Comments 375

Re: Feature: Why Would Sony Want to Buy Kadokawa?

LogicStrikesAgain

As if any company needs to have reasons to buy another company.

Like any other company, they want to grow, diversify their portfolio with valuable IPs, own more IP, whether in anime or gaming. It can also be a defense strategy, because of some competitors aggressively buying up important IPs.

End of the day, Microsoft has shown, that any company, if they get past regulatory bodies like the FTC, and can clearly argue they are not harming competition, can buy whatever they want.

People sometimes act like these businesses need some kind of moral reason to acuiqre or sell. If Sony wants to buy and Kadokawa wants to sell, thats fine by me. Im actually excited by the prospect of an Elden Ring 2, but with the production levels of a company like Sony. Im sure they will leave FromSoftware alone to cook.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@__jamiie Ok, well i can agree with that.
However the ActiBlizz deal was such an unprecented and massive deal that isnt really comparable to this. Smaller companies get bought all the time by bigger companies, it happens in every industry. Sometimes it even benefits both companies and the industry. Comparing this with the ActiBlizz deal and saying both are on the same level of consolidation is a bit of a reach. Not saying you are saying that btw. Just saying some people who argued that the ActiBlizz deal was bad, might not see this as such.

For the record, even though i seem to be a staunch defender of Sony. I wasn’t against the ActiBlizz deal. I think Microsoft was in their right to purchase them. They are a business and fully entitled to make such moves. Now whether i think they deserved it is a whole other point.

Now Sony doesnt have that kind of money and will probably not be able to make comparable moves. So i understand Sony if they need to make defensive strategies to maintain their position and not be left behind.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@__jamiie Consolidation isn't great. But happens in every industry. Especially in bloated ones, like the gaming industry. But Microsoft started setting the tone by aggressively acquiring major publishers and spending amounts of money never before seem in this industry. And in any industry for that matter.

Its only natural that Microsofts competitors will need to take notice and possibly make moves of their own.

Not necessarily with the aim to further consolidate, but to maintain their competitive edge, especially as they see giant companies being able to outspend them.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@KundaliniRising333 While i totally agree with the safe bets and sequel arguments. I also have to acknowledge the fact that original games are very risky. Push Square actually published an article about this recently. About smaller original games not seeming to sell very well.

Japan studios for example, while i agree Sony should have more games like those in their repertoire. I cant ignore the fact that those games apparently didn't do very well commercially.

Dont get me wrong, im not saying i dont want more original games as well. I actually do. But i get that its definitely a hard choice to make and they need to make some of these safe bets. Especially in an industry where most people play just a few key games, like GTA, CoD and Fortnite.

Remember, Concord is an original title.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@Shinnok789 Sony closed studios that weren't performing and losing money. I get that it affects many people, but from the perspective of a business, how is that not a justified decision to make?

They also have a good track record with letting studios do their thing, even with studios they closed. Im pretty sure, if this deal goes through, they are just gonna let FromSoftware cook.

Regarding your GAAS argument, i think Sony thinks they need a successful live service. With a successful title they can fund their other games, especially since its now clear that profit margins are small, because of high development costs. They see almost all other publisher have a succesfull live service title, and while i dont agree, i can understand their reasoning of trying to make one themselves.

Your last point i agree with, i hate this ‘show, dont tell’ strategy of them. Just let us see the roadmap.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@Friendly Btw, i do understand peoples position on consolidation. Im not for consolidation per se. But unfortunately this is how capitalism works.

Microsoft has made one of the biggest purchases ever, in any field, in and outside of the gaming industry. They have set the tone with its aggressive acquisitions. They've shown they're willing to spend vast amounts to control major publishers. It set a precedent.

Tencent is continually buying studios here and there. Im sure there are other companies talking to acquire publishers as we speak. Not just Sony. So regardless on being against consolidation, its gonna happen.

And if Sony doesn't safeguard their position, they might risk other giant companies swooping in and thereby losing control over valuable IPs.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@Friendly The statement consolidation is bad might be true, but it cant exist in a vacuum. Context matters.

