Until the ink is dry on Microsoft’s colossal Activision Blizzard buyout, the status of franchises like Call of Duty will likely remain unclear. For the time being, it’s business as usual for all involved, and Bloomberg sources have said that Xbox may continue to support PlayStation platforms in the future – although as evidenced by Bethesda, this is likely to be ongoing support for existing titles, like Call of Duty: Warzone.
As a result, these are the franchises that Sony could potentially lose access to in the future. It’s worth noting that a large proportion of these intellectual properties are currently dormant, while others have only appeared on PC in recent years. Nevertheless, here’s the full list:
- Blur
- Caesar
- Call of Duty
- Candy Crush
- Crash Bandicoot
- Diablo
- DJ Hero
- Empire Earth
- Gabriel Knight
- Geometry Wars
- Guitar Hero
- GUN
- Hearthstone
- Heroes of the Storm
- Hexen
- Interstate '76
- King's Quest
- Laura Bow Mysteries
- The Lost Vikings
- Overwatch
- Phantasmagoria
- Pitfall
- Police Quest
- Prototype
- Quest for Glory
- Singularity
- Skylanders
- Solider of Fortune
- Space Quest
- Spyro the Dragon
- Starcraft
- Timeshift
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
- True Crime
- Warcraft
- World of Warcraft
- Zork
Obviously, Call of Duty is still the big one, although Candy Crush will be enormous in the mobile space as well. As we reported earlier in the week, the loss of legendary PlayStation franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon is salt in the wounds for Sony, especially when the series had enjoyed something of a mini-renaissance in recent years.
Which of these IPs do you feel will be the biggest blow to PlayStation? Pay your respects in the comments section below.
Comments 146
No, not Laura Bow Mysteries!!!
Sheesh. . . I don’t play most Activison games, but this is a huge blow to PlayStation
Only played some CoD and the Crash Bandicoot remake.
Crap, I was looking forward to that Singularity sequel.
Dammit, the new Zork was at the top of my list for this generation!
That’s a lot of dead intellectual property
The PS5 is doomed without a possible port of Candy Crush
Name 3 of these IP that have actually produced a decent new game on PlayStation in the last 5 years? I'll wait...
I mean, how many of those were truly relevant to PS systems nowadays? Truly.
Saying they "lost" something that hasn't had an entry in years (Pitfall) or has never even been seen on any console (HoTS) is misleading af.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Activision own Tenchu? If this deal could cause a new one of those to be made that would be great even though it wouldn't be on PS.
Whatever will I do without Zork’s promised PS5 version, complete with cutting edge ray-tracing support?
@Korgon do they ? If this is true I'm hoping for a new tenchu game
It’s not that bad really, I’m not 12 years old so don’t play CoD, plus Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo are better on pc anyway….For me Bethesda was a much bigger deal.
Spencer said that some games will still be on PlayStation but other Activision games will still be exclusive to Xbox. I’m sure future Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Call of Duty games will still be on PS5. Not sure about Overwatch 2 though.
@Martsmall
I feel like I remember when Activision published Sekiro, Tenchu was brought up as a possible title for that game because it did have some similarities (Although I wouldn't exactly call that game a stealth game like Tenchu so that's probably why they didnt).
I understand that people are upset about this, but there are some silly statements are being thrown about without really thinking about things. Clickbait titles and random statements dont help anyone, will only lead to fanboy-ism and extreme views/opinions
For example, how will sony will lose access to candy crush, a mobile game? Will Microsoft somehow stop Sony (and apple!) phones from installing Candy Crush?
World of warcraft, a PC game, not allowed on all of the Sony laptops/computers specifically?
Can we calm down with the "fake" news and think things out with logic?
@Milt that's a lie
For the first time this generation it crossed my mind I may have to buy an Xbox just for game pass. After flicking through the catalogue this morning I have to admit I was pretty underwhelmed, maybe 4-5 that interested me. I'm sure it will be a decent service in 2-3 years time but right now I'm happy to stick with Ps5.
@LiamCroft Looks like we’ve been dreaming the same dream my friend…
Doesn't seem such bad news when you see the list like that.
@Korgon Looks like the latest Tenchu was published by Ubisoft (and From Soft in Japan). I guess that means the developer owns the IP.
Only bought two games on that list. Blur and Overwatch.
