Glitch: PlayStation and Xbox don’t know how to manage studios | TierraGamer: news and entertainment about anime, series, video games and technology

Since the announcement of Microsoft’s purchase of Activision, a constant discussion has emerged on the networks. Xbox and PlayStation fans are talking about what the company’s next purchase should be in order to counteract each other. Fans of PlayStation and Xbox say they should buy Square Enix, Sega, Capcom and so we find other increasingly crazy examples.

While on paper these sound like interesting and almost multi-million dollar ideas, in reality no one should want this to happen. Especially with the situation that both companies are going through right now regarding the studios they have bought.

Financially PlayStation and Xbox are not in a good position to buy new studios

Let’s first get the financial angle out of the way to talk about why buying studios is such a bad idea for PlayStation and Xbox right now. For one, Sony doesn’t have the capital to go around buying studios left and right. Not to mention that it already has enough to worry about with its current studios. Like other companies in the industry, they had to cancel several games and lay off many people.

Xbox has all of its daddy Microsoft’s portfolio at its disposal, but it is practically getting out of the Activision acquisition. It still has to prove that it was worth the millions. In fact, there are already reports that Microsoft wants to recoup that investment as soon as possible, which led to the increase in Xbox Game Pass prices and a new cross-platform strategy.

None of these companies are in such a healthy position to take on yet another study. First they should get a better handle on the ones they already have and then think about buying another one if they can.

PlayStation would only get more studios to make games as a service

Of course, having enough capital is not the only point that PlayStation and Xbox should consider before buying a studio. As we mentioned, the management of the companies that buy is crucial. Before opening their wallets, they should ask themselves if this is the right move and if they will really make the most of their strengths. However, time has already shown us that this is not what they do.

On the one hand, PlayStation’s recent purchases were to strengthen its catalog of games as a service. Something we’ve already seen that isn’t working. Just look at Concord, which is already dead and it hasn’t even come out yet. We can’t forget Bungie, which Jim Ryan once said was a more valuable purchase than Microsoft’s with Activision. Now even the studio itself believes that they overpaid for them.

Destiny 2 It was not the success they expected and its great expansion The Final Shape did not give the expected results. What was the result? More than 200 employees have been laid off and some rumors indicate that PlayStation is just waiting for them to release Marathon before closing them completely.

And not just with your purchases. Also, several of the studios that have given us single-player gems are now working around the clock on games as a service. Do we really want another studio under this frankly outdated Sony mission?

Xbox is only interested in expanding its Game Pass offering and not innovating

Now we move on to Xbox, which buys and buys but doesn’t really take advantage of its acquisitions. He had Rare as an ornament until he found success with Sea of ​​Thievesbut his next game, Everwild It is in limbo and may never even see the light of day.

Arkane, known for their unforgettable immersive simulators, put them to work Redfalla game-as-a-service that became one of the biggest disappointments of recent years. Also, they didn’t know how to manage Bethesda to give us the game of the generation with Starfield which turned out to be much ado about nothing.

We should also not forget what happened just now with Tango Gameworks. After the acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush It was one of the best Xbox exclusives in years and they decided to make it multiplatform and then close the studio shortly after. Activision is still waiting to see what happens, but we’re already a little worried about them. Black Ops 6 It looks good, but it was in development before the purchase. However, we may see a decline in quality in this series.

Unfortunately it seems that Xbox is more concerned with buying studios with beloved and famous IPs simply to strengthen its Game Pass catalogThey are not very interested in innovating and coming up with adventures that break the mold.

And we’re not done talking if we touch on the subject of first parties. Do you remember that Avowed It was announced in 2020 and is going to arrive until 2025 if it is not delayed further? Also Fable It was announced as a launch title for Series X and so far, nothing has come of it. Why do we really want more studios under the yoke of PlayStation and Xbox?

It really doesn’t benefit us gamers that PlayStation and Xbox buy more studios

We know that in the heat of the console war, many like to talk too much to make their company appear as the winner. But the reality is that PlayStation and Xbox buying studios shouldn’t be something we as gamers should be looking for. We have already given examples of how both of them do not know how to manage their studies, which led them to crises and questionable decisions. Why do we want companies that are already successful on their own under the leadership of either of them?

Part of the charm of video games is having multiple options for fun, and that gets lost when studios abandon their independence. Instead of sprawling RPGs, we’ll be getting games as a service. Or new installments of beloved series that might be cancelled simply because the higher-ups don’t think it makes financial sense.

Studio autonomy is a very important thing in the industry. This way they can experiment, make mistakes, have successes or failures, but all because of their decisions and not because of those of other companies that tell them what to do or what to work on. So think a little more the next time you want your favorite company to be bought by PlayStation and Xbox, because the reality is that the outcome could be a lot less happy than you imagine in your little head.

Also, what’s the real benefit to you? Are you a shareholder in any of these companies? Or are you just saying that because it might make PlayStation look stronger? Or because it will give you more ‘free’ games on Game Pass? Those priorities need to be checked.

Don’t forget to follow us on Google News. You can also go to our Discord to talk about games and other topics.