Ofcourse people are going to mention Microsoft in this discussion. Sonys competitor just bought 2 of the biggest publishers in the world and spend $80 billion, an amount almost unheard of, in any type of business. And they’re stating they will continue their acquisitions. Or are you implying that Microsoft can do it? And Sony cant? These are still competing businesses. Such moves cannot be ignored by Sony, if they want to keep up.

And also, you seem to have missed all my arguments as to why consolidation will happen in the gaming space, it has grown out of proportion. Gaming will be consolidated one way or another, whether Sony gets a piece of the pie or not. I’d just rather they also make some key acquisitions themselves. Before some important IPs get snatched up.

Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Maker Kadokawa Corp

LogicStrikesAgain

@Friendly I definitely agree, gaming has become too big. Lots of publishers are struggling. The market is flooded with games. People cant buy that many anymore. Development costs are too high. Any game that doesnt sell well can get a studio in the red instantly.

Gaming has grown too big and consolidation is gonna happen. I think this acquisition is a great fit for both parties. Sony as a company would be wise to make key acquisitions to keep staying competitive. You cant let the competition just buy up everything.

At this moment there might be multiple companies in talks with several studios or publisher to acquire them. Instead of Capcom going to Amazon or Microsoft, or CDPr going to Tencent, or whatever. Id rather have Sony make some key moves here before important IPs get snatched up. Gaming will move to streaming in the future. And IP will be king.

And with Microsoft spending $80 billion on publishers and studios, and also stating they are not done with acquisition, Sony can probably do whatever they want for while without people complaining about consolidation.

Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade

LogicStrikesAgain

Perspective Bias at play here. Its like saying the Iphone 16 only has incremental improvement over the Iphone 15, therefore its not worth it. Well, it might not be a big upgrade coming from an Iphone 15, But it would be a significant upgrade if u’re coming from an Iphone 12 or older.

Similarly, to some, the upgrade from a base PS5 to a Pro might not be worth it to them. But that doesnt mean the whole console is not worth it. Whether its worth upgrading is an individual assessment.

People in the PC space have had the choice to buy a whole range of GPUs and components for ages. We only have 2 options in the console space and people are already calling it uneccesary.

Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade

LogicStrikesAgain

Also, there seems to be a perspective bias here. People seem to view this console from the point of view of an upgrade from the base PS5 only.

There are tens of millions of people still playing on a base PS4 or older, who might want to upgrade. The leap to PS5 Pro would be a significant jump in graphics and performance for them. Not even factoring in people who are first time buyers.

End of the day, multiple options give people the flexibility to choose whats right for them.

Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade

LogicStrikesAgain

Some people just want to play on higher settings with better framerates. And also have a machine that is atleast a bit future proof. People acting like this machine’s purpose is only to play previously released games. What about the next 4 years of this generation?

I didn't even get a Pro, but i don't understand all the hate. Almost every tech product has multiple tiers that are more expensive and slightly better.

It gives double the framerate with higher graphical settings in some games. That doesn't seem like a small upgrade. If those are small upgrades, i’d advice those people, dont check out the PC space. People there spend much more for arguably incremental improvements.

Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade

LogicStrikesAgain

@nessisonett The generation isn't over yet, plenty of games will come out and fully utilize your base PS5, don't worry. The Ps4 Pro didn't spell the end for PS4 games. Games kept coming and they didn't skimp on the development of the base version.

Even in the current generation, games still came out that fully utilized the base PS4, games like Forbidden West that were beautiful on the base PS4.

I don't get the statement ‘Sony hasn't done enough for some people to justify the console or upgrade.’

Sony doesn’t know where people are upgrading from. To some who’ve upgraded from a PS4 might see a larger difference than someone upgrading from a PS5. Some people come from even older consoles or are first time buyers. Sony just makes the consoles. The justification if its worth it, is different for everyone and based on individual circumstances.