Actually, seeing this list makes me much more comfortable with the acquisition, since I don’t play a single one of these. I played Crash Bandicoot back in the day, but haven’t even played the N-Sanity remakes.
Personally, I lose nothing here.
I don’t discount the global effects on the industry though, since a few of these are quite popular with others. But as for me, I’m good.
If there’s any positive here I truly believed Activision was posturing to buy Fromsoft when they published Sekiro considering how weird that move was. At least they didn’t find a way to make that happen.
Deal doesn't go through until 2023 so a lot can happen till then. Sony's best bet as of right now is push backwards compatibility, get as many Activision games from the PS1/2/3 and have it up for people to buy/play before it gets taken down.
Odd situation for me, as I am not interested in any of those games personally. I do recognise that losing COD would be a huge blow to Sony's wallet, but this actually might be good for me in the long run.
So far Microsoft has poached all the companies and IPs I'm not too bothered about (maybe Doom and Shinji Mikami games), so it's possible that the Playstation ecosystem could be heading to a place that tailors more to my sensibilities. Hopefully anyway.
I actually think it might be nice if all the games as a service and full of microtransaction/lootbox nonsense will shift to gamepass and PC and Nintendo and Sony will be a place to buy quality games and escape all that funk in the industry. If they can take Ubisoft and EA with them next I'll actually be pretty happy about all this.
Erm…Diablo is a potential blow for me I guess. Although they screwed up the remake. A new spyro to potentially miss, but doubt they’d release a platformer in the same vein anyway.
Nothing bothers me in terms of the games, but the consolidation of publishers under one platform holder is terrible for the industry, so hopefully this is it now. The next 70billion I hope they spend creating rather than just gating products away from other platforms and players.
Its disapointing, but i dont think we need to go overkill with these articles. Lets see how Sony respond as that is the more interesting angle for Playstation gamers right now. Sony could put that 20 billion back on their share value immediately with a decent showcase etc.
Microsoft will allow the likes of Warzone, Overwatch 2, existing (and future) COD titles (through the end of 2023) to be supported, and that will be about it. Phil is going to spin a yarn for the next year or so rather than be honest about exclusivity, but lets be honest, for all intents and purposes, Activision is done on Playstation.
Microsoft have barely utilised Rare's IP's so it'll be a surprise if they start pumping out all these Activision ones.
Glad to see nothing I care about on that list. That's two for two buy outs that are massive but at the same time doesn't affect the series I enjoy.
@Korgon I believe it's the publishing rights to the older games, but not necessarily the brand. Although I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.
Bethesda games are a bigger loss by quite some margin.
Quantity ≠ quality
Most people here view this list and see a bunch of dead franchises. When I view this list, I see a bunch of potential games that will be added to Game Pass: Blur, Singularity, Prototype 1 and 2, Geometry Wars, Timeshift, True Crime and more. Except for Prototype, these are all games I don't really find worth purchasing but I'd love to give them a try on Game Pass and see if I'll like them. At least they will be given attention and who knows, some might see a new entry if enough people play them. I'd love to see them make Prototype 3 as an example.
Obviously cod will have the biggest impact, but there's nothing on that list for me.
Considering PlayStation is most likely about to lose Cod, Firewalk Studio just became Sony's most interesting partnership...
No Sekiro?
Why did this cost $70b again?
*I'm joking
i almost guarantee cod will stay on all platforms it sells the best on playstation they would love to have those billions yearly to pay for this acquisition, furthermore for everyone else do you think sony responds with a big purchase for themselves i.e a studio like take 2 or ea?
@Iver I can spend $70 billion on Knack 3.
I'm happy to see the comments in this article are calm and sensible 😂 to be honest after looking at this list, I too feel better about it. Maybe I will be sad to loose crash and possibly the occasional cod game, but I hardly play them now anyway to be honest. Hopefully Sony will make a few good quality shooters themselves.
I don't play any of these games
Removed - unconstructive feedback
@LtSarge Sony is just losing call of duty. Crash and Spyro are hurtful in another way, but the rest is nothing or are just mainly PC games.
I think it's good move to up the pc gamepass with blizzard. Maybe that was the intention.
$70 billion for mostly dead IPs, Blizzard, mobile trash, and CoD. Just imagine the kind of games and studios that could have funded.
