290°

The Xbox-PlayStation Exclusive Merger: To Trade, Or Not To Trade

Jawad from eXputer says, "Xbox's decision to share its exclusive titles with PlayStation marks a major change in the gaming industry, in a good way."

Hofstaderman428d ago

No it isnt in a good way. Lets not pretend XBOX chose this please. Years of mismanagement led to this.

Petebloodyonion428d ago (Edited 428d ago )

So I guess Xbox's mismanagement led to PC gaming now having decent games since MS started to care about Windows and forced Sony to do so too.
Care to also elaborate on how gaming is worse now since PC gaming is again relevant?

Hofstaderman428d ago

We talking about XBOX here. The console not XBOX as a service. But very soon XBOX will likely only be a service in any case. Toodles, I'm off to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth now.

S2Killinit428d ago (Edited 428d ago )

Not sure why its relevant. PC technically does not compete with consoles. You dont really lose anything in terms of competition. But consoles not having any exclusives = no competition = less quality.

Ps: I wouldnt think xbox on PC has revolutionized PC. More like a drop in a bucket.

Pedantic91428d ago

Are you implying PC games weren't good until MS/XBOX started putting their games there ? Are we ignoring every game that was available on the PC before they started to give a sh** ?

blacktiger428d ago

Linux says HI enters by Valve and Steam Platform that doesn't depend on windows anymore.

rlow1428d ago

@S2Killinit
“PC technically does not compete with consoles. You dont really lose anything in terms of competition.”

I disagree, Sony lost a value of 10 billion as a company because they forecasted 2 million less in sales of the PS5. My point, PC has an impact and people are buying. To say the market doesn’t compete is to ignore the blending of both markets. The fact that Sony put games on the pc started the shift. Now the first title from Sony to go day and date (helldivers2) has moved the needle even farther towards this blend. With a new ceo I feel more change is coming. The margins for tripple A games has thinned significantly and profits have to come from somewhere and I see a future where more day and date for the pc increasing.

Hopefully I’m wrong, but the firing of so many industry workers speaks volumes that times are changing.

Crows90428d ago

Im sorry...PC gaming has been relevant since before xbox was a brand.

427d ago
anast427d ago

No forcing there. Sony chose when and how in both PC and Xbox. It wasn't the other way around.

StoneTitan427d ago

pc gaming always had decent games, what are you talking about :D

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 427d ago
Ironmike428d ago

Xbox is ahead of the game in this mark my words sony fowolling is proof this it makes sense for both parties oh and final fantasy rebirth is only a timed exclusive it's coming to pc

BehindTheRows428d ago (Edited 428d ago )

Sony isn't following anything. One puts there games on another platform from day 1. All of them. The other still has plenty of titles that have yet to come to PC.

Totally different strategies. Only one of them has worked. That's why Xbox games are coming to Nintendo and PlayStation platforms.

tehpees3428d ago

BehindTheRows

I’ll say what I said before.

Microsoft made instant acknowledgement that their exclusives were cross gen at the start of Series life. Sony had cross gen PS5 games but tried to cover it up. They started releasing on PC because they saw Microsoft doing it. Then they released certain games day 1 in certain cases.

They are SAYING AND DOING the SAME THINGS as MS in every case. This won’t be the exception. If you think they aren’t watching how people react to buying their exclusives on PlayStation you’re mistaken. They are watching it as well because there is actually a possibility the world might accept playing competing exclusives while a hardware brand still exists. If you think they aren’t toying with the idea of releasing their games on Xbox that’s why you don’t work for Sony

427d ago
ChasterMies427d ago

Mostly one year, 2013. Don’t know how Don Mattrick was employable after this.

Petebloodyonion428d ago

I fail to see why ppl are mad about this like they are losing something because other gets to enjoy the same game.
Like honestly do you go hate on Google because they are releasing their apps on iPhones?
Did Google Android OS become irrelevant?
And likewise with the iPhone?

It reminds me of when Playstation fanboys were against crossplay with other consoles because they believed that losers (owners of other brands) should just be forced to buy a PlayStation.
Yet tks to Crossplay some small games like Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw, etc are still playable today.

GamerRN428d ago

You are comparing operating systems to consoles, and not many people buy a console because of it's operating system.

Petebloodyonion428d ago

So why do you pick an iPhone over an Android since there's no big exclusive?
Same thing here why would Playstation or Xbox collapse if you could play their games on other systems?
Last I checked a console was made to play games and a smartphone was made to use apps
And it's not like ppl who own a Xbox will suddenly have their friend on PSN and vice versa.

GamerRN428d ago (Edited 428d ago )

Because cellphones you buy based on the operating system. Consoles you buy for the games. No one cares that much about the console UI. We want a good interface, but that's it.