Re: Six Months After Closing Tango Gameworks, Xbox 'In the Market' for Asian Studios

LogicStrikesAgain

@PuppetMaster You make good points,,

However im not saying its a weak move to focus on first party. I said its a weak move if other companies are snatching up these valuable IPs and Sony just let it happen without trying to acquire some themselves.

Let me clarify something, im not saying they should stop making great first party games. Ofcourse they should always focus on first party and keep creating quality games. Im just saying, better acquire some of these publishers for their IP’s, before some other company does.

Imagine someone else acquiring Capcom, FromSoftware or Take Two. I mean, Sony has some good IP’s, but not nearly on the level of something like GTA.

About Nintendo, they’re the biggest brand in gaming. Mario is the biggest IP ever. And they have several more. Sony has nothing compared to it. So yeah, that actually fits my argument about them needing to acquire some of those high profile high selling IPs.

Re: Six Months After Closing Tango Gameworks, Xbox 'In the Market' for Asian Studios

LogicStrikesAgain

@PuppetMaster I get what you’re saying, but those were questionable acquisitions, to say the least. Im talking Capcom, FromSoftware, CDPR, Square Enix, Take Two. Publishers who actually possess a large pool of successful IP’s.

The gaming landscape has changed. Microsoft has set a precedent by buying two of the biggest publishers in the world. And more importantly, now owns some of the biggest IP’s in the industry. Now other companies are paying attention. Gaming is gonna get consolidated, whether we like it or not. If Sony doesn't make strategic acquisition on some of those publishers, some other company eventually will. Relying on Team Asobi or other first party studios, while others buy the biggest IPs in existence like GTA for example would in my opinion be a weak move.

Im not necessarily for consolidation, but Microsoft has opened the gates. If Sony doesn't atleast make a few key acquisitions and obtain some of those high selling and high profile IP’s, they might be left behind.

Parts of it is just speculation though, but this is just my take on the situation.

Edit: I 100% support the idea of Team Asobi growing their studio and making 2 games at the same time! 😃

Re: Six Months After Closing Tango Gameworks, Xbox 'In the Market' for Asian Studios

LogicStrikesAgain

@cburg “ Sony wants to destroy their competition at any cost, and that includes Nintendo”

Are you really that naive? You don't think Xbox, or any company for that matter is there to outcompete their competitors? Have you even read some of the emails from the Actiblizz trial, where Msft openly talks about buying Nintendo, or that they have the money to effectively outspend Sony so that they aren't able to compete any longer.

Re: Six Months After Closing Tango Gameworks, Xbox 'In the Market' for Asian Studios

LogicStrikesAgain

@cburg Sony “moneyhatting” a game is not the same as Msft buying a publisher. When Sony makes a deal with a studio or publishers, they are only securing 1 game for their platform. They dont take away the possibility for Microsoft to also make deals with them. They are free to also make exclusivity deals with studios, same as their strategy was in the 360 era.

The difference is, when you buy up the whole publisher. No one will have the possibility to make deals ever again. Cause they are now off the market, leaving no room for competition in terms of having the ability to make deals with the studio. Thats the difference.

Re: Six Months After Closing Tango Gameworks, Xbox 'In the Market' for Asian Studios

LogicStrikesAgain

@cburg Playstation revolutionized gaming with the PS1, introducing CD based games. The PS2 is the best selling console of all time. They are one of the biggest global gaming brands in the world, with massive cultural influence. Market leader for multiple generations. They’ve created some of the most popular and best selling consoles. And every console generation, they have been synonymous with high quality and critically acclaimed games.

So yes, they have undeniably earned their space in gaming. Are you really arguing that they havent?

Re: Sounds Like Microsoft Isn't Done with Gaming Acquisitions Just Yet

LogicStrikesAgain

@twitchtvpat I’d like to see them do both. I think Sony should really acknowledge the fact that, if they don't make moves, other companies might make it for them. Making acquisitions i think is needed, for them to maintain competitive advantage. Hate to see Sony be left behind in the gaming space, just because they don’t have the same purchasing power as other companies.