Thankfully the Crash/Spyro remakes were done before this or they'd probably not been made for just Xbox users. Really those were the only two of any significance. For me, games are on PS4, work is on PC, phones are for communication and there's very little overlap. Oh and a DS2XL for giggles.
This acquisition totally benefits me, and anyone with gamepass. But I just don’t get how this is worth 68billion? A lot of dead ip. A lot of falling sales figures and player counts. A lot of negativity around the activision and blizzard. And a lot of talent leaving/left.
I just keep thinking 68billion could have bought WB games AND take two…giving them licences for Lego Batman mortal Kombat AND GTA…
@alexbolton2 I think sony doesn't care enough.
They could buy remedy, from software, platinum games, techland and buy Capcom as their big hit. That's reasonable, but I think they'll just make more third party deals (since now even less people will buy their games on xbox) and second party games.
The biggest loss: Candy Crush 😭
The only games that I've played from that list are king's quest and prototype, and they're pretty good games imo... But oh well, life goes on I guess.
@Alduin that's some big copium! 70 billion is not that easy to make
Microsoft will also own Metal Arms Glitch In The System, I seriously hope they remaster it.
@Korgon Tenchu IP is owned by Fromsoft
If they bring a new guitar hero out for xbox i might be gutted, but other than that I'm perfectly fine with it. If i had to choose two publishers to lose to ms, it would have been the two we have lost.
For the love of all that is holy, I really hope the original Pitfall goes to Gamepass now.
People may complain about the acquisition, but seriously think about the other companies that could have purchased Activision. I mean, new details have surfaced that Activision wanted to be purchased and were hoping for Facebook to buy them. This whole thing could’ve been much, much worse.
As a consumer I really hoped this wouldn't happen, but sort of predicted it when initial Bethesda buyout took place.
MS is gonna throw money at the market and try to increase it's share by taking a massive loss (they know they can recover from). Once expansion is done and enough people are locked into their service, they'll ramp the prices and remove purchase option.
For an end user, it will remove the ownership of software (all games on GP you don't actually own, you play what is offered at moment in time on service) similar to how there is no ownership on video content streaming platforms, and get you from "paying once, enjoying for life model", to "paying monthly, enjoying monthly" model.
It's yet to be seen how this shift will affect content, which is significantly different on video streaming platforms compared to traditional releases. If I had to guess, I would expect quality to go slightly down, where aim is not for greatness, but OK-ness.
If you don't like these games personally that's fine but being ignorant of the fact that some of these games have massive userbases and incomes definitely strengthens Microsoft's hand. As a mainly pc gamer these days who also has played PS since the beginning I saw no reason a year ago to get a Series X. Now I own one as well as my PS5, Switch and PC. The game pass simply provides a lot of great value and it would be wise for Sony to announce their new model soon and start giving a bit more value to their dedicated player base to provide stronger competition. Cod will sell xboxs by itself if it goes exclusive. Playstation isn't going away by any means but this is a comprehensive win for Microsoft in solidifying and expanding their future.
The only one I care about is Diablo, as Diablo 4 was one of the games we were most looking forward to. I'll be grumpy if that doesn't come to PS5, but I won't miss the rest.
I still think the deal is bad news though :/
@alexbolton2 The narrative of MS HAS TO bring a game to PlayStation to gain money back has to stop now. They said the same when MS spent 7 billion? On Bethesda…MS just flexed and spent 68 billion on this. What does that flex say? Ms aren’t short of money to be worrying about having to bring games to PlayStation if they don’t want to.
This acquisition also teaches us PlayStation isnt who MS is competing with. There’s a bigger picture out there.
About half are pc games so playstation gamers won't miss those, also overwatch 2 still coming and we don't even know if there will be a 3rd.
Only ones that will be missed are the casuals favourite call of duty and diablo (though it might come as well depending on existing deals and release date)
Wow. Without knocking any of those titles, there’s not a single one on there I have any interest in.
That said, to say that this means I don’t think this is a problem for Sony would be foolish. I’ve read similar comments from others, in particular that they only care about Sony first party exclusives, but what they don’t seem to realise is how the huge drop in revenue this deal poses will affect the budgets available to first party studios. It seems a distinct possibility that as dev costs increase the scope and scale of PS exclusives will likely decline. Maybe the new revenue from PC ports will fill the shortfall, maybe not.
