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470°

Could Apple Buy Sony; Isn’t It Time Apple Entered the Console War

Ok so it’s probably a crazy idea and there’s no hint that it will happen but it sounded interesting so I thought I would explore it.

The idea came to me on the back of the recent PSN hack and Microsoft’s deal for Skype. Apple is sitting with an ever growing amount of cash on its balance sheet. Cash and short term investments now total an enormous $29 billion. That’s money which is not doing a great deal and many analysts believe it could be put to better use by acquiring other companies. Microsoft has made its move by buying Skype. Now its Apples turn.

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flamebait as alwasy
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DarkCharizard_4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Well they could have a merger...

But Sony's not big enough for that. Apple can totally buy them out!

smoothdude4728d ago

I would love to see Apple buy Sega, and bring back the iDreamcast!

Tony-Red-Grave4728d ago

the iCast it actuallly sounds like an apple product

zootang4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Sony could sell the PlayStation brand, which would be a great buy for Apple (iStation) but Sony as a whole is too big for Apple to buy.

NiKK_4194728d ago

I kind of would like to see some sort of merger, because they are both great with hardware, but Sony is better at gaming, and Apple is great with software and can have support from whoever they want

somerandomdude4728d ago

or apple could start it's own brand instead of buying anyone out.

Soldierone4728d ago

No if Sega is going to come back I want it to be Sega...not Angry Birds the game console...

BattleAxe4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Here is the total worth of Apple, Microsoft and Sony based on the total value of their shares called "Market Capitol":

Apple: $314.88 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Microsoft: $211.07 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Sony: $27.71 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

This article says that Apple has $29 Billion kicking around waiting to be spent, but other articles last year said that Apple had $51 Billion. Based on this info, the numbers don't lie. Apple could easily buy Sony, but I hope that never happens.

Just to put things into further perspective, here a some other big companies just for comparison:

Google: $170.26 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Yahoo: $21.85 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

DELL: $31.21 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Intel: $127.63 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

AMD: $6.41 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

NVIDIA: $10.8 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Panasonic: $27.05 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

LG: $13.05 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

Philips: $27.41 Billion
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?...

thorstein4727d ago

@Battle

I agree wholeheartedly. Google, on the other hand....

sikbeta4727d ago (Edited 4727d ago )

2 things, first, Sony is Huge as Corporation with its Group of Divisions going from chemicals to Entertainment, not for its exorbitant market value, and second, NO thanks, I don't want to buy an I-Station for $4000 that could be similar to what the competition could offer but WAY more expensive...

DeadIIIRed4727d ago

@Battle
Could happen but I seriously doubt it. I read an article a while back saying that if Apple was going to buy out anyone it would be a company like Phillips.

radphil4727d ago

@Battle

Thing is you can't just only base all this on Market Capitol.

They may have money, but also look at to where they focus it upon.

badz1494727d ago

Sounds "interesting"? I'd say "dumb"! Never ever gonna happen! I bet my PS3 and all of my games over it!

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 4727d ago
LOGICWINS4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

If Sonys willing to be bought out, I don't see what the problem would be.

@WiiS3- Yes, a merger would be nice.

Iroquois_Pliskin4728d ago

erm wtf are you smoking? Sony is TOO BIG for apple to buy them... if i recall there´s a law that says you cant buy a company that has over 15% market share,, i could be wrong though

chadwarden4728d ago

Exactly. Thats why so many people have problems with the AT&T - Tmoble buyout.

M-Easy4728d ago

"Ok so it’s probably a crazy idea and there’s no hint that it will happen but it sounded like it would make a big flame bait article that could result in hits to my no name underdeveloped site so I thought I would explore it."

*Fixed. Your welcome.

HeavenlySnipes4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

People act like all they do is make consoles. They have TVs, Laptops, Cell phones etc..

Apple is mor wealthy bt they aren't rich enough to buy Sony.

EDIT: Sony? I know for sure their TV business is great. I see a lot of Sony LCD TV's. They are also starting the 3D revolution.

Oldsnake0074728d ago

they have a lot of products but none of them are selling more than the competition because everything they do is overpriced.

limewax4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Pricing is relative to quality, Sony's TV line are good quality, But that said, Samsung is the biggest name for TV's and they have some seriously overpriced models too. Thing is often Sony pioneer a lot of new TV tech and as a result the price is higher. Same as Samsung often do, Personally Sony are the TV company I keep my eye on as it seems they may be the first to get OLED fully functional on a big screen with more than a 2 year lifespan

Anon19744728d ago

This is ridiculous. There's no way Apple could afford to buy out Sony.

