and EuCP as well.

Show all comments (74)
40°

The Big Inworld AI Q&A - 'Everyone in Gaming Sees the Potential of Generative AI'

Wccftech interviewed Nathan Yu from Inworld AI to discuss the dynamic NPC tech's applications to games as well as potential issues like costs.

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wccftech.com
150°

Xbox President Sarah Bond's Bloomberg Interview Is Corporate Fakery At Its Best

Saad from eXputer: "After Arkane Austin & Tango were shutdown, Xbox President Sarah Bond spoke with Bloomberg in what I believe to be utter corporate fakery."

gold_drake14h ago

im not really surprised by that, shes always been more a "let me talk about something else than what u want to know" kinda gal

Cacabunga7h ago

If what they are doing is that good, what’s the point of hiding the true story?

anast11h ago

She's a caricature of the shareholders.

PRIMORDUS9h ago

"Shareholders" I call them cancer, they are already rich to begin with but need more and more. It's like a disease, with no cure.

Leeroyw7h ago

I own shares in game companies. I'm not anything near a major share holder. I just want them to make good games and be successful because of that. I think it's the senior management that's the problem. They are the ones that should be making it clear to the shareholders what creates growth and ensures a future of their business. Not this weasle words garbage that she did on the interview. It was horrific. I don't know a shareholder that would be happy with any of them for this.

Profchaos6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

Same and I'm not rich by any stretch like most people's I'm just trying to keep my head above water these days most company's shareholders are made up of everyday people it's amazing how companies think we want something but the reality is we don't.

Disney are probably the worse at the moment it's shareholders voted on ending a lot of the crap and outing the current execs the execs turned around and said no we disagree with the shareholder vote

PRIMORDUS1h ago

I meant at the rich fucks who have millions in the bank already. They are making so much per year, that if they don't make what they are expecting they go into a panic, when in reality it will not even hurt them at all. Those are greedy assholes.

CrimsonWing6911h ago

Yea, it was and it’s insulting that they think we’re dumb enough to fall for this. Look, the truth was you took a gamble on these studios and while they released some games to critical praise and great reception they just aren’t bringing in a ROI. Be transparent, you’re not a politician.

Just tell everyone you spend money on projects big and small and when money isn’t being made you go over the potential of revenue a studio can bring in vs those that can’t and make the hard decision to chop them.

She says this whole thing about “success” doesn’t fit one meaning for each studio. Well yea, a small budget production isn’t going to expect to sell the same as a large budget production.

One thing I wish they did though was let Tango be an independent studio.

TheGamingHounds11h ago

disheartening to see no regard for the human cost of business anymore
the bad decisions and judgements of these CEOs severely impact the frontliners
these fake responses are just salt on wounds

RoadRacer11h ago

imagine havin the audacity to say "we need more games like hifi rush" right after closing the studio that made it lol
followin up with this show of "deflecting every question" was in poor taste

Show all comments (22)
70°

XCOM 2 Director Says He's Never Seen Such "Horrific Layoffs" In His 25 Years In The Industry

Firaxis veteran Jake Solomon hasn't seen mass layoffs like this in his whole 25-year career.

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dualshockers.com
CrimsonWing6912h ago

Alot’s changed in 25 years. We have games with $300 mill budgets, people not interested in games other than Fortnite and Minecraft, the older generation of gamers giving up the hobby or dying off, a period of super bad inflation where the industry decided to hike up prices on games, Gamepass harming game sales, GaaS games being pushed left and right with obnoxious monetization and worse looking/playing (Suicide Squad vs Arkham Knight).

The industry is just shite right now. Games ain’t selling, games cost massive amounts, businesses can’t bleed money and this is what happens. Part of it is on them and part of it is on consumers not buying.

Yi-Long1h ago

Consumers ain't buying because of what they're selling; There is no new SSX or Burnout, everything is now Online Required, everything is 'service', etc.

Indies are still delivering the goods, perhaps even better than ever, because those are often the guys and gals who know what they want to make and just make that and hopefully we dig it as well and support it ...

... but when you look at those multi-million budget AAA games, are they improving on what we have had before? Is the new Forza Motorsport better than a Forza Mototsport 4? Is Halo Infinite better than Halo 3? Is Dragon Age 2 such a huge improvement over the first Dragon Age? Etcetc.

Yeah, graphics have gotten better, worlds have gotten better, but I think a gaming generations stands or falls with diversity and experiences, and a few gens ago we had access to whatever we wanted, so if we wanted a boxing game we picked up one of the boxing games, if we wanted snowboarding we'd pick up one of the snowboarding games, if we wanted to do a rythm game we had DJ Hero, or Guitar Hero, or Rockband. If we wanted to sneak around we had Splinter Cell or MGS or whatever.

We had variety and we had options, and that makes or breaks a generation, imo. You're in a foodcourt of games and they're serving all kinds of different cuisines, and so you'd pick and choose whatever you felt like that day.

Right now, you're in a restaurant, and you're only allowed to pick from one menu, and there's a dress-code, and you have to register, and you have to stay in your seat, etc etc.