@HUMPERDOO agreed. This a big blow for Sony but doesn’t affect me personally as I don’t play any Activision/Blizzard games.
@PenguinL Not to mention a lot of IP isn't profitable, likely wouldn't be profitable, and can just eventually be sold off at some point, if ever.
This was for the big name IPs and the developers, plain and simple.
Micro$oft has successfully rebranded their DRM plan from Xbox One and has sold it and sold it well. People are now fine with never owning their games.
From my perspective Sony can fight that... but if they do they are fighting more than Microsoft. They are fighting against Amazon, Netflix, and every other subscribe to borrow format out there.
If they fight it will be long, hard, and probably unsuccessful.
If they cave and create something similar, they must seek to get gamepass on PS5. Which is probably what M$'s plan was all along. That gives color to the comments of "we want to bring games to all gamers with no limtits." They want to not only have a console in the race but be a game provider like Peacock TV or Netflix that provides content as a sub.
My guess is when Sony comes asking - Microsoft says absolutely and we won't even stick you with a higher price. You will have to wait for our first party games for 6 months because you chose to play on a Sony system. But hey - 6 months from now - we'll let you play Halo Infinite!
@RevGaming I’m pretty sure FromSoft own the IP.
Not bad for me at least. The only one ill miss is Diablo. Still sad to see independent publishers being bought up
Honestly, I don’t care for / about any of those IP’s, so I’m good lol
Odd seeing the Quest games on there, almost pointless listing it, think Space Quest hasn't had a release since 1995!!
@themightyant 1.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2.Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
3.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
@Milt Call of Duty for sure, but i really dont believe that If a New Spyro/Crash game would bê released on PS5, for starters Activision decided to stay on Call of Duty and the studio that made the remake/sequel was put in the CoD mines, if sequels to these IP's exist it will be because Microsoft wanted It and reversed Activision's decision.
@THEONE19 THPS 1&2 was a remake not a new game, but close.
EDIT: THPS was also bloody brilliant! need VV back making THPS 3+4
It's not an impossible conundrum but it is a stretch.
@get2sammyb @ChrisDeku @Voltan
Ah ok thanks for the responses. I hope that series comes back some day.
I'm also thinking what 'new' IPs the likes of Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, RavenSoft, High Moon etc can bring to the world when they aren't 'forced' into trying to make a 'new' CoD game every year. I'm sure the Online will go 'free to play' so everyone can play it on any platform, but apart from keeping the online CoD community 'happy', those staff are free to make 'new' games - whether they are games in existing IP's ornew IP's altogether....
The only one I really care about is the THPS franchise. But since Vicarious Visions was absorbed into the Call of Duty machine a while back who knows if we'd ever get another good one.
@Korgon just because they publish it, doesn't mean they own the IP, so those games aren't part of the deal.
It doesn't matter if you don't play any of those games (like me), COD is on that list and that game alone pulls in millions of casuals on a very bad day and will sell just as many consoles.
If we get out of our bubble casuals are who contribute more to the revenue of all these companies then hardcore gamers. Make no mistake while the heads at Sony are probably not committing suicide they are definitely worried that they are about to lose a giant chunk of revenue that they will have to get elsewhere.
It's disappointing. I play mostly exclusive single payer stuff, but when I play online with my casual buddies, we always play Call of Duty. They play TONS of it. They don't listen to gaming podcasts, or look at pushsquare for example, so they may not even know about this news. However if they just dropped $700 on their new playstation only to find out they likely wont be able to play the only game they ever even play in the future... they will be devistated after waiting so long to even get their hands on a PS5. Just a bummer all around
@Juvenlast A lot of people are fine with not needing to 'Own' a license (as you NEVER own the 'game') to play numerous games in their Library and 'just' because you don't 'need' to buy Day1 at the most 'premium' price, doesn't mean you can never own the 'licence'.
PS+ and Games with Gold offer a 'conditional' licence too. Those games remain accessible as long as you remain a PS+/Gold subscriber. Game Pass games give you a conditional licence too that gives you access as long as you remain a Subscriber and that game remains in Game Pass - and gives you an additional 20% off if you wish to add that game licence permanently to your account - just like buying any 'digital' game on PS5 too. On top of that, you can also buy physical copies if/when you want (maybe some black friday deal) so its not as if you'll never own 'game' licences again.
