Do you think Amazon, Apple and Google are interested in buying game publishers and developers?

[Conor]

Both Amazon and Google have now launched their own game streaming platforms, but both are lacking in terms of content. Apple is also rumoured to be working on a game streaming service and will likely suffer from the same content problems.

Will they try and succeed with just improved 3rd party support or do you think they try and buy talent and publishers to make themselves competitive?

Obviously massive industry consolidation isn't something we want to move towards, but it looks like a possibility at least. In the event that they do start making moves to buy major studios and publishers would you rather they get some of them or would you prefer the traditional gaming companies, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo step in and buy them?

 

[Xando]

Yes

do you think they try and buy talent and publishers to make themselves competitive?

Click to shrink...

Also yes

 

[sredgrin]

Amazon already has a few developers they own, so yes.

I don't think Apple will, they have a largely captive audience and their platform requires certain sensibilites in design that are already designing around them and in no small number delivering exclusive games just because the dev doesn't wanna bother with android.

Google, it'll be a tossup. I think they will just do what they've already done and try to get smaller scale exclusives for now.

Amazon at least seems to be willing to release games traditionally (new World, its Twitch promotions) so if anyone does buy them I'd probably prefer them over Google at least.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

I think there's a keen interest to make a big move into the games industry at Amazon. There's definitely some interest at Google, but I can't help but wonder if it's waning because of their challenges with Stadia.

Apple seems to only care about diversifying their services—Apple Arcade is interesting and even pretty good, but it doesn't feel competitive to me. That is to say, it's cool for what it is, but it doesn't strike me as a service that's poised to compete with anything but mobile F2P games and lure those kinds of customers to Apple services instead. It doesn't feel intended to compete with the traditional, dedicated gaming platforms.

 

[Kieli]

Amazon? Yes, I think they'll continue to make acquisitions here and there. They run a ruthless operation and if they want to succeed in a sector, they will succeed. BUT, they're going to quickly realize their data-driven methodology won't work for games. I don't know how they run their video media and video streaming ship, but they should probably apply the same sauce to their gaming branch too.

Google? Those clowns have no clue what the fuck they're doing. Too busy twisting their hard nipples at all the adsense dollars they get to actually do anything competent with the "Leetcode gods" they hire.

Apple? I don't think Apple cares about gaming. They're happy to accept a cut of revenue from gaming, but I don't think they want to actually make the games.

 

[Tomo815]

Yes of course. They need exclusive content and have more money than god.

 

[Cantaim]

Apple is a no go I don't think they have any interest in getting game devs. They'll snatch up software devs and companies that make other apps when they feel like it.

Amazon and Google are 100% interested and have even got a few studios under their belt (remember Double Helix). Only question is if they'll get the go ahead to spend big bucks to buy a big publisher or whatever's left of the 3rd party independent studio scene. There's lots of amazing indie studios out there but I think they are both looking for studios with a AAA background. Though good luck with that as a quick glance at all the people looking to buy something like that makes me believe it's a sellers market.

 

[LilScooby77]

They'll try and continue to fail. Pubs wouldn't want to sell to them if they know it'll kill their business.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

Amazon absolutely does as they seem to be basing their service and Amazon Prime's tv offerings. They will need their own suite of developers making creative products for Luna to be a success.

Apple and Google, doesn't really look like it right now.

 

[Fliesen]

I don't think Apple wants to make a game streaming service.

They have Apple Arcade, which is basically GamePass but on iOS, which will probably see a larger rate of adoption after being bundled as a part of AppleOne.

I don't think they strive for anything higher than that, right now.

 

[Scottoest]

I mean... yeah. The question is how ambitious that interest is.

Is it "buy Zenimax for $7.5 billion dollars" interest, or is it "acqui-hired the tiny studio that made Journey to the Savage Planet" interest?

I think Amazon will be more ambitious than Google - and indeed they kinda already are. At this point I'm not convinced Stadia even exists in a year, unless this is the long quiet before some significant activity from Google.

Apple doesn't care.

 

[Grunty]

Yes. Amazon was one one of the first to acquire a studio back in early 2014 when they purchased Killer Instinct developer Double Helix Games. Now they're getting more serious about gaming, so no doubt they're probably in the talks with other devs/pubs already.

 

[Bigjig]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Apple, Amazon and Google will find it way harder to make quality first party games by writing cheques. Money alone isn't going to give you Nintendo quality, that takes decades to build up. The question is, are they willing to stick it out? Google already seems on its last legs lol

 

[VAD]

Amazon is here to stay. Just look at how much they spent on Amazon Studios for their Prime Video service. They will try until they deliver a killer app.
Google will also invest but will give up eventually if you look at their history.
Given how they're investing in Apple TV+ and their upcoming packaged offer, Apple could do whatever, they seem as fine with making deals with 3rd parties (Apple Arcade) as with making their own stuff (ATV+). They are serious with gaming maybe they will eventually develop their own stuff maybe not, it seems to currently work for them as is.