Re: Sounds Like Microsoft Isn't Done with Gaming Acquisitions Just Yet

LogicStrikesAgain

I’d rather Sony make some acquisitions. I see them as the underdog here, not Microsoft. Atleast Sony earned their way in the gaming space by delivering great quality games through the decades. Microsoft has been struggling for longer than a decade now to create really compelling games.

Yeah sure, let the trillion dollar company who cant create games buy up everything. They already bought two of the biggest 3rd party publishers in the world.

We all know Sony isn't able to do the same on that scale. Are we really going to let Microsoft just buy up everything? Yuck!

Re: Play Has No Limits in Sony's Latest Live-Action PS5 Ad

LogicStrikesAgain

Seeing some Playstation characters like Ratchet and Astro running and jumping alongside the people would be fun. Or like Kratos calmly drinking a cup of tea at a cafe, as people run by in a frenzy, might be a funny juxtaposition. So many things u can do with iconic PS characters, use them.

Re: Hands On: PS5 Pro Injects More Magic into Hogwarts Legacy

LogicStrikesAgain

@NEStalgia Thats not entirely true though. There are plenty channels who make detailed videos benchmarking a single card on a game by game basis. For example an RTx4090 running Cyberpunk. Some of these channels have 100s of thousands of subscribers. Meaning there are PC people who are interested in seeing how these cards perform with individual games.

This particular focus on older games running on Pro will probably be only temporary though. I mean really, why would anyone get upset for a momentary focus on the Pro. Its not like a new console gets released every day. Or every year even.

Re: Hands On: PS5 Pro Injects More Magic into Hogwarts Legacy

LogicStrikesAgain

@NEStalgia Push square still creates articles on all other news topics. Actually, of the 17 articles created today, only 3 were about the Pro.

But as you may have read by now, there is a lot of interest from people to know exactly what features the devs used to upgrade these games, whether its resolution, fps, the use of PSSR or a combination of all.

And since you mention PC, you are aware that PC sites and channels also benchmark hardware with many games, to properly explain to those interested how a particular hardware affects a game.

By the way, if you ever find that RTx4070 laptop. Im sure others would like to see the link, as some might find it an interesting alternative to the PS5 Pro. 😃

Re: PlayStation Has Swiftly Solved Its Profitability Problem

LogicStrikesAgain

Yes, youre right! They lower their prices, usually at the start of a console generation, to quickly build up a userbase. They can lower their prices, because they expect to sell in large volumes, often around 100 million units, based on previous generations. And they expect to make up for losses with the sale of software.

But with the PS5 Pro they went with a different strategy. They didnt lower their prices. Im guessing after having done the market research they concluded that the Ps5 Pro, will not sell in large volumes, similar to the PS4 Pro. So after crunching the numbers, a loss leader strategy probably didn't make sense for them in this case.

Here’s a quote from the CFO talking about the PS5 Pro: “It is a high-end product targeted at core customers, so we haven’t been eyeing a large sales plan to begin with”

Re: PlayStation Has Swiftly Solved Its Profitability Problem

LogicStrikesAgain

@PorkChopExpress Im betting they will subsidize the cost of the PS6 again. They need it to quickly build up a userbase. But i do expect it to be higher than previous generations. Maybe around $599 or $649? If they set the price too high and they dont subsidize next gen, they will shoot themselves in the foot.

Re: PlayStation Has Swiftly Solved Its Profitability Problem

LogicStrikesAgain

@KoopaTheGamer I actually think inflation didnt really catch up to consoles the last few generations, compared to other consumer electronics, so its catching up now.
Also this is the first console they didnt really subsidize, probably cause they didn't think it would sell well, having experience with the Ps4 pro and being a niche product and all.

When companies dont subsidize their products, you get the real price, ofcourse with a bit of profit on top. Thats usually how products get sold. People are too accustomed to subsidized console pricing.