If cellphones were only about the apps, Apple wouldn't exist in the cellphone space anymore

Crows90428d ago

@pete

People that pick iphone over android are pretty ignorant...so yeah not a good comparison...unless you love being robbed.

outsider1624428d ago

"It reminds me of when Playstation fanboys were against crossplay with other consoles because they believed that losers (owners of other brands) should just be forced to buy a PlayStation."
When did you start playing games?maybe research who refused first over crossplay. Ill give you a hint - when microsoft were leading.

Profchaos428d ago

there's a element of well why did I buy this because I could have brought the ps5 and played both

MIDGETonSTILTS17428d ago

If you remove the pressure from M$ to make cutting-edge AAA games by giving them Sony games instead, then you remove the pressure from Sony as well to make AAA games to stay competitive.

A lowered bar for M$ means a lowered bar for all console makers. I want Sony’s bar kept high so they don’t stop making $350 million games like Spider-Man 2.

Keep taking risks for the art form, you fat cats.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 428d ago
Asterphoenix428d ago

Well they are not getting the sales they want on Xbox and PC. So they have decided to port titles to other consoles there's nothing else to it.

Ironmike427d ago

U do realise that helldivers is selling more on pc I don't about other games sony will start releasing more games quicker to pc in fact they said that already what u all don't realise is its a bout money sony and xbox want max profits they don't care if they upset fan boys

gerbintosh427d ago (Edited 427d ago )

Max profits would be to release the $70 must have game on console for a period of time and then when that well has run dry, tap the PC market. Like Sony is doing right now.

Helldiver's 2, while a good game, is not a $70 ($40) must have game and Sony probably thought it was going to bomb which it did, on console.

P_Bomb428d ago

“Corny? I know.”

A bit, lol. Lots of kumbaya, but if you want Halo that bad in 2024, the old ways still apply. I don’t see Hellblade 2 dropping on PS this year either.

427d ago Replies(1)
OzzY-waZZy427d ago

Literally no one wants Halo lol. Helldivers stole their lunch.

Sciurus_vulgaris428d ago

Microsoft making some, key word SOME of its games available on other platforms is being over blown. Then again, we live in an era we’re
journalists focuses on sensationalism and promoting drama, instead of analysis and professional reporting.

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150°

Welcome teamLFG to the PlayStation Studios family

teamLFG rallies developers from across the industry to bring to life an ambitious incubation project.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
darthv729h ago

sounds like more live service stuff....

Obscure_Observer8h ago

Definitely.

Looks like they haven´t abandoned their live service plans after all.

Christopher9h ago

"Our first game is a team-based action game that draws inspiration from fighting games, platformers, MOBAs, life sims, and frog-type games. Players will inhabit a lighthearted, comedic world set in brand-new, mythic, science-fantasy universe. We can’t wait to reveal more."

At least it's not an extraction shooter. It's team-based, so not likely my thing. But perhaps it will at least add something new to the current slew of MP games out there?

YourMommySpoils8h ago

What's the LFG stand for?... Les. Oh, let's not go there.

darthv727h ago

..well their definition is: The “LFG” in “teamLFG” stands for “Looking For Group.”

staticall6h ago

At least it's not «LandFill Gas»

-Foxtrot7h ago

"industry veterans who have shipped titles like Destiny, Halo, League of Legends, Fortnite, Roblox, and Rec Room"

"and richly social virtual worlds"

"where players can find friendship, community, and belonging"

"We will make immersive multiplayer worlds"

"but throughout live service as we continue to grow the game and community for years to come"

"Our first game is a team-based action game that draws inspiration from fighting games, platformers, MOBAs"

Jesus. Does Sony ever learn? Like if they want to partner with them that's cool and all but buying the studio right off the bat? It's insane thinking after all the money they've just lost from Concord, not to mention the lack of actual hype for Marathon. Who is making the decisions here?

ravens527h ago

This is their main multiplayer studio now. Hopefully nomore pullin teams like Santa Monica, Bluepoint, Naughty Dog etc into stupid multiplayer endeavors.

P_Bomb6h ago

Yeah, I’m not feelin’ this new project tbh. Another live service?

SonyStyled6h ago

They didn’t buy the studio. They created it

-Foxtrot3h ago

Buying it or not they still had to put a lot of money into it

They could have created a new studio to reboot some older titles or ones inspired by them. A JRPG like Legend of Dragoon, a first person shooter like Resistance or a platformer like Jak and Daxter.

TripleIris_Josh5h ago

Can't believe they killed Japan Studio, London Studio, and Pixelopus for this, Destiny, and Concord.

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240°

Microsoft wins FTC appeal challenging $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal

May 7 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab $69 billion purchase of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower judge's order that said the FTC was not entitled to a preliminary injunction blocking the deal, which closed in 2023.

Obscure_Observer11h ago

Final nail in FTC´s coffin!

It was a lost cause from the start and a waste of taxpayers money!