 

[Litigator]

Out of the mega corporations Microsoft has a major leg up and competitive advantage. Google and Amazon don't have much of a foothold in video game industry whereas MS has had a presence they've been building for decades. So while they might be interested in getting their hands into the gaming money pie I'm not sure how they'd put themselves in a position to compete.

 

[Conor]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Apple, Amazon and Google will find it way harder to make quality first party games by writing cheques. Money alone isn't going to give you Nintendo quality, that takes decades to build up. The question is, are they willing to stick it out? Google already seems on its last legs lol

Click to shrink...

This is how I see it aswell. Amazon has already had a pretty disastrous start to Game Development since they started acquiring and building teams. I'm mainly just concerned that one of them gets the idea to spend big on a massive publisher and lock games to a streaming service.

 

[Deleted member 10629]

For some reason I don't see Apple buying game studios.

 

[Kitano]

I think so, games in general is a very future-focused industry unlike other markets that are faded to extinction.

Imagine 10-20 years from now how games will be. They will replace our reality.

 

[dude]

I'm pretty positive at least one publisher will be bought by one of these companies, even by the end of this year.
After MS made a move, and willing to buy even more - I think all the big players will want to strike fast.

For some reason I don't see Apple buying game studios.

Click to shrink...

Most of the big mobile publishers are bought already, so I can't think of anyone Apple would buy.

 

[Maple]

Apple? No.

Google and Amazon? Yes. Both have the money to buy out anyone they want.

Imagine how much things would change if Amazon next week announced they were acquiring Take-Two, and in December Google announced they were acquiring Activision.

The entire landscape of video games would change forever. Suddenly titles like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Call of Duty, etc, would become streaming exclusive games.

 

[score01]

They don't have a choice. If they want to secure content for their platforms before someone else snatches up that content they need to open their wallets.

 

[Conor]

Apple? No.

Google and Amazon? Yes. Both have the money to buy out anyone they want.

Imagine how much things would change if Amazon next week announced they were acquiring Take-Two, and in December Google announced they were acquiring Activision.

The entire landscape of video games would change forever. Suddenly titles like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Call of Duty, etc, would become streaming exclusive games.

Click to shrink...

I just physically shuddered.

 

[dude]

Apple? No.

Google and Amazon? Yes. Both have the money to buy out anyone they want.

Imagine how much things would change if Amazon next week announced they were acquiring Take-Two, and in December Google announced they were acquiring Activision.

The entire landscape of video games would change forever. Suddenly titles like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Call of Duty, etc, would become streaming exclusive games.

Click to shrink...

Even then I don't think they'll become streaming exclusive. They'll STREAM exclusively on the respective platform for sure, but at this point in time it would make no sense to not also sell the game IMO

 

[Windu]

I feel like Google and Amazon will have to if they want to create a competing subscription service. Maybe they just want to host stuff though idk.

Google kinda seems serious with their content plans. Have those studios headed up by that Ubisoft person and they recently bought Tequila Gameworks I think. Amazon has spent some money on a few studios but they seem to be managing it poorly. Apple? They don't seem too serious tbh.

None of them are really putting in the money needed for major content, but I'm sure one of them will at some point. Google would be my bet, probably go for a publisher. Maybe THQ Nordic or Ubisoft. Ubi seems very unlikely though but who knows.

 

[TJG662]

Yeahni do think they want to and have the money to as well. The problem is I don't think they understand the gaming business enough to make it worth while. I look at Sony and Microsoft as examples of companies getting in and going threw a few generations of learning and making thir products better. I feel the big three wouldn't ever put that level of effort in. I didn't reference nintendo because I think they had a different path by coming in and saving the industry when it was dead in many parts of the world

 

[Deleted member 34788]

Google already fucked up so no, stadia is a dead service walking and they are all over the place with the service and the complete lack of attention paid to it from google and games market alike is all we need to know about it's long term fortunes.

Its following the exact pump and dump cycle google many other products have. Maybe they'll pick up a dev or 2 but I expect them to fold stadia soon enough. Barely anyone gives a fuck about it.

Apple, nah, it's a curiosity at best for them and a bonus how big the game scene is on the App Store. They are much more interested in the tv side of things.

Amazon, I would say yes but the game side of the ops are struggling. They have to sort out the production issues and actually release games on time and without delays.

Does not help the prime video side of things are knocking out hits and funding big ass projects. Luna will be a slow, steady decent enough service but nothing earth shattering.

