I also really liked Playful and the SLT ip, but it seems like they were moving on to try to do an arena thing and there don’t look like there have be any updates to their blogs for about a year or so now so not really sure if they still are doing much, or as another person said, have many of the employees any more. It’s too bad because that game, especially with the remade version, was pretty good. I’d have loved to see them more successful.
We definitely will. There is already a Doom mobile game and games like Sea of thieves are prepped for mobile. they also have Sega that has been releasing a bunch of mobile games and recently released a sonic game for Apple arcade. I would imagine there will be a gamepass for Mobile just like apple Arcade
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Love Sonic but I think Microsoft can redesign their platform characters to have that Sonic like look and with better stories and gameplay. my avatar for example is a redesign of Blinx the time sweeper. I just think they could go for their own mascot rather than wait for Sonic.
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boy I sure hope MS is scooping up all of those laid off embracer devs
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They do have a lot to work with now post ABK, Im just not sure any of them are well known enough (maybe Crash).
I’d argue Sonic is nearly at the same level as Mario (even if the games haven’t been for a while). To draw in families it would be a huge starting point, especially if they did Sonic/Crash/Spyro crossovers.
Im just holding out for a CD/Eidos announcement, surely MS can negotiate that.
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Sonic is definitely up there but I doubt the franchise is anywhere close in proximity to Mario and not just in game terms as the movies have clearly now shown. Also, I was surprised just how unpopular Sonic was in Japan. I also think the Spyro and Crash bandicoot games have sold better than the Sonic games. However, I do think currently Sonic has more potential than all this which is why I think a redesign of some of these franchises could go a long way even if they have to borrow the art style. Even if they get Sega, I still think the ABK/XGS platformers need to be redesigned. Ori for example was an amazing game and in my opinion one if not the best Metroid Vania game. I would have loved to see a Metroid Vania Sonic game. If Moon studios didn’t have all that toxic mess they would have been a great get to work on some of this IPs.
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Considering how bad his games have been, it’s actually shows how strong he is as a mascot that he’s been able to endure for the last 30 years
Sonic is as recognisable as Mario as an IP and seems to be popular no matter what gets released, if SEGA were managing the IP better and releasing quality games it would be a massive
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It’s interesting they are bringing this up as either :
- a) they had recent interest.
- b) its reverse psychology and they want to sell.
- c) they are in negotiations to sell
CDPR is subsidized heavily by their country, seems as if they already have a pretty significant cash cow idc
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Ya CDPR isn’t a company in need of an acquisition. They are the largest entertainment tech company in Poland. They receive grants from the govn’t and are heavily promoted in pushing the domestic gaming tech and development forward.
When a company says they have no interest on being acquired that means little to me. Only way i would rule a company out is if they have a bad relation with Microsoft like moon studios… otherwise money talks.
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I don’t expect CDPR to be acquired but CEO comments mean diddly squat
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We’ve seen this before game studio says they aren’t selling examples Bluepoint or Bungie and then next you know Sony buys them.
So it is very possible this is just a distraction during meetings so no deal falls apart and it is also very possible CDPR really don’t want to sell.
I personally think it would be cool to see them under Microsoft, maybe even let them work with Blizzard’s IP’s like Warcraft or Starcraft and see what new ideas CDPR could bring to the world.
Even if they just want to work on their own IP’s and I see that being the case, having a company to fully have their back, so they can fully realize their ambitions would be beneficial.
Bethesda was and is known for RPGs, yet even they needed Zenimax to invest in other companies, be it id or Arkane you name it, so worst case scenario a game flopped it didn’t destroy the company.
So with rising prices it is in theory possible that CDPR knows they need help, wants to diversify their portfolio or just wants to try something different and not be destroyed because of it.
Look at Obsidian as an example of what I mean they are known for RPGs, yet put out Grounded which is a completely different genre than they are used to and only time will tell if what was said about CDPR not selling is true or not.
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I believe it’s more the other way around. A44, Ebb (scorn), sloclap (sifu) and others co owned Kepler, but were not wholly owned subsidiaries of Kepler in turn. As far as I can tell, the Kepler idea is that when you “join” Kepler, they get a partial stake in you, and you get a partial stake in them.
The GI biz interview from 2021 talks about the arrangement.
At some point a minority stake was bought by Netease. It’s not impossible a44 did fully sell to the publisher but it’s not listed on a44’s website and the Kepler interactive site just lists all of them and doesn’t clarify if any are more owned than others.
Jason Schrier Posted his prediction in gaming for 2024 and the interesting tidbit about MS/XBOX
Consolidation will return
With interest rates set to drop and regulatory concerns less prevalent after the Microsoft-Activision deal closed in the fall, game companies are going to return to merging and acquiring. Potential buyers include Saudi Arabia and several US tech giants: Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Apple Inc. (Microsoft Corp. will stick with smaller moves rather than risk another drawn-out battle with regulators.) Potential sellers include Ubisoft Entertainment SA and Electronic Arts Inc. as well as a handful of mid-sized game companies, such as Borderlands- developer Gearbox Entertainment, which is on the market following the implosion of parent company Embracer Group AB.
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So expect a massive Xbox acquisition.
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no big publishers, more mid tier or down or even single studio acquisition
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Yeah I think it will be mobile push and studios that can be mixed into Xbox Game Studios or Bethesda. I think next year maybe they will push for another publisher.
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I’m only liking this because of the absolutely absurd notion that people pay someone like this to write things you all have predicted accurately years before….
I don’t think a big publisher is next because of the heightened focus on MS by at least a few regulators, and I imagine the ABK onboarding will take a wee bit of time/energy that a large purchase could hinder.
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New year, same list!
- Crystal Dynamics
- Eidos Montreal
- IOI
- Remedy
- Asobo
Do it Xbox, before someone like Amazon swoops in again!! I really feel Xbox needs to fill in this genre for good, then they can’t only be considered the RPG or FPS ‘box’.
For the family angle:
- Playtonic
- Playful
- Thunderful
For mobile:
- Moon Active
- Playrix
For the unrealistic list (in 2024):
- SEGA
- Focus Home
- Roblox
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