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Video Game Industry Thread: May is done, go to the next one

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    I wouldn't count it out... Kaz specifically singled out the video game division to help Sony return to profitability, and there's the thought that you've got to spend money to make money.

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  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    I wouldn't count it out... Kaz specifically singled out the video game division to help Sony return to profitability, and there's the thought that you've got to spend money to make money.

    Yeah but at the same time, why would you invest in something that has been floundering? Kaz Hirai said the Playstation Vita and 3D TVs were the key plan for this fiscal year to make things better. And that specifically consists of Sony telling retail partners to no longer undersell 3D TVs and Sony not doing shit to promote the Playstation Vita. So if they theoretically go after this bid, it's just like Home - something to dump money into, that the company has no idea how to utilize.

  • DiannaoChongDiannaoChong Registered User regular
    Joystiq (blocked at work) just ran an article saying the MS was in talks, but it fell through, and it looks like the next playstation platform could carry it instead.

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  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Joystiq (blocked at work) just ran an article saying the MS was in talks, but it fell through, and it looks like the next playstation platform could carry it instead.

    Hnnnnnnngh this is just bad, bad news! I'm trying to PROTECT Sony from a bad investment!

    Wonder why talks with MS would fall through though. Maybe MS was finnicky about Live integration.

  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    The rumor was that MS was looking at Onlive as a potential acquisition target and comes from the alleged document leak.
    http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/rumor-xbox-720-onlive/

  • maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    A quick glance shows they have approximately $19 billion in cash reserves. So, if they wanted to be aggressive, they could do it.

    How do they have that money?

    People assume these companies are in dire straits when they do drastic reorganizations. A good bit of the time, they're focusing on keeping stock prices up, quarterly numbers higher than last year's, and cash flow positive, as opposed to just having a lot of cash on hand.

    Sony
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=6758:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    1.5 trillion yen ($19.9 billion)

    Nintendo
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=7974:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    958 billion yen ($12.1 billion)

    Microsoft
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=MSFT:NSQ&subview=BalanceSheet
    $52.8 billion

    It's amazing that Nintendo has that much cash when you realize they basically make one type of product as opposed to Microsoft and Sony's multitude of business ventures.

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  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    A quick glance shows they have approximately $19 billion in cash reserves. So, if they wanted to be aggressive, they could do it.

    How do they have that money?

    People assume these companies are in dire straits when they do drastic reorganizations. A good bit of the time, they're focusing on keeping stock prices up, quarterly numbers higher than last year's, and cash flow positive, as opposed to just having a lot of cash on hand.

    Sony
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=6758:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    1.5 trillion yen ($19.9 billion)

    Nintendo
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=7974:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    958 billion yen ($12.1 billion)

    Microsoft
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=MSFT:NSQ&subview=BalanceSheet
    $52.8 billion

    It's amazing that Nintendo has that much cash when you realize they basically make one type of product as opposed to Microsoft and Sony's multitude of business ventures.

    Not really once you stop and think about it. Nintendo does one thing, and it does it very well, despite near constant opinions to the contrary. Meanwhile, Sony and MS have their hands in many other business ventures, not related to video games. And some of those, like Sony's TV market for example, are huge honking money pits. So any profit made by one section is offset by their losses in another.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • AutomaticzenAutomaticzen Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    A quick glance shows they have approximately $19 billion in cash reserves. So, if they wanted to be aggressive, they could do it.

    How do they have that money?

    People assume these companies are in dire straits when they do drastic reorganizations. A good bit of the time, they're focusing on keeping stock prices up, quarterly numbers higher than last year's, and cash flow positive, as opposed to just having a lot of cash on hand.

    Sony
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=6758:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    1.5 trillion yen ($19.9 billion)

    Nintendo
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=7974:TYO&subview=BalanceSheet
    958 billion yen ($12.1 billion)

    Microsoft
    http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials?s=MSFT:NSQ&subview=BalanceSheet
    $52.8 billion

    It's amazing that Nintendo has that much cash when you realize they basically make one type of product as opposed to Microsoft and Sony's multitude of business ventures.

    Sony and Microsoft hurt themselves. Bing is a huge drain on Microsoft as they're trying to spend themselves to where Google is, and Windows 8 R&D has yet to pay off. Sony has suffered on the TV side horribly and 3DTV was not the great hope they expected.