Currently, Sony's Market Cap is about 27 billion. That's the number of shares out there times the current price. But is that how much Sony is worth?

Of course not. That 27 billion only represents Sony's share equity. Sony's total assets as a company are worth closer to $140 billion dollars, and the company has a revenue stream of about 80 billion a year and over a hundred subsidiary companies.

So explain to me how a company with assets alone worth $140 billion dollars is going to let itself be bought out for 29 billion.

DrillaKid4728d ago

Market cap =/= equity; the former is the value the market thinks the company is worth; the latter is what the company is worth on paper after liabilities are deducted from assets.

devilmaycry20204728d ago

You forgot one major thing.
Being a fan boy means everything possible and facts just don't matter.

CameronL994727d ago

People like to speculate about nonsense like this only because they have nothing better to do and love to ponder a world without a Sony Playstation. The Sony brand has way too much value to be sold, plus you can't just pay what the company is worth, you have to entice the shareholders by offering more than what the company is worth. Even if in some ridiculous universe Sony were to get bought, the Sony name would never EVER go away, it would still be used to sell TV's, MP# players, Playsations, and everything else sony makes, because brands in and of themselves have huge value.

spektical4728d ago

its not possible. SONY could buy apple on the other hand. ( it would work better) . everyone forgets SONY is now the merger of every single little SONY product which means SONY studios, TV line, PC line, Playstation brand, MP3, record studio, etc. etc.

Mr Tretton4727d ago

lol, did you just say Sony could buy Apple?

saladthieves4727d ago

In case you haven't heard, Apple is now the world's most valuable bran, beating out everyone else including Google, Mercedes and Microsoft. Their current value is at an estimated $100 Billion bucks.

saladthieves4727d ago

Frack no. I don't like Steve Jesus and his company or the way they rule this planet.

Anything ANYTHING BUT Apple entering the console market. They should stick to casuals portables and stuff.

I don't know what kind of fanbase they have. For example, their stock costs per share increased when they released the white iPhone.

The fact that Apple can just change a color of their phone and share costs increase speaks a lot about their customer base.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4727d ago
ThePsychoGamer4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Doubt they could, any ways Sony is a great company, the gaming community could really lose out if Apple did. (also weren't there rumors about this a few years back...)

LOGICWINS4728d ago

"the gaming community could really lose out if Apple did"

Explain yourself

ThePsychoGamer4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Apple's main focus would be casual gamers, meaning that we see less great 1st party titles like Twisted Metal, Warhawk, and twisted metal for more family/casual games. This is especially bad when Ninitendo has had little support for the hardcore gamers, and Microsoft shifting it's attention to casual gamers.

iamnsuperman4728d ago

It is very doubtful that Apple would on the basis of why???. Apple image is all about innovation and buying Sony makes little sense for this image. Apple and buying other major companies do not seem to go hand in hand. They do there own thing (mainly being smug) and it seems to work

mastiffchild4728d ago

I'm DEAD smug and it never did much for me. I think people being fooled into buying the same design cues time after time(and thinking it means the price hike compared to other more technically impressive rival products is fair)has more to do with Apple's success right now. Personally,I'm actually bored of Apple's design at this point and don't find their products outshine their rivals in any way and are often behind those of a similar price anyway.

Getting us to overlook that has nothing to do with them being smug bar the fact it might MAKE Apple smug afterwards.

Soldierone4728d ago

@Mastiffchild...Im glad im not the only person to feel that way...

jerethdagryphon4728d ago

wopuld you really want apple making yourgames console

think how much the ipad costs not because of os or tech but because its apple

for example

21.5-inch: 2.5GHz
2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
1920 x 1080 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
500GB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB
Ships: Within 24hrs
Free Shipping
$1,199.00

price of a mac
all in one machine

hps equivlent
Components
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit with Service Pack 1]
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-760 quad-core processor [2.8GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache]
• FREE UPGRADE! 6GB DDR3-1333MHz SODIMM [2 DIMMs] from 4GB
• FREE UPGRADE! 1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive from 750GB
• No additional office software
• No additional security software
• 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M
• Slim-tray SuperMulti DVD burner
• Wireless-N LAN card
• 6-in-1 memory card reader, 6 total USB, audio

950 more ram faster more gpu for less

apple buying sony would be horrible

iamnsuperman4728d ago

apple have built this image of innovation so much so that now they can release inferior products at the same price. Some of my friends keep saying to me or you should by a Mac because it is better until I compare how much there laptop is compare to mine and mine is £100-£200 cheap for better specs. Like I said above it seems Apple can do their own thing (partly due to the success of the Iphone and Ipod- people trust them to be innovative even if they are not)

DelbertGrady4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Apple's marketing strategy in a nutshell (jpg-shell).

http://www.businesspundit.c...

chadwarden4728d ago

Not to mention all of the sheep they have in the palm of their hands...especially in the media sector.