Its not Game Pass or 'ownership', it can be both. Nothing stops me buying FH5 or Starfield at launch on Disc if I want, however, I can play 'free' as part of my subscription and buy it on Disc a year or so later, maybe buy the Digital version. We still have to buy games not in the Service. We can try many games before we decide whether or not they are 'worth' owning indefinitely and not 'waste' money on games we were unsure of, let down by or 'finished' with.
I expect its 'similar' with PS Now too that those games will have a conditional licence that insists you remain a PSNow subscriber too...
Makes you wonder if MS had seen that same list before they made that deal. Jeez, not worth my son's pocket money most of that.
Only some retro memory for me. Good grief.
Ms could have done much more damage with that pile of money they threw away.
@RevGaming You act like Sony is the biggest company in the world? I know they are big but its not like MS that can screw up for decades and still keep can make without issue.
It's just maybe losing Diablo on PS5 that stings for me personally.
But come on anyone acting like potentially losing COD isn't a big headache for Sony. Strong and consistent third party support has been essential for PlayStation over the years, even if you don't play games like COD and FIFA yourself.
I'll remind everyone MS will still make money selling to PS players. The perk will be Game Pass where you'll be able to play these day one or as part of an affordable subscription a few months later.
But I'm a broken record on that.
@Juvenlast
Yes Ms finally got their DRM crap and made something look like champagne with the help of the press supporting the idea now.
Sony needs to keep a different approach and their difference for the good of diversity and gaming options.
Honestly, the only title on this list I planned on purchasing was Diablo 4. Considering the franchise is now owned by Micro$oft, I definitely will not be purchasing it. Sorry, Micro$oft, you can claim Crash all you want, but he will always be a PlayStation icon. Not only is a potential monopoly or oligopoly forming, with everything basically going to Game Pass on Day One, I question the quality control on these games. Really, why try to make games great when you don't have the pressure of selling millions of copies.
Wow that is a terrible list of games. Now I'm just trying to figure out who made the worst purchase. Microsoft with the 70 Billion for that bad list of games, or Jake Paul's 3.5 million in GI Joe Pokemon cards.
I'm certain that CoD MP and Warzone will remain on PS. MP will go F2P and funded through battle pass/premium type system most F2P MP's go with to ensure CoDs 'online' gaming is available to ALL. No doubt with 'seasons' to inject new 'content' etc.
Any 'new' Single Player 'CoD' stories will be on Game Pass but Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer,High Moon etc will be free to work on their own projects instead of being 'pushed' to crunch out Annual new CoD games.
You could look at Halo: Infinite as their 'trial run' for the future of CoD with its Battlepass system and that would be the F2P model on EVERY available platform to keep their online CoD fans 'happy'. I know Halo's BP isn't 'great' at the moment ,but in a year or two's time, the experience here can help them get it 'right' for CoD. New FPS military campaign stories that may benefit from the CoD name won''t come to PS but you'll still get Online MP.
Sony will still sell Cod points, Battle Pass etc but yes- a big 'chunk' of revenue will be lost.
Its the same with the 7bn they paid for Bethesda - New games, whether new IP's (Redfall, Starfield etc) or existing IP's (ES6) will be 'exclusive' to Game Pass and online, existing games (ESO, Fallout76 etc) continue to exist on PS5.
Its hardly a Monopoly either with TenCent, Sony, Nintendo, TakeTwo, Ubisoft, EA, Square Enix, Sega etc ALSO existing. A Monopoly would mean that MS own more than 50% of the entire studio's making games.They aren't even close to being a Monopoly.
@Bleachedsmiles
Thanks... Now I realise how much I need a Lego Batman Mortal Kombat. Think of the fatalities!!
Speaking of monopolies you can almost get away with saying Microsoft has a monopoly on the FPS genre. With Activision, Bethesda and their already existing ips they have most of the classic FPS and some of the current most popular ones. Xbox was always known for their shooters but know is more official.
Sony needs to bring Killzone or Resistance out of retirement or they will have to depend squarely on EA and Battlefield which lol I wouldn't.
I almost play zero Activision Blizzard games but its still bad for the industry. But who saw this coming a US based company that kills off the competition by force...