    That's not to take away from the fact that Nintendo was smart to pivot quickly with the 3DS. Their Wii U is muddled, but could improve around launch.

    http://www.usgamer.net/
    http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
    I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    So this Microsoft announcement thing is running late. I found a LiveBlog here - trying to work out how to filter out the user comments.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/06/microsoft-event-tablet-liveblog/

    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    Engadget has a pretty decent liveblog up with no "User Comment" noise, and I gotta admit that it's the most serviceable one I've managed to find.

    http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/microsoft-major-announcement-livelog/

    Bit of a shame, that half hour delay, but be that as it may. Can you smell what Microsoft is cooking?

    I say, Kinect for Tablets!

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    Zephiran wrote: »
    Engadget has a pretty decent liveblog up with no "User Comment" noise, and I gotta admit that it's the most serviceable one I've managed to find.

    http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/microsoft-major-announcement-livelog/

    Bit of a shame, that half hour delay, but be that as it may. Can you smell what Microsoft is cooking?

    I say, Kinect for Tablets!

    Thanks for the above, that does seem better.

    I honestly thought it would be MS stepping into smartphone hardware, or even an RiM / Nokia acquisition, but consensus seems to be it's a tablet / console thing? Who the hell knows anymore. If it's a tablet, it better be able to fly / give hand jobs to justify all this pomp and secrecy.

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    Steam: adamjnet
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Does anybody think a tablet would do any better than the Windows phones?

  • JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    I would love the shit out of a tablet that actually supported Office, but that might be just me.

  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    "We wanted to give Windows 8 its own companion hardware innovation."
    "Something new, something different, it's a whole new family of computing devices from Microsoft."

    Edit:
    This is the new Microsoft Surface, he says.

    Couscous on
  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    "What!? Windows 8 is evolving!"



    "... Congratulations, your Windows 8 evolved into Microsoft Surface!"

    microsofttablet0078.jpg

    It's a tablet everybody.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    There's still time for handjobs, guys.

    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Access to various Windows apps, as you'd expect. That includes Xbox.
    I can't wait for all of five games to be on this.

  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    Windows phones are pretty great devices, and win8 metro is great on touch devices. so i'm sure a windows 8 tablet will be good from a hardware and OS perspective.

    The problem is the same as it is for Windows phone, the market share is low, so no one develops for it, so people don't want to buy a device that doesn't have the apps they want, so the market share stays low.

    I don't know how Microsoft is going to woo enough developers over into making metro versions of things. Maybe they can take a huge loss on it, so it can be sold at like $250. that would get the install base up quickly.

    Foomy on
    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Zephiran wrote: »
    "What!? Windows 8 is evolving!"



    "... Congratulations, your Windows 8 evolved into Microsoft Surface!"

    microsofttablet0078.jpg

    It's a tablet everybody.

    There's something about Ballmer's face that's so... telling.

  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    Oh shit. I'm going to stop commenting until this is over because this thing is actually really, really sexy. The cover is a full multi-touch keyboard and trackpad!
    I would love the shit out of a tablet that actually supported Office, but that might be just me.

    They are literally demo-ing Office on it right now.

    Spaffy on
    ALRIGHT FINE I GOT AN AVATAR
    Steam: adamjnet
  • ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    Full Office support leads me to conclude that the thing is being designed with workplace environments in mind, since with that keyboard cover it could also double as a decent laptop substitute.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Foomy wrote: »
    Windows phones are pretty great devices, and win8 metro is great on touch devices. so i'm sure a windows 8 tablet will be good from a hardware and OS perspective.

    The problem is the same as it is for Windows phone, the market share is low, so no one develops for it, so people don't want to buy a device that doesn't have the apps they want, so the market share stays low.

    I don't know how Microsoft is going to woo enough developers over into making metro versions of things. Maybe they can take a huge loss on it, so it can be sold at like $250. that would get the install base up quickly.

    This picture sums it up:
    1281066192.usr681.jpg

  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    Two years out of date graph that trended heavily in two years. So basically you have no data about what it could be like now.
    That sums up nothing.

    I am not choosing a side here. I'm simply pointing out that your graph is worthless.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    ...a trackpad on a touch device? Why?

    Included keyboard is nice, though.

    Also Xbox compatible in some as yet undefined way.

    cloudeagle on
    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Two years out of date graph that trended heavily in two years. So basically you have no data about what it could be like now.
    That sums up nothing.

    There are more up to date graphcs. I just can't find them. Windows Phones are still doing very poorly.

    http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/windows-phone-market-share-2012-kantar/
    Microsoft’s mobile platform has not been the blockbuster success the Redmond, Washington-based technology giant was hoping for thus far. Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iPhone are still dominating the smartphone space by a huge margin in the United States and abroad, while Microsoft’s share of the global smartphone market has continued to decline. According to a new report from market research firm Kantar WorldPanel, however, Windows Phone is finally showing signs of life in several key markets.

