Which Game Companies Gets Bought Up Next?

They are all technically private companies. The fact that the SEC bases what is private or public based on some arbitrary numerical value is nonsensical.

This is a war between game distribution platforms. Microsoft needs as many big name developers as possible to make Game Pass service/XBox more competitive as a game distribution platform. When it comes to service like Xbox Game Pass, currently it really needs more competitive titles to compete with Steam/PS5/Nintendo. That's why M$ is buying big name developers like crazy so Steam/PS5/Nintendo don't take all the market share.

From player and small developer's point of view, I think the more choice in the market the better. Because that means major distribution platforms will probably give more incentives to small developers and customer to join them. It's really other distribution platforms like PS5 or Epic etc that's at a disadvantage.


Valve is (mostly) a game distributior with most of the market share on the PC platform, in other words, they never need to worry about money because they can set the rule however they want. SE is a developer, developers always worry about money regardless of their size, because developers can only follow distributior's game rules.

I don't think it's fair to compare them.

Buying up developers or competition doesn't create less competition. That has always been a fallacy. Nothing stops people from entering the market except the govt. But the day Blizzard games can only be found on Xbox console is the day I stop playing them and play alternatives. Most of the great Blizzard creators left that company a long time ago anyway.

Huh? Game distribution platforms buying developers means more competition between distributiors, which should be good for customers. Say if I want to play PC games 5 years ago, Steam was pretty much the only choice.

Now I can choose between Steam and Game Pass, and Game Pass cost like $1 in the first month. It's much cheaper if you play multiple games. It's cheap because Microsoft tries to get more market share, in the end that benefits players.

Like wise if I'm a PC developer, Steam used to be the only distributior on the PC market and developers has to eat that crazy high 30% Steam cut. If Steam has other competition like Game Pass that means there is a possibility that the fee may be lowered. Which is good for developers.


You can enter the market, doesn't mean you'll get the market share. If your product heavily rely on having an active userbase that is. When it comes to distribution platforms it's pretty much winners take them all. Because existing users would just stick with what they use current so new competitors aren't going to get much market share from them.

For example, windows dominate the entire PC Operating system market because every PC users use windows, so software developers only create software for windows. If you want to develope a new OS and sell it to PC users, very few people would ditch Windows for this new OS because none of the software is compatible. Therefore, it's near impossible to release a new OS in the market. And that's why PC users all have to tolerate Windows no matter how ***it is: because Windows took all the market.

This is also why people said never start a business if 80% of the market share is owned by a few companies.




I doubt Blizzard game would be Xbox only. It's probably going to be on Game pass and Game Pass has PC. MS gives 0 *** about console exclusive. They care about getting as many active users as possible on Game Pass. Selling Xbox console isn't their main strategy, getting as many user as possible is.

It most certainly was. Idk, I find it particularly bizarre that your reading comprehension is so sorely lacking, or that you felt the need to interject with your irrelevance in the first place.

The point is: a Japanese company isn't going to sell to a US company, and the irrelevant "point" of the SEC is moot, because they aren't a US company.

Responding to the statement he made isnt irrelevant. This is all part of the broader news that Microsoft bought up Blizzard is it not? And im sure the Japanese have similar regulations that the U.S. has. It is always state regulations that exacerbate market failures.