We as Europeans are afraid of China but the US is great at killing of competition. Google, Microsoft, Disney, Amazon i hope Europe will wake up before we sell our soul to a few billionairs.
Next company Nintendo people that are cheering that one owns all because it cheap on Gamepass are just stupid.
Crash and Spyro are the only ones there that hurt. Grew up on those. Hopefully stay multiplat (unlikely) or are ported to switch.
@Flaming_Kaiser ok. They haven't screwed one year in the last decade. So it's fine
@RevGaming Nope they found that if you buy everything nobody stands a chance.
@Alduin I dont care if they do, let's face facts here Xbox can continue to operate at a loss for years and years and that won't affect MS in the slightest.
You go to bed wearing a "I ❤️ MS" T-Shirt?
😛
@EverydayRobot
Sorry if you’ve already been replied to, but the Game Pass catalog changes constantly, and as long as you have a sub you don’t lose a game even if it leaves Game Pass. So even if the catalog seems weak now I almost guarantee there will be something worth $15/month getting added shortly.
That being said I don’t sub to it either because I can’t stand subscription services. If they added the World of Warcraft subscription to Game Pass though I’d have no reason not to get it.
A couple of good new IP's from Sony and everyone will forget about this. At some point every game gets replaced anyway.
@BAMozzy Yet. You really think that they won't buy more companies? Taking even more IP off PS? Games that would've made their way to Xbox and PC anyway?
Oh yes, apparently this is all about reaching more gamers. Of course it it.
🙄
Anyone remember when Warner were apparently looking to sell their games division? Now that would be a crazy list of IP for someone to buy.
Activision Blizzard is on there way out after all the harassment scandals.
Only sad thing here is Sekiro, but they only publish so that's easily changed.
Looks like they bought a graveyard.
Though I would genuinely love a sequel to The Dagger of Amman Ra - Laura Bow is actually pretty great!
King’s Quest 2015 is one of my favorite games of all time. Not that I actually expect them to give the franchise much love since that game didn’t really sell well, but I’ll be crushed if KQ’s future is restricted to Xbox…
…Aside from that, Spyro, and Crash, though, I really can’t think of much else I’d miss from that list. Will be interesting to see this unfold in the coming years.
ohhhh w.e. dont play any of these games, Crash back in what 97 98 ??? 2000 w.e. the first few released. yawwwnn
@Flaming_Kaiser
Ms has been doing it for decades.
@Flaming_Kaiser Stop this nonsense lol.
Sony didn't just die yesterday lmao.
@Bleachedsmiles i couldve sworn i read yesterday that phil spencer said that some are going to remain on ps4/5 but others will be exclusive to the platform of xbox/ pc
@themightyant
1. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2
2. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
3. Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy
There's like two more but that's it.
@HotGoomba
All 3 are remakes not new games. What's the other 2 you had?
@themightyant
Another remake, and Crash 4.
@alexbolton2 He did but in such careful, legally checked, wording that it could really mean anything.
If I had to bet i'd say Warzone and any other already released games will stay on PS, anything new won't, except perhaps microtransaction or subscription heavy games.
@Col_McCafferty Do you have a Mobile or PC? then those games will ALSO be on those.
If Sony buy any studio, any 'exclusivity' - inc extra content (Marvels Avengers, game modes, maps etc) the ONLY place you can play those games on day 1 is a 'SONY' Playstation. Only those rich or lucky enough to get a PS5 can play R&C, Spider-Man2, Wolverine etc etc.
However Xbox Exclusives are available on virtually 'every' platform except Playstation. Its not limited to the 10/12m Console only gamers but practically every gamer has a device already that Game Pass exists as everyone has a Mobile and a LOT have access to a PC - even if its not a 'gaming' rig, you can stream to it.
A PS gamer with a mobile could play an Xbox Exclusive for just £1 a month, use their PS controller on their 'Android/iOS' phone none of which are 'MS' owned devices so YES it is about Reaching more gamers instead of letting that one Company dictate what games and where people can play. The ONLY place Spider-Man (whether the game or character in MA) can be played is on a Playstation. The only place certain modes, certain maps, certain games, franchises etc can be played is on a Playstation- especially on Day1.
