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[justiceiro]

Nah, film people entering the game market did more good than bad in my opinion (Lucas arts, warner bros)

gaming is simply too expensive, we can't really have the luxury of only accept investimento from inside the industry itself.

 

[FunkMiller]

He’s not fucking wrong.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

You could be right and I appreciate your points of view it seems Shawn Layden is in around about saying the same thing I just disagree that these other companies are an imminent threat to consolidate the industry especially apple they care too much about profits and going all in on gaming usually means losing money somewhere in order to profit on software

The biggest reason why they haven't jumped in is because the barriers are high even for them. You look at everyone who jumped into streaming and the costs involved with that. These are the exact same players who are cautious but want to get into gaming.

That doesn't change the fact that they're a threat and that they could buy a major 3rd party publisher at any moment if the opportunity strikes and immediately make those games restricted or less available or change the design of them to be more GaaS.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

I guess, the theory there would be that the Apples and Amazons and Googles wouldn't have content to put on the box? It doesn't seem real strong to me though, just because maybe these new players would go the Nintendo route more than the MS/Sony route and in-house software would be the focus.

Thank you!! And Nintendo might have less revenue but they're just as profitable in gaming

 

[Unknown?]

The biggest reason why they haven't jumped in is because the barriers are high even for them. You look at everyone who jumped into streaming and the costs involved with that. These are the exact same players who are cautious but want to get into gaming.

That doesn't change the fact that they're a threat and that they could buy a major 3rd party publisher at any moment if the opportunity strikes and immediately make those games restricted or less available or change the design of them to be more GaaS.

So they would be doing the same thing as Microsoft.

 

[simpatico]

AAA gaming is already mostly gone. Thankfully indies have finally stepped up. I was indie jaded up and til a few years ago when I started to see the quality levels I was after. It gives me great piece of mind knowing there will still be games I enjoy playing while the AAA space continues to atrophy.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

So they would be doing the same thing as Microsoft.

Yeah, like I said, we don't need a second Microsoft here.

 

[yurinka]

But former PlayStation boss is hopeful games businesses can disrupt itself before the likes of Google and Amazon

Shawn Layden issues warning about non-endemics breaking into games

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Non-endemic companies such as Google and A…

www.gamesindustry.biz

Some should tell this guy that Google, Netflix, Apple and Amazon already are in gaming since many years ago, and in fact Google and Apple are some of the top grossing companies in gaming.

Someone also should tell him that Sony has been publishing videogames and making gaming hardware such as the MSX computers and their accessories since the '80s.

MS have been publishing games since the 1990's.

As I remember they released their first videogame in 1979: Microsoft Adventure, for the TRS-80 computer. Later in the '80s they released several games more including the first four entries of MicroSoft Flight Simulator.

 

[Physiognomonics]

The real threat to the games industry is people who don't know what makes a good game entering into the industry and trying to shove a movie into a game shaped box.

Yes, that appeals to investors who may not understand or play video games, but the proliferation of movie games is not good for the health of the industry.

Indeed. And you've just described the vast majority of current western games.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

The biggest reason why they haven't jumped in is because the barriers are high even for them. You look at everyone who jumped into streaming and the costs involved with that. These are the exact same players who are cautious but want to get into gaming.

That doesn't change the fact that they're a threat and that they could buy a major 3rd party publisher at any moment if the opportunity strikes and immediately make those games restricted or less available or change the design of them to be more GaaS.

I don't know man this sounds like catastrophizing I don't think all big tech thinks like Microsoft or Sony maybe the closest would be Amazon I could probably see them taking that route but then again they've built studios for in house content and definitely not Apple. Would they work with 3rd party to get games on their platform sure, timed exclusivity?..... maybe ... but out right purchase I'm struggling to see it. I wish we could go back to the days when a company would only be purchased if they're struggling this consolidation era just sucks

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I don't know man this sounds like catastrophizing I don't think all big tech thinks like Microsoft or Sony maybe the closest would be Amazon I could probably see them taking that route but then again they've built studios for in house content and definitely not Apple. Would they work with 3rd party to get games on their platform sure, timed exclusivity?..... maybe ... but out right purchase I'm struggling to see it. I wish we could go back to the days when a company would only be purchased if they're struggling this consolidation era just sucks

There is a major push for consolidation even without big tech.

