Microsoft Consoles and Updates

[Nag]

I'm not complaining about the game being exclusive (why would I? I own both consoles and haven't bought a CoD game since Ghosts) I just think Jim Ryan comes across as a bit of a prick is all. 

 

If I had three wishes my first would be that console exclusives would go the way of the dodo.🙂

[DisturbedSwan]

Well done Jim Ryan for speaking up on Phil's bollocks, he talks a lot and often spouts a load of half-truths, so fair play to Jim for calling him out on it I say. I'm not a particularly big fan of either bloke but Phil just a few days ago saying to the UK competition commission that CoD would be on PS for 'several years' and reassuring them only for almost the opposite to be true. 

 

I think Jim Ryan's statement could have a big effect on their decision, as Microsoft have obviously said one thing to them, reassured them that CoD will always be on PS and privately said it'll just be 3 years unless you wank me off in some way or throw us a massive bone(r?).

[Maryokutai]

Technically speaking, three years is "several" years. We also don't know how long Sony's current agreement with Activision runs. Let's say it was concluded for the first five years of PS5's shelf life, that'll mean that the series will stay on their platforms until 2028. Which is a lot of time to either come up with an alternative, see it getting replaced with the next big thing or watch the world burn and drown in which case a videogame is the least of everyone's worries.

 

It's also not set in stone if CoD would stay this colossal entity if it wasn't multiplatform anymore. Difficult to gauge, certainly, as we never had this situation before as far as I know. Usually it's the other way around (previously exclusive series goes multiplat to reach more people). So many variable right now, it's really hard to say how this might pan out, if it even does, considering the deal isn't through yet.

 

I have to say though, stuff like "Playstation gamers need to continue to have the highest quality of CoD experience" always rubs me the wrong way. Console purchases aren't a blood pact. Playstation gamers can still have a high quality CoD experience when they play it on another system. It's a bit of a shitty powerplay by Microsoft and yes, not everyone can and wants to buy multiple systems, but please don't argue on the basis of blind, stubborn brand loyalty.

[HandsomeDead]

Sony and MS are gonna sword fight with their corporate dicks and I certainly understand why Sony want to be a pain MS's arse but it all looks silly to me.  CoD isn't a big deal anymore, it's not insignificant but if it went exclusive to MS then PS players still have Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny etc.  I know the CoD SP has fans but is it that much of a big deal?  And CoD is pretty much a boomer game at this point, it's not exciting to new audiences.

 

But of course Sony are gonna act like it's a big deal and clutch their pearls but they'd be quick to say how much CoD doesn't matter if they lose it and they wouldn't be wrong.

[one-armed dwarf]

That's what I was saying, it's all about F2P battle royal with MTX now.

 

Not that there's imo a big issue with that. But the tide has clearly shifted, the numbers CoD do might still be huge but it's on the decline for a while now and it doesn't seem that likely it's going to turn it around imminently. Maybe when the Fortnite stuff dies down.

 

Maybe my perspective is weird but I feel like cross platform FPS is just growing and growing right now so a big FPS series retreating into exclusivity is a big 'so what' imo, it just means the games will be worse as far as I'm concerned cause that lack of availability kills communities compared with the direction Fortnite is going. It feels antithetical to the direction things are going in

 

The degree of interest in this seems strange to me tbh. Exclusive bethesda games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls? That's a big deal. CoD? What year is it

[Maf]

I agree with a lot of points except for CoD is not a big deal. A quick Google shows it was the best selling game of 2021 and that was a bad year for CoD.

 

Do you know what series is actually on a decline and never going to be “big” again? Halo. CoD under Xbox helps solve that problem a lot 

 

EDIT: Bethesda games are as big as CoD lol. Except for the fact they only put one out every 7 years.

[one-armed dwarf]

I didn't say that CoD wasn't a big deal or that TES is a bigger deal. My point is that it's a decision that's antithetical to this brand's growth. Doing the same with a SP RPG is not.

 

People want to play these games with their friends who have different systems, it's become the new expectation. We're no longer in that time period of exclusive map packs being a big deal, that's not something that works anymore

[Maf]

I agree with that, in almost every way it seems like a detrimental move for the series and especially it’s fans. 