The 'bigger' picture here is that CoD won't be a 'lesser' game on PC/Xbox, having to wait a month for DLC, missing out on game modes etc etc ANYMORE. I know Xbox did the same during the 360 era but with Sony constantly buying up 'exclusivity' and keeping 'games', content etc only for those with Playstation hardware, then this is 'better' for the vast majority. Just because you may not 'want' to play games on Mobile/Tablet/PC or an Xbox branded console, doesn't mean that you are being 'left' out - you probably already have the 'hardware' to play and their are 'options' ranging from 'very cheap' to very expensive too. The fact that someone can play all those games for as little as £1 a month means that they have far greater reach because they are on 'Xbox Cloud' adds a LOT more people than losing a few butt hurt Sony Fanboys who refuse to play where the games ARE.
Cloud Gaming can reach EVERY gamer, regardless. Sony's next-gen games are limited to the PS5 sales. Game Pass 'could' come to PS5 too because it has 'everything' needed but its Sony themselves stopping their 'gamers' from signing up and playing them - not MS. You only have '1' choice with Sony and that's their Platform. With Xbox, you have multiple choices, multiple ways to play, multiple choices on controller input (you can use Nintendo or Playstation controllers on PC/Mobiles) and to suit a wide variety of budgets. Can't afford a PS5/Series X, well you can pick up a cheap Series S (£21 a month All Access), cheap laptop/tablet or use your phone. Cloud can 'reach' EVERY gamer as every gamer has a Mobile and/or access to a PC
The 'bigger' picture is that EVERY gamer can play these games so the 'reach' is significantly improved.They may lose a 'few' million PS gamers who refuse to use any other platform, but gain 'millions' more thanks to Cloud gaming, the Mobile/Tablet/weak hardware (inc last gen Xbox consoles or cheap laptops/old PC's) that these developers would 'never' release on because the Hardware isn't capable enough to run it. Lose 10m PS gamers but gain 20m overall because so many more can play....
Can we take a moment to remember how ace the MegaDrive/Genesis Pitfall was?
Oh no what will playstation do now 😂😂 apart from cod if it does stay exclusive who cares ,Sony make the best games in the industry,I see Sammy was straight on this 😂
Ι was hoping for The Colonel's Bequest ray treacing remake, damn it!
NOOOOOOO!!!!! What will I DO WITH MYSELF IF I CAN"T PLAY THE NEW TRUE CRIME AND GUN??
Out of all of those Solider of Fortune has to e the biggest blow... Wait a second.
If Microsoft was willing to spend $70 billion on this. Think of how much they will be willing to spend on other studios and companies with actual useful IPs and games. The suits and investors of other companies are probably now opening up to the idea of selling. Zenimax is probably upset that they only managed to get $7 billion.
Even if Sony attempted to buy a major company. These companies will now probably be asking for more money than they are worth, and they will probably be calling up M$; and will be asking for a couple billion more than what Sony could ever afford.
@themightyant i dont know how often youve played cod in the last few years but that entire franchise is a mictransaction lol
@themightyant thank god i bought my ps5 for the exzclusives
Sony has thrown money at so many companies over the years to keep games off other consoles. You reap what you sow Sony, you started this whole anti-consumer trend.
If this brings WoW to the console ecosystem it would be HUGE, indeed!
@doctorhino Not great with the gaming history are ya doctor. I bet you also think Sony championed anti cross play too.
Whilst I really enjoyed DJ hero that franchise has been dead for a while & I don't think they'll ever make another one anyway
I only like two or three so no biggie.
@alexbolton2 I doubt they'd buy EA or take 2 , capcom or sega is a possibility though
@doctorhino Microsoft did it with tomb raider , dead rising & GTA 4 ... Selective memory ?
@mucc big percentage of the 10000 people who don’t have to be bothered with COD anymore and Toys For Bob of course.
The only franchise that interests me with xbox is Halo. With this acquisition the only game on the list that I dabble in is Call of Duty. Both first person shooters. Definitely not enough to make me switch from PlayStation and there huge catalogue of quality AAA games and franchises.
Great, now I have to buy a Series X for the majesty that is Pitfall. This series alone is worth 68 billion dollars.
Haha, DJ hero and Guitar hero are they even still in existence,
Why are all of blizzards pc only game on the list heroes, hearthstone and wow arent ps4 nor ps5 games
I wonder what sonys response to this situation will be, possibly give us their new ps plus idea earlier than first tought ?