Prototype4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

Image won't load :(

OT I Can see it now; a new PS3 every 6 months with a color change, a SMALLER hdd, and maybe an extra game for $100 more

Newtype4728d ago (Edited 4728d ago )

That's a really stupid comparison.

Apple is using a 2ND GENERATION i5...HP is using a 1st GEN. WOW, your dumb.

Apple also comes with more software than bloatware compared to HP.

Also, Apple uses an IPS panel, instead of those crappy LED-LCD screens. If you don't know what that is, you shouldn't be comparing products.

Also, you should be comparing their ALL IN ONES, not a LAPTOP vs ALL IN ONE. An HP ALL IN ONE touch screen goes around the same price as the iMAC.

frozenfish4728d ago

Well said! Anyway i'd gladly rather pay double or even triple the cash not to have to put up with the disaster that is Windows!

jerethdagryphon4728d ago

i did numpty all in one v all in one as for specifics i just looked up a comperable machine i didnt reall go all out to find one ips is lcd as well

and asfik most companys use in plane switching thesedays its only 15year old tech

although its obvious from your post which camp you likly fall in

i can build a i7 hackintosh cheaper then the crap apple shoves out

Soldierone4728d ago

A good example of what Iamsuperman was saying. Apple used to be innovative and compete for their image, now you just eat out of their hand.

I am a film major in college and i get told daily to buy a Mac for it. Sad thing is Adobe has caught up to Apple in video editing, and PC computers to do that stuff is WAY cheaper than any macs...You are looking to spend AT LEAST a grand on a mac in any shape or form....meanwhile you could build a desktop for around 800 as a PC, or buy a laptop at around 1000...

Apple tosses in these "cool things" and says they are noticably better...but ask yourself is it really hundreds of dollars better? Nope. Thats why Apple doesn't let anyone else sell their product, they would get undercut within a week.

And I like how you bash HP yet I have an HP computer thats running at full speed without any problems for over 8 years now, every single Mac at my school is crashing and breaking down after 3...and I'm a Toshiba fanboy...

Soldierone4727d ago

Okay all the noobs messaging me, stop. do it in public. Let ALL the PC people see what you are saying, let alone all the mods so they can see your comments too. Or are you afraid?

I stand by my words, and the simple fact you turn into little kids calling names proves you dont.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4727d ago
Zir04728d ago

Apple could certainly buy Sony if they choose but it would be pointless for them, since they don't make TVs and they would likely just dissolve Sony's MP3 Player, Laptop and Phone divisions because they are just competition.

Nintendo, Sega, EA or Activison/Blizzard would be more likely since they are just game centric.

Dannehkins4728d ago

But I think it's already been established they couldn't.

They could maybe buy out a division (and that's a big maybe), but unless Apple want to dish a ton of money, then I think the likelihood of Apple buying out a lot of Sony is just a fool's hope.

BeastlyRig4728d ago

apple can afford them though..

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280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

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ChasterMies18d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken18d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga18d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken18d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6418d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long18d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197218d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic18d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 18d ago
DivineHand12518d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91318d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer18d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit18d ago (Edited 18d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91318d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit17d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 17d ago
Christopher18d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6918d ago (Edited 18d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit17d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal18d ago (Edited 18d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher18d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken18d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197218d ago (Edited 18d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic18d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2318d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218318d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit17d ago (Edited 17d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder18d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts18d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

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80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

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blackblades24d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken24d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades24d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii24d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p

280°

Judge rules in PlayStation's favour in $500m patent infringement lawsuit

Genuine Enabling Technology was seeking damages, claiming the tech allowing PlayStation consoles and controllers to communicate infringes its rights.

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S2Killinit26d ago

Big victory for Sony. And a long time coming.

DarXyde26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Crazy to think the savings from this lawsuit allows them to develop one AAA game.

Make it Bloodborne 2, please and thank you.

26d ago
Profchaos26d ago

Sounds like patent trolling they tried the same thing against Nintendo with the same pattern.

Motion and control input traversing over higher and lower frequencies seperate from each other allowing the controller to do both

Pyrofire9526d ago

Patents suck. Most of them are complete garbage.

Knightofelemia26d ago

So to recoup the money Genuine is going to take on Nintendo or Microsoft next. I hate patent lawyers they are some of the worst bottom feeders out there.

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