Reaper22_10h ago

Indeed. When sony got exposed with some of their deals it was pretty much game over.

Christopher9h ago

That's not at all how this works. Sony made deals Microsoft, the trillion dollar company couldn't? You think that's what won them this case?

This wasn't seen as a act of attempting to monopolize the industry. Plain and simple.

Obscure_Observer9h ago

"Indeed. When sony got exposed with some of their deals it was pretty much game over."

And now that MS is releasing all of its Xbox games for all platforms, Phil is free to buy whatever studio or publisher he wants and FTC won´t have a case to say sh!t.

Like I said; It´s final nail in their coffin!

-Foxtrot7h ago

"exposed with some of their deals"

Says the company who said their plan was to "spend Sony out of business", you know a year before they bought Zenimax.

IRetrouk8h ago

It was a lost cause once ms went multiplat, they cant be anti competitive if they release on everything......

DodoDojo7h ago

No bud this is an appeal, they already failed the first go and the FTC seeked to block the deal way before MS showed any signs of making their games multiplatform. Like most of the courts rulings, it just wasn't seen as the monopoly.

Reaper22_6h ago

Right. And they stated from the beginning that their intent was not to keep games off of plastation. Microsoft served subpoenas on Sony to produce documents and testimony related to the lawsuit, and the FTC ordered Sony to disclose information about its third-party exclusivity deals. And it exposed their dealings with other publishers to keep games off xbox and Gamepass. That is what helped them most in securing the deal.

PhillyDonJawn1h ago

Right, however 10 years from now (gen after next) ms could very well reverse that and get away with it. They'd already have made their money back from the purchase, any contract deal they signed would've be honored and finally expired

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1h ago
1Victor7h ago

@obscured: “ Final nail in FTC´s coffin!”
Supreme Court here we gooooo 🎼 🎼 🎼🎹 🤣

UltimateOwnage7h ago

lol, celebrating consolidation. Good thing this is the deal that broke Microsoft’s back and made them go the 3rd party route on every platform.

Rockstar6h ago

Obscure will always cheer Microsoft. It doesn't matter the subject matter.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1h ago
darthv7210h ago

Wait... they were still not done with this deal?

Christopher9h ago

No. FTC has multiple appeals since then. It was very unlikely they would win any, but they still had them. People claiming it was over with the first judge ruling don't understand how the law works and what avenues the FTC had available to them even though appeals are quite normal.

JEECE8h ago

This FTC case provided fascinating insight into gamers' views on economics/politics. It's very common for gamers to blame capitalism for many of the negative trends in the industry, but as soon as the U.S. government started exercising one of the most recognized limitations on capitalism (monopoly regulation), most gamers turned into libertarians and starting spouting Republican talking points (or at least pre-Trump era Republican talking points, lol) on "government staying out of the way of private businesses."

Traecy4h ago

I remember when certain people here were saying they weren't going third party, guessing to recoup that 69 billion they are doing just that.

Reaper22_4h ago

They said the same about sony. Now you can play Playstation games on PC/ xbox.

TriniOutsider4h ago

What PlayStation is game is Xbox?

JEECE4h ago

@TriniOutsider

MLB The Show. But arguably that is a special case. The seemingly accepted story behind that is that MLB told Sony they had to start making the game multiplatform to keep the MLB license. I haven't ever read definitive proof that happened, but assuming that (or something like it) is true, that isn't really indicative of a multiplatform trend in the same way that MS's recent launches on PS5 are.

Traecy3h ago

The only PlayStation owned games on XB is Destiny 2 which was already multiplatform & MLB The Show & that's because it's licensed by the MLB & wanted the game multiplatform. XB first party legendary exclusives are going multiplatform as well as the new games that were supposed to be exclusive to the XB gaming console. It looks though the XB gaming console will have minimal timed exclusives to no exclusives at all.

InUrFoxHole1h ago

@TriniOutsider
Get those gloves ready my boy. Gonna need em to move those goal posts. Think with your brain not your gamer heart. You think sony sees ms making all this money and says.. ok get that without us. Help me out here my guy! Sony charged you for psn, then they put their games on pc. What do you think is going to happen next?

PanicMechanic18m ago(Edited 7m ago)

Well said, hahahaha that’s so smart and intelligent and not gaslighty my man. you can now definitely play a lot of Ps games on Xbox. That’s the argument. That’s the point. Well done. PS is going third party. Wow, congratulations, no one realised it. Emphasis again on: it’s PlayStation making the moves to put games on Xbox AND PC. I can’t think of another publisher that’s actually doing that…. Mmmmmmm…. Anyway. Only Sony is doing that and not anyone else, not at all.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 18m ago
6uum29m ago

Only Nintendo isn’t third party nowadays

Kekewei4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

To be honest as a long time ps gamer, this deal initially made me panic.

but if I had known that it make MS u-turn on exclusive strategy, I would have happily joined xbox fans supporting the acquisition.