Why this matters: EVERY YEAR: Call of Duty is #1 or #2 Selling game. 2021 Top PS5 game #2 was Call of Duty. And you better believe Microsoft isn’t going to spend $70 Billion NOT to make the next Call of Duty release exclusive!
@doctorhino You must be pretty young - Console EXCLUSIVES has been a thing since day one of gaming. Sony didn’t start that trend lol. Do you really think Nintendo would be as big as it is now if their Mario/etc would play on all systems lol
@LimitedPower @edwardex @MidnightDragonDX Thankfully Microsoft seems to have a friendly partnership with Switch still, so we might get Switch ports at least for any newer Crash/Spyro games.
Even though I would prefer to play newer Spyro and Crash games on PlayStation...
@ScottyG Well that is true, it may be the case that I have checked it out while there isn't a great deal that interests me. I'll keep that in mind and check back in on it every few months or so. I've been asking myself if game pass magically appeared on PlayStation tomorrow would I subscribe and yeah to be honest I probably would. I think it's the thought of spending another £250 - £450 for an XSS or XSX that makes it less appealing at the moment. So for me to suggest it isn't a good service is probably a bit harsh.
So many of these have been dead so long it seems weird to list them.
It's like saying if you don't buy a Switch you could be missing out on F-Zero, Geist, Chibi Robo, Kururin, Doshin the Giant, Sin & Punishment.
Or more on topic maybe, if you don't buy a Sony console you'll be missing out on Patapon, Loco Roco, Jak and Daxter, Vib Ribbon, Ape Escape, WipEout (ok maaaybe that one?).
Maybe Xbox will bring some back. I doubt it though. Honestly I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they auctioned some off.
only overwatch and protoype for me on there and theres been no protoype for over 10 yrs so not a loss at all.
I still say this is completely unfair and unjust. How does buying up two major publishers of over 20 developers in less than one year compare to the odd timed exclusive Sony gets?
If Xbox fanboys don't see Microsoft as being anti-consumer and anti-competitive here by locking out two other major platforms when they (Xbox) would have gotten these games anyway is nothing more than a hypocrite. How are MS the good guys here? It's not inclusion as Phil says, it's exclusion. It's not pro-consumer it's anti-consumer. Yet MS gets a free pass while PS get called the worst company ever for timed exclusivity?
Forcing people into a subscription future is pro-consumer?
Am I just crazy here or what? When and if Sony gets another timed exclusive, or even unlikely a publisher, guess what will happen? The internet will foam at the mouth because.. Sony.
So theyve basically paid 70 billion for cod...🤔hey if you can't make great games ,just buy them eh ,im not a fan of Phil spencer, can't stand his stupid smug face, but hey I get to play cod for the first time in years on game pass for nowt,to be honest I'm more excited about sonys response ,I know they've said they don't need acquisitions but maybe its time for them to put there hands in there pockets,buy all Konamis dead ips and lock down final fantasy forever.
@Would_you_kindly ultimately it will come down to if anybody wants to be acquired.
@KidBoruto This is true! Plus titles like Cuphead have eventually made it over to PS4 so there’s hope!
Not really sure why World of Warcraft is on the list, it's never been a console game and wouldn't port well to consoles either.
@Alduin Play it on PC, I love Diablo but it's awful on consoles.
@LimitedPower Yeah! I'm trying my best to be hopeful about Spyro and Crash still hopping over to PlayStation consoles.
Never played any of them before and probably won’t in the future. And I haven’t brought a cod since mw2. So yeah..face…bothered…
Personally, I don't give a sheight - I played 5 minutes of the first Diablo when it first came out on PC, was never fussed on Crash and haven't played CoD since World at War. Never played any of the others and never intended to.
However, Sony isn't solely relying on me for business, and there's a lot of games there that are beloved by a lot of Sony gamers, so I can understand the panic.
Regardless, I genuinely don't think anything can hold a candle to Sony's exclusives, except some of Nintendo's more carefully crafted titles.
Almost everything listed is stale or games like Hearthstone are not for consoles + gamepads.
@Ralizah I already sold my PS5 because of it. And Hexen too? Tragic!
Gamepass is cheap enough I just bought the Razer Kishi and play cloud versions on my phone for any MS exclusive or anything that's not in my PS library.
Granted I'm lucky enough to live in a Google fiber area...
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