    Kantar WorldPanel on Tuesday issued its report on smartphone market share in the U.S. and a number of large markets around the world, Reuters reported. According to the firm’s research, Android showed solid gains during the three month period ending in mid-April in nearly every major market Kantar covers, more than doubling its share to 62% in Germany and nearly doubling its share in both Spain and Italy.

    Apple’s iPhone gained market share in the U.S. and United Kingdom thanks to strong iPhone 4S shipments according to Kantar, though Apple’s position did slip in Europe.

    As Apple and Google continue to battle atop the smartphone charts, however, some good news has emerged for Microsoft. According to Kantar, Nokia’s Lumia phone launches have doubled Windows Phone’s market share to 6% in Germany, and boosted the platform’s share in the U.S., U.K., France and Italy to between 3% and 4%.

    Nokia’s Symbian OS and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry platform were the biggest losers in Kantar’s report, with RIM’s share of the U.S. market plummeting to 3% from 9% in the same period a year ago.

  • SpaffySpaffy Fuck the Zero Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...a trackpad on a touch device? Why?

    Included keyboard is nice, though.

    Also Xbox compatible in some as yet undefined way.

    It has a built-in stand under 0.7mm thick that props it up at a monitor-like angle - which isn't so conducive for touch control.

    Also, trackpads are more precise.

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  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...a trackpad on a touch device? Why?

    Included keyboard is nice, though.

    Also Xbox compatible in some as yet undefined way.

    Because I don't want to smudge up the screen with fingerprints.

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    I am in no way surprised that the culmination of Windows 8's Metro development and improved remote desktop interaction was a tablet. Now to see if the "base station" cpu stuff is real - a work oriented Wii U could prove interesting.

    He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    Henroid wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...a trackpad on a touch device? Why?

    Included keyboard is nice, though.

    Also Xbox compatible in some as yet undefined way.

    Because I don't want to smudge up the screen with fingerprints.

    I think it's a neat idea, lets you use it like a normal win8 computer when flipped onto the stand.

    with an i5 in it, and running normal win8. I guess that solves the lack of apps problem.

    have the announced a price yet?

    Foomy on
    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    It looks more like a combination tablet/laptop to me. That could help it find a decent sized niche and get people to make shit for it.

  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    If it's running windows 8, couldn't current windows software run on the thing?

    No I don't.
  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    If it's running windows 8, couldn't current windows software run on the thing?

    yup, plus any specially designed metro apps.

    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    Foomy wrote: »
    If it's running windows 8, couldn't current windows software run on the thing?

    yup, plus any specially designed metro apps.

    So basically, they're getting around the whole developers thing by already having developers. Neat.

    No I don't.
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited June 2012
    God, reading this liveblog is making it sound really expensive.

    Edit: DoR - that was the plan with Win8 all along. The trick was that it was co-developed for ARM and x86/64. If this one's the latter.. awesome, but again, expensive.

    Edit 2: ... Holy fuck. Seeing the specs.. Yeah, this is a Macbook Air competitor, not an iPad competitor.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited June 2012
    http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

    the pictures on there are making me think it will be a great laptop/tablet to take on trips. Just hope it's not like $1000 for the intel version.

    Specs:
    Windows RT version

    Nvidia ARM
    1.5 pounds
    9.3mm
    10.6 inch HD screen
    microSD
    USB 2.0
    Micro HD Video
    2x2 MIMO antennae
    32GB or 64GB

    Windows 8 PRO version

    Intel i5
    2 pounds
    13.5mm
    10.6 inch Full HD screen
    microSDXC
    USB 3.0
    Mini DisplayPort Video
    2x2 MIMO antennae
    64GB or 128GB

    edit: from the engadget liveblog:

    RT version priced like comparable ARM tablets (so ~$800)
    Intel version priced to comparable UltraBooks (~$1000)
    Available at win8 launch

    Foomy on
    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    This thing is going to be like $800.

    3DS 0302-0029-3193 NNID plufim steam plufim PSN plufim
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  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    Pro coming in 64GB and 128GB models, will be priced on par with Ultrabook-class PCs.

    Surface for WIndows RT coming in 32GB and 64GB models. Priced "like comparable tablets based on ARM."
    How much are those?

  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    128GB? That can't hold that much porn. :(

    No I don't.
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Wow. Not gonna launch before Win8 comes out, and they REALLY dodged the pricing question.

    He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    A lot of time, capital and R&D went into the Surface lineup. That sounds like an understatement.
    So it is going to be expensive as hell.

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