[HandsomeDead]

I just don't think CoD has a lot left in it in terms of growth and there are games as big or bigger that occupy a similar space.  

[Maryokutai]

1 hour ago, one-armed dwarf said:

That's what I was saying, it's all about F2P battle royal with MTX now.

 

Which applies to Warzone, which as a CoD spin-off should also be part of this whole discussion between MS and Sony. At least I doubt they're treating it in a different manner just because it's f2p.

 

As for standalone releases it's not about whether CoD is still important or a big deal, it's a 30% cut of a game that sells over 20 million copies on Sony's system that's going to hurt the bottom line. And that's most likely all they care about in this context.

[Maf]

20 million copies on one system alone. Think about that. Most games would kill to sell 20 million total 

[HandsomeDead]

Left to their own decision making I have little doubt that MS would keep CoD on PS because it probably is the savviest move but I'm not sure it's even about that.  Sony just don't want MS to have ownership over and control all this IP and have a rival grow because why would you just allow it if you were Sony?  They're gonna at least try and block it with what influence they have.  Whether it works or not I guess we'll see (tho probably not).

 

I just think after this an MS did decide to be petty and make CoD exclusive it wouldn't be as big as a deal as some are saying.  Sony would have things they could do, mostly emphasising what they do have which are more future proof imo

[Maf]

I’m not sure Xbox would keep CoD on PS, though. Unless my logic is wrong.
 

But making a guess Xbox currently only has 20% of the CoD audience.
 

They then remove it from PS, and Xbox jumps up to only 40% (Assuming PC would become the most dominant CoD platform in that case), well Xbox are still up 20% audience. 
 

Also it’s all about Gamepass for them. The world’s biggest annual franchise makes a lot of sense for subscription purposes. Especially because a lot of people would get the PC version on Gamepass also. 
 

I think for Xbox it works really well.

 

Not for fans and it could really harm the game. A multiplayer focused game where they’re abandoning a lot of players. That’s the big risk, I think.

 

[Nag]

Looks like the Series X (and Series S?) has had that update to speed up it's boot up time while in power saving mode, it's pretty rapid.

[DisturbedSwan]

UK CMA enters Phase 2 of investigation into Activision Blizzard/Microsoft merger

 

 

Quote

 

Reference decision

15 September 2022: The CMA has referred the anticipated acquisition by Microsoft Corporation of Activision Blizzard, Inc. for an in-depth investigation, on the basis that, on the information currently available to it, it is or may be the case that this Merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom.
 

he creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial
lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United
Kingdom for goods or services, including in:

• The manufacture and supply of gaming consoles (together with theirdigital storefronts)
• The distribution of games through multi-game subscription services; and
• The supply of cloud gaming services

 

[Maf]

Sony says damn straight stop this bullshit 

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-giving-microsoft-control-of-activision-games-like-call-of-duty-has-major-negative-implications

 

Xbox says oh shut up, bitch 

[one-armed dwarf]

A positive outcome would be if something happened here to slow down the rate at which these companies are becoming massive conglomerates of IP.

 

Don't want gaming to become like paying for streaming but way more expensive, no thanks. So weird to me people are cheerleading this nonsense

[Nag]

19 minutes ago, Maf said:

Sony says damn straight stop this bullshit 

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-giving-microsoft-control-of-activision-games-like-call-of-duty-has-major-negative-implications

 

Xbox says oh shut up, bitch 

 

Did they say it while clutching the Final Fantasy Remakes and FF16 games to their bossom.😂

 

You can't have it both ways Jim, exclusives are either good or bad... which is it?

[Maf]

@one-armed dwarf It’s a sensible point of view but a boring point of view. Let Xbox squeeze Sony it’ll only make Sony stronger. They’ll have to make even better games 

[one-armed dwarf]

If sony's argument has any merit then it won't make sony stronger at all, that's the point in antitrust. 

 

If one company becomes an impossibly large monolith there won't be anybody left to challenge them, you're not going to get lots of amazing FPS games competing with Call of Duty or anything like that. If anything you'll probably get way less.

 

I really just think people cheerlead this cause they know it annoys other people and it doesn't really have anything to do with games at all. 

 

Not that many people care that much about Final Fantasy these days either. They waited too long to remake VII, it's a boomer series now lol