Microsoft buys Zenimax

[MartyG]

But that's what I'm saying - that market has been wide open for 9 years already.

[nonny]

I think that's a bit harsh.

Rare are in a better place more than they've ever been. Sea of Thieves is great now and Everwild looks great.

Yes Bethesda have a track record of releasing buggy games so that could improve but they're still games that still a boatload of copies.

Let's not write this off just yet. I think the landscape of MS development and their mentality has changed a lot in the past few years.

[fishbowlhead]

But that's what I'm saying - that market has been wide open for 9 years already.

I just don’t think anyone has wanted to tackle that kind of game without spending huge sums to sure its code up and keep the overall experience high.

Just look at skyrim, that mess of a game is STILL being patched by the community to get bugs out, ridiculous.

[MartyG]

Internet: Microsoft needs more first party developers to improve their console exclusives

** Microsoft buys several studios as first party developers **

Internet: Microsoft doesn't do anything with its first party studios, this was just a tax break

[nonny]

Just to add game pass has jumped 50% in subscribers to 15m.

What will the total no of game pass subscribers be at the end of 2020 now we get EA play and Bethesda games included?

[hudson]

Was thinking how Microsoft own Minecraft and with it being out on PS4 and Switch. A free update for PS4 featuring PSVR support comes out today. That's pretty generous. I mean, they didn't need to do it. Maybe Microsoft are researching doing their own VR support at some point.

[dataDave]

Internet: Microsoft needs more first party developers to improve their console exclusives

** Microsoft buys several studios as first party developers **

Internet: Microsoft doesn't do anything with its first party studios, this was just a tax break

Indeed. They still very much have to follow through with the "improve console exclusives" part.

Simply buying everyone doesn't do enough to satisfy gamers.

[Neon Ignition]

The jump in Game Pass numbers has been a puzzler but then it hit me - Microsoft Flight Simulator
Popular and expensive making Game Pass the perfect way to test it. Have MS clarified yet whether the figures they give out for Game Pass subs are the number of accounts that have accessed it or the number of concurrent users? In theory - via the former - I'd count in that 15m but most of the year I'm not subbed and I never pay anything into it so there's potentially two very different outcomes there.

[Asura]

Still really worried about GamePass. MS are banking on being the gaming Netflix when Netflix are billions in debt.

[MartyG]

Microsoft could buy Netflix's debt 5 times over, just with the free money they have sitting around in the bank earning interest. In fact they have more than double the cash sitting around than Netflix's annual turnover.

[Asura]

Microsoft could buy Netflix's debt 5 times over, just with the free money they have sitting around in the bank earning interest. In fact they have more than double the cash sitting around than Netflix's annual turnover.

Yeah, but they don't want to LOSE money.

I'm concerned that MS's goal here is for GamePass to eventually be the primary source of AAA games, and also £80 a month like the top end Sky TV plans circa 1998.

[MartyG]

I think they're probably doing alright on $150 million a month income from GamePass

[Cassius_Smoke]

Yeah let's not get concerned about MS making money. Who gives a **** if they make a loss.

[cutmymilk]

MS is playing a blinder here. Game Pass seems like a good deal but lets say you start Skyrim on it. For most people that would take 3-6 months to play through, let alone complete. you've just paid £30-£60 for a £10 game. Granted you may also have a few blasts of Forza or Streets of Rage in that time too but generally spending £120 a year on Game Pass is about as much as you need to spend on games anyway.

You could buy 10 stellar PS4 games for that price. It's the day 1 stuff that makes it worthwhile really but playing older games which is what I want to do would probably be cheaper buying the xbox one discs second hand!

[dataDave]

MS are banking on being the gaming Netflix when Netflix are billions in debt.

Their content is also 98% garbage.