Reaper22_3h ago

They never made a u-turn. Initially Microsoft offered sony a 10 year deal but they turned it down but eventually they agreed. They've always said they wouldn't keep games away from playstation. But that is something Sony was doing to them.

sinspirit2h ago

That's the thing. They said they did not aim to take games away from the competition with the acquisitions and that they weren't taking games away from PlayStation. But then they try to get Sony to sign a 10 year deal just to show to a court that they aren't keeping games away. Sony saw this as a tactic to make their acquisitions look like good faith but in reality they don't need to sign that 10 year contract. They just gotta keep developing games for the console. Then they still excluded games from Sony anyways which is what they wanted while saying they didn't. They are only now going third party because they couldn't monopolize the hardware side of things and they ruined their software sales by trying to make everything a service and now we see them continuously bumping the price and changing policies to stop losing money.

Kekewei2h ago

Yes they did. I mean I was worried about Elder Scrolls series leaving playstation those days, but now I can play Forza horizon and Gears of War on ps5… this is a crazy turn of events

InUrFoxHole1h ago

@Reaper22
You are 💯 correct however we also have to consider these companies lie all the time. Or make plans and change them

140°

Ex-Bethesda Veteran Explains Why Games Like ES, Fallout & Starfield Will Always Have Loading Screens

IGN : One former Bethesda developer has cautioned that loading screens will probably always be a part of its games because of the way they're designed. Here's why.

Obscure_Observer1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

Thanks for the insightful information!

Now I wanna see if all those that were complaining about loading screens on Starfield will give a hard pass on both upcoming Bethesda RPGs like TESVI and Fallout 5.

If you can´t stand load screens, stay away from those games. Period!

-Foxtrot1d 8h ago

I don't think you understand the difference between them though and what makes Starfield and TES / Fallout different when it comes to loading screens.

When you're playing TES or Fallout, if you are doing a mission you have the choice to walk to your objective where on your travels you will run into many different encounters getting completely sidetracked, it's fun as it feels like you are exploring the world more. However with Starfield you don't get that choice because you can't walk to a new planet, the loading screen is more mandatory, even the Outer Worlds fell into this issue, so when you are constantly going to space, travelling from planet to planet there's a lot more loading screens involved where it slowly becomes more tedious in comparison.

What Bethesda needs to do is work on reducing the loading screens and fitting more within it. For example when you enter a town in TES it should load the entire town, houses, castles, sewers etc included, same goes for Fallout, take the Vegas Strip in Fallout New Vegas, it was chopped up into multiple segments where going back and forth doing missions become a chore nearer the end.

IAMRealHooman15h ago

if they scaled down the "1000" planets to 10, 4 main hub. 6 unexplored, but actually filled with tings to do and explore, the thing Bethesda used to be good at. People like Obscure thin we shit on Bethesda just to shit on it. No we want better games.

Christopher1d 8h ago

It's a design choice they've chosen. RDR2 kind of proves the whole 'loading interiors' or 'having different events go on' isn't what's stopping it.

crazyCoconuts14h ago

RDR2 didn't have you walk into a massive structure like a Starfield base/facility though, right? I'm sure log cabins are a lot easier to handle

Christopher9h ago

That won't affect the need to load content. That's just static designs with a few interactibles. And did we forget RDR2 has towns you don't load into with multiple buildings, dynamic events, and ties to the world as a whole. You load areas to manage the specific scripting and the number of elements that need tracking constantly in that area. Bethesda designs it so you can leave a trail of cheese wheels from town to town, RDR2 designs it so the world interactions are randomized by a few factors and come to you.

Like I said, it's a design choice.

isarai1d 3h ago

Ok but you can still have more seamless "loading screens" starfield has no excuse for how much its gameplay flow sucks. You're basically saying it will always suck because we don't want to spend the effort on improving that aspect. Hell every open world survival game has object permanence, from valheim to the forest, and that doesn't have tons of loading screens

anast16h ago

These guys/gals are sleazy.

DivineHand12515h ago

I haven't played oblivion as yet but does it have loading screens? No one is talking about it.

Fun fact, the remastered version of days gone still has loading screens. It is not the instant load like you see on PS5 and series titles but you will have to wait a bit to load into certain sections. I am not sure why they didn't polish them out and no one is talking about it.

victorMaje13h ago

Oblivion has loading screens but it’s nowhere near the wait times it used to be (from what I remember) so the whole experience feels a lot better.

Agreed about Days Gone remastered, it definitely feels like it’s mostly a visual & feel (dualsense) remaster without much focus on optimization (I expected no loading times & in some cases I encountered the same kinds of bugs & audio issues that were on PS4).

Still love the game though & I hope the remaster will help pave the way for DG2.

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