General Video Game Thread
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@flyrannosaurus said in General Video Game Thread:
Companies acquired by Microsoft have a tendency to improve quickly and often dramatically.
I need some examples here.
More importantly, I need to know what other IP Microsoft has done well with aside from the Halo series.
Frankly, when people ask me why I don't have an XBox One yet, I ask them: why should I get it?
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@ganymede LinkedIn, GitHub, Mojang have all done incredibly well since being acquired. They've recently moved into healthcare through their acquisition of Nuance and that's a really promising enterprise once that deal closes.
As far as their own games, Gears is pretty solid (though slowing down in its old age), Forza is successful. Their biggest achievement (I'd say) in gaming is Game Pass, which again, is incredibly consumer-friendly.
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I will give you GoW and Forza. Those are all great, even if I've no reason to play them.
I'm not sure I've noticed any improvement in LinkedIn, honestly, and I don't use or care about GitHub, Mojang, or Nuance. Since Activision / Blizzard is a gaming company, though, I'd like to stay there.
I mean, what has Microsoft done for Bethesda? It's still clinging to Skyrim and ESO. It totally fucked up the Fallout Series, and the changes to FO76 have done little to bring back the fan-base.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this shit. As soon as Activision gave away the rights to the Battletech IP, I lost interest in the company.
“It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like.” -- Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
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@ganymede DOOM development is moving along, and those problems with Bethesda predate the acquisition - not sure on the specifics of what they're doing as I don't much care for the Elder Scrolls these days. Ultimately, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard isn't as much about them bringing exciting new ideas as it is them fixing the systemic problems in the company, something they've done consistently with each of their acquisitions over the past decade or so.
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Too soon to make any determinations about what good they do for the companies they acquire, as I can't think of many that have actually launched games since acquisition.
I will say, Gamepass is such a frigging good deal that it justified my XBox purchase. Can curl up on the couch and play games Netflix, essentially. It's been a godsend for my relationship during the Covid times to have some couch co-op.
If GamePass didn't exist, I'd be in intense buyer's remorse for my Series X.
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Microsoft also owns Double Fine Productions, which has been doing pretty steady with Psychonauts, Grim Fandango, and Broken Age. Psychonauts 2 came out under the Micorosoft banner and actually did pretty damn well. Ninja Theory is another of Microsoft's IP's, and they're responsible for one of the more popular series, Devil May Cry. There's also Obsidian Games (a personal favorite of mine). Outer Worlds has been INSANE with how much it keeps growing. And I know my son is still nuts over Forza.
Edit to add: I am also SUPER SUPER looking forward the new Fable. I have missed being able to play that game.
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Everything Obsidian is doing/has done. Forza. Game Pass. Minecraft. Bethesda's ship being righted (whether or not FO76's playerbase has come back, it's clear that Microsoft is taking an active hand at course correcting it). Halo.
There's SO many good things coming out of them as a publisher, and they are well poised to address the ROT at Blizzard. If they get rid of Bobby, they have my vote.
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Game Pass by itself is starting to look more and more appealing to me as a PC gamer, and with it in mind the acquisition of this library makes a ton of sense, even with the insane price-tag.
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Like tbh the newest xpac for Minecraft and the upcoming one, they have all the goodwill from me they could possibly get. It’s SO good, and it is a display of the understanding of their player base. ActiBliz lost their way when they lost touch with their fans, and so hopefully being pulled into Microsoft’s house will force them to reforge that connection.
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But hopefully not titanforge it.
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Lol. Right.
Seriously though. The folks running Microsoft’s gaming division love games, at the end of the day. Their business decisions show that. I am pretty positive that this is going to pan out great for gamers.
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@sunny Finding out that Microsoft bought BlizzAct actually made me interested in possibly returning to D3/WOW in the future. And has me newly interested in D4!
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Makes me wonder with buying Activision if Microsoft is going to run afoul of anti-trust laws because this could be considered an monopoly.
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@testament said in General Video Game Thread:
Makes me wonder with buying Activision if Microsoft is going to run afoul of anti-trust laws because this could be considered an monopoly.
Nah, there's too many other developers still out there.
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Out of curiosity what changes were made to FO76? I didn't get it because ugh, it was terrible when it came out.
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@betternow I mean... they've basically overhauled the entire game WHILE continuing to release add-ons and dlc.
More basically, the open world multiplayer isn't garbage anymore. The looting system has gotten WAY better (easier pickup, nearby looting, etc.). Weapon/armor/clothing bug issues (both in equipping and clipping). A pretty regular stream of bug fixes across the board. They made CAMPS and Workshops easier to use/build/navigate. Overhauled and updated the UI for the Pip-Boy. Added a PVP system, including the ability to clone your Adventure campaign bit to port over to the Public Worlds. NPC interaction fixes. Pathing and environmental fixes and updates.
At this point, I would feel safe in saying that it's pretty much a new game. The FO76 that launched has been left in the dust.
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@too-old-for-this said in General Video Game Thread:
@testament said in General Video Game Thread:
Makes me wonder with buying Activision if Microsoft is going to run afoul of anti-trust laws because this could be considered an monopoly.
Nah, there's too many other developers still out there.
There's a lot of developers, but I imagine it's still going to come under a great deal of scrutiny (which several journalistic outlets have called out) due to the huge size of the purchase, which is generally going to indicate a large market share. Not saying that it'll cause the entire deal to fall through, but I think there's going to be a lot of talking and investigation before it's all said and done.
I'll certainly be happy if Kotick is indeed ousted, and if having new oversight forces them to do more to address the huge array of cultural issues and abuses. But, in general, I don't think consolidations of this huge size are often good for industries.
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@too-old-for-this said in General Video Game Thread:
@betternow I mean... they've basically overhauled the entire game WHILE continuing to release add-ons and dlc.
More basically, the open world multiplayer isn't garbage anymore.
Ah, nothing that would make me get it then. I didn't like the whole multiplayer aspect of it. I just like to be left the hell alone to enjoy a story myself
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@betternow Then you wouldn't want it at all. FO76 is an MMO. That's not a bug, that's the type of game. XD
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@roz In general, I would agree with you! I like having variety in my game developers, it means that I'm not just playing the same three games over and over again (no matter what my Steam library says). But I have to say that of all the huge takeovers/buyouts/mergers that have been going on lately (Disney comes to mind), Microsoft is the one that bothers me the least. They aren't interested in changing the path of a development company, they mostly seem to be trying to buy up broken companies that have lost all credibility with their audience and making things better.
Granted, Activision/Blizzard is a BIG buy. But given that Microsoft itself doesn't have any really BIG heavy-hitter developers already on the payroll, I would say this is more them starting to really step out onto the field. Game Pass is great, but it in and of itself does not create games, it just provides a platform through which you can cross-platform between Xbox and PC.
Now, if in a few years, there's talk of Microsoft acquiring Square Enix or Bungie or Ubisoft? Then I might start to side eye things a little more. I think this particular one will get a standard investigation, but I don't see it being some huge deal. Hell, I was more suspicious when Disney acquired Marvel, Fox, and a chunk of Sony within a span of like... 6 years.