The real dark horse is Facebook. The oculus side is headed up by some very good talent and industry veterans and both the software and hardware have been top tier so far.

 

[formasymphonic]

Absolutely. They want in and its clear at this point that there is no legitimate in against 3 multi-decade established providers (MS, Sony, Nintendo) without content.

The thing is they are still kind of hedging their bets on gaming, but once they decide to fully commit then the cheques are going to start getting written.

 

[Deleted member 36135]

Yes
Leverage capital to acquire more capital
Consume competition
Suffocate opposition
Resistance is futile

 

[Beastlove]

It is more likely Sony, Nintendo and MS will be the competition for streaming services. It really wouldn't be difficult for Sony or Nintendo to use Amazon/MS infrastructure to deliver an online streaming service. Probably easier for them to get into streaming than Google or Amazon to get into games

 

[Kraq]

Yes, and I suspect that's in part why Microsoft bought Bethesda when it did. Allowing Amazon for example to have exclusive rights to TES, Fallout, Doom and the rest and for them to put those games on Luna would have been a mighty blow.

Already Facebook has snapped up Sanzaru and Ready at Dawn for Oculus. It's reasonable to expect the others are shopping around for an easier way to break into gaming by acquiring established developers and publishers.

 

[808s & Villainy]

Not as much as people here seem to think so. At least not the massive publishers

 

[Bigjig]

It is more likely Sony, Nintendo and MS will be the competition for streaming services. It really wouldn't be difficult for Sony or Nintendo to use Amazon/MS infrastructure to deliver an online streaming service. Probably easier for them to get into streaming than Google or Amazon to get into games

Click to shrink...

Yes, the big reason people discount Sony or Nintendo is because they dont have data centers. To me it's far easier to solve the infrastructure problem than it is to develop compelling exclusive content.

Netflix doesn't own its own data centers, it uses AWS, yet I don't see how that disadvantages it against Amazon Prime.

Sony has already partnered with MS to use Azure to grow PS Now. If push came to shove, Nintendo could easily just do the same

 

[Ploid 6.0]

Yes

Also yes

Click to shrink...

Google hiring Jade and Phil aren't a mistake. Companies buy developer teams, hire, or "poach" talent all the time. Remember Cliff Bleszinski raging when he thought Epic was stealing employees from Boss Key? Maybe they were but Cliff still lived close to Epic so who else would Epic likely hire than people already in a good distance from them?

 

[Deleted member 43]

Yes.

 

[IIFloodyII]

Don't think Apple will buy a publisher, they know they have the platform they'll all want in on, so don't know if they'll want a huge 1st party.

I'm surprised how unprepared Google seems to be 1st party wise, there's probably only 1 way they'll fix that and it's not organically building up their 1st party. Amazon seem more prepared (they've actually got studios who have released stuff), but they aren't really close to any of the big publishers, nevermind the platform holders, so they will probably get looking.

 

[Minthara]

It's not a question of "if". It's a question of "when".

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Of course.

Amazon in particular.

 

[GooberDooberCBC]

Do I think they are willing to buy publishers/studios? Yes. My hope is that if they are in it for the long haul to actually increase the industry potential by opening new studios, giving talented people jobs, and fund/support their developers.

 

[Devilgunman]

Amazon and Google, yes. Apple, no.

 

[fiendcode]

Amazon: yes
Apple: no
Google: maybe? sorta?

 

[THEVOID]

Amazon, yes if they gain traction and it business sense. No on Google and Apple.

 

[Deleted member 543]

Developers, yes. Publishers, no.

 

[Wallace Wells]

Apple - no, they don't need another antitrust suit filed against them

 

[TripleBee]

One of them will make a major acquisition - probably Amazon. something take 2 level - a game that they feel will pull millions to them instantly. Like GTA.

 

[Necron]

Out of those listed? Amazon is the one to watch out for...

Who knows what Google Stadia is even doing.

 

[OneBadMutha]

Yes and one or multiple of them will be successful buying publishers. Industry isn't ready for streaming to go mainstream today however 5 years from now the landscape will look very different. It will be viable even for gaming enthusiasts then. To buy a studio, fulfill previous obligations and build exclusive AAA games is a 4 to 5 year process on the low end. We're all seeing that today with Microsoft who started to get aggressive early 2018 and won't start reaping 90%+ of the results until 2022 and beyond. They need to start the process to acquire studios now to be positioned for 2025. They will. Gaming enthusiast, we should all get used to the idea that playing all the great games will mean engaging in multiple (more than 2) ecosystems in a few years.

 

[Pyro]

They're absolutely interested but I wonder if who they'd want to buy would be hesitant to sell because of a lack of faith in their buyer to really fight for a position.

 

[Tsuyu]

America tech monopolies should buy up Japanese platform holders like Nintendo and Sony.