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Microsoft to buy ea??

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  • 24-09-2009 10:06am
    #1
    allanb49
    Registered Users Posts: 6,419 ✭✭✭


    Just read on kotaku shares for ea have skyrocketed with this rumor and seems credible, microsoft have denied it but who knows.... What you all think


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    #2
    rizzla
    Registered Users Posts: 2,936 ✭✭✭rizzla


    Doubt it. EA would have a huge pricetag that I don't even think Microsoft would pay up for, not worth the investment. Although if they did it and they made all EA franchise's Microsoft exclusives it would kill off the competition. Just like when EA wouldn't develop for Dreamcast, no Madden, no FIFA make's a casual fan take their money elsewhere.


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    #3
    death1234567
    Registered Users Posts: 3,333 ✭✭✭death1234567


    I could be just MicroScum trying to buy a % of EA, I'd doubt they'd buy the whole thing as it would be very expensive.


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    #4
    allanb49
    Registered Users Posts: 6,419 ✭✭✭allanb49


    Not like ms dont have the money though, look at disney/marvel


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    #5
    Menengroth™
    Registered Users Posts: 920 ✭✭✭Menengroth™


    christ i hope not


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    #6
    DevilsBreath
    Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭DevilsBreath


    Think about it though. It would mean we could go outside into the fresh air as there'd be nothing to play.

    Good God I could lose my beer gut.


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    #7
    Jazzy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,315 ✭✭✭Jazzy


    i doubt this tbh. fair trade acts and all.
    wouldnt make sense for EA either


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    #8
    projectmayhem
    Registered Users Posts: 9,480 ✭✭✭projectmayhem


    Jazzy wrote: »
    i doubt this tbh. fair trade acts and all.
    wouldnt make sense for EA either

    EA made a loss last year, MS didn't.

    Also, while I think fare trade type acts would come into play, an argument against such an action could be made given the ActiBlizzard deal. Consider Blizzard probably makes more money then EA year-on-year and has more industry clout then EA's entire catalogue combined.

    If MS buys EA it'll end consoles (imo) and be detrimental to the games industry, unless MS buys EA and it looses all of its IP. It's no good for FIFA to not be on Playstation (Sony sponsors a lot of FIFA events etc.), and so on...


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    #9
    Gummy Panda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,919 ✭✭✭✭Gummy Panda


    Anti-competition laws would kick in, especially in EU.

    If MS bought EA, they couldn't afford to have all the titles as MS exclusives. Timed maybe, but not full exclusive. EA as a business relies heavily on multi-platform success.


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    #10
    projectmayhem
    Registered Users Posts: 9,480 ✭✭✭projectmayhem


    Gummy Panda wrote: »
    Anti-competition laws would kick in, especially in EU.

    If MS bought EA, they couldn't afford to have all the titles as MS exclusives. Timed maybe, but not full exclusive. EA as a business relies heavily on multi-platform success.

    This would be rational thinking, but Microsoft do this all the time with their Windows business.

    The idea is that you buy one of the major publishers, and then keep everything to yourself, forcing the market to buy your console over the competition.

    It's the same stuff as when the major music labels merged. Of course no one has a proprietary music format or player so it's a slightly different ball game, but I wouldn't rely too heavily on anti-trust laws on this one. It could go through with enough corporate muscle.


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    #11
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,500 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    The stocks have since retreated and MS have denied the claims . . . just the world of business.:)

    Reminds me of when Google were buying Valve Software.;)


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    #12
    GothPunk
    Registered Users Posts: 1,761 ✭✭✭GothPunk


    Sierra Oscar wrote: »
    Reminds me of when Google were buying Valve Software.;)
    Reminds me of when Apple were buying Sony! :pac:


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    #13
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    Or Apple buying Nintendo lol.

    Leaving aside the competition issues, if it did happen another company would just fill the void.

    If Fifa was exclusive to Ms, you'd see similar titles on other consoles with different names or most likely EA now owned by Ms, exclusive to Ms couldn't turn a profit and buy the license and some multiplat developer would outbid them for the license or make it not profitable to give exclusive access to the license to EA/Ms.

    Ms would have to lose billions just to cut out the competition and it wouldn't really pay off in the end as new competition would just start up.


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    #14
    dreamers75
    Registered Users Posts: 20,558 ✭✭✭✭dreamers75


    thebman wrote: »
    Or Apple buying Nintendo lol.

    Leaving aside the competition issues, if it did happen another company would just fill the void.

    If Fifa was exclusive to Ms, you'd see similar titles on other consoles with different names or most likely EA now owned by Ms, exclusive to Ms couldn't turn a profit and buy the license and some multiplat developer would outbid them for the license or make it not profitable to give exclusive access to the license to EA/Ms.

    Ms would have to lose billions just to cut out the competition and it wouldn't really pay off in the end as new competition would just start up.


    Why assume MS would stop the moneymaker that is FIFA? if MS bought EA they wouldnt stop multi platform in anyway it would be stupid to do so.


    And where would another company with 5billion in cash be ready to step in to fill the void?


    If MS buy EA they own "videogames" but would not be stupid enough to fall foul of anti comptetion laws.


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    #15
    mayordenis
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 9,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭mayordenis


    death1234567 wrote: »
    MicroScum

    ??


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    #16
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,500 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    dreamers75 wrote: »

    If MS buy EA they own "videogames"

    It would be a big step forward, but I dont think they would "own" the videogame industry. MS are admittedly biggish players in the publishing business, but many publishers including THQ, Sega, Take-Two Interactive, Sony, Ubisoft and Activision outrank them. Nintendo even outrank EA, who you would think would be #1!

    If they did actually merge no doubt they would be the biggest players on the block, but there would be plenty of opposition to ensure they do not create a monopoly.


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    #17
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    dreamers75 wrote: »
    Why assume MS would stop the moneymaker that is FIFA? if MS bought EA they wouldnt stop multi platform in anyway it would be stupid to do so.


    And where would another company with 5billion in cash be ready to step in to fill the void?


    If MS buy EA they own "videogames" but would not be stupid enough to fall foul of anti comptetion laws.

    Well it wouldn't matter what they planned to do because the competition laws would kick in before they were owners. They'd just be told they were throwing their muscle around too much.

    They could leave it mutli-platform but not much problem then really, I was just saying that it would not be the end of games if they tried to keep it exclusive.

    This could have been a leak from EA to boost share value.


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