Big Tech isn't going to sit on the sidelines.

 

[Three]

They can change the model largely away from AAA gaming to more of a subscription model as Microsoft is attempting to do.

We could see the quality among games dive significantly, even more than they already have.

How though? Both Amazon and Google have or had a subscription service model akin to MS. They were not a threat to the model, they were less a threat than MS' subscription and consolidation is right now.

 

[Nankatsu]

Only way I see it for another big group to enter the industry is by absorbing either Sony or Nintendo (and I seriously doubt that) in order to acquire the industry know-how.

Don't see anyone absorbing Xbox division because well, Microsoft it's already a big one by itself.

After the Stadia fiasco, the credibility needed to launch a new system should be off the charts.

 

[MarkMe2525]

As I remember they released their first videogame in 1979: Microsoft Adventure, for the TRS-80 computer. Later in the '80s they released several games more including the first four entries of MicroSoft Flight Simulator.

Yeah, they have been licensing games to publish for 40 years now. I believe their first original game they published was Age of Empires, which I was referencing in my comment.

I can understand maybe not liking what MS has done in the gaming space, but to act like they haven't been apart of gaming since the beginning is rather silly. Of course, I'm not saying you were the ones making those claims.

 

[sono]

Gamers just want good games, and historically and presently that has meant they needed and need to invest in a hardware platform that they believe will deliver the best experiences for the medium term.Sony Nintendo and Microsoft have been and still are the menage a trois for that platform. New entry into this market have a huge challenge to be taken seriously. Google have had so many short term failures I can't see anyone will take them seriously. Cloud gaming still has delivery problems and as soon as something new fails in some aspect the challenge becomes even larger. IMHO

 

[Icymanipulator]

Becoming a big business? Gaming has been a HUGE business for years now. I think in the early 2010's it surpassed Hollywood revenue and just kept on trucking.

Yes, I was in college when gaming surpassed the movie industry. It’s far behind that now.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

Sony was the first "non-endemic." Weird take.

You... sent Yoshi-kun to the moon?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Attention, all crew: We are now entering into uncharted territory. All hands on deck. Code red alert.

 

[lughnasadh123]

I'm genuinely curious if all the stuff people hyperventilate about now will even be a concern for people gaming in the future or if it'll be just an accepted natural state. So much of what we often see changing in the industry isn't a harbinger of doom so much as just the natural flow of where the medium is going.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

But former PlayStation boss is hopeful games businesses can disrupt itself before the likes of Google and Amazon

Shawn Layden issues warning about non-endemics breaking into games

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Non-endemic companies such as Google and A…

www.gamesindustry.biz

We already have one...

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Why tf you guys keep quoting the OP wrong? Just don't quote it if you can't do it right... smh

 

[yurinka]

Yeah, they have been licensing games to publish for 40 years now. I believe their first original game they published was Age of Empires, which I was referencing in my comment.

I can understand maybe not liking what MS has done in the gaming space, but to act like they haven't been apart of gaming since the beginning is rather silly. Of course, I'm not saying you were the ones making those claims.

No, what I mentioned is true: Microsoft published a game in 1979 called Microsoft Adventure and that was their first game, not Age of Empires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Adventure

After that they published several games during the '80s (including the first Flight Simulator games) and '90s. The first Age of Empires was released in 1997.

 

[MarkMe2525]

No, what I mentioned is true: Microsoft published a game in 1979 called Microsoft Adventure and that was their first game, not Age of Empires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Adventure

After that they published several games during the '80s (including the first Flight Simulator games) and '90s. The first Age of Empires was released in 1997.

That's cool, I wasn't attempting to correct you. I had misinformation and thought we were just saying different things. I was under the impression that MS bought Flight Simulator way back in the day.

 

[odhiex]

He works for Tencent.

Yes, true and it is kinda ironic for him to make comments like that. Tencent is not relatively new to gaming, but only recently it becoming aggressive with the consolidation.

 

[Warnen]

Sony MS and Nintendo should merge…

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Tl;dr we want to prevent new competition.

Apple, google, and amazon would be horrible for the industry, but let's not pretend sony and microsoft are doing a good job for it either.

We don't need to pretend. Sony and Nintendo are doing a good job.

Outside of the recent price hike for PSN, which is admittedly pretty absurdly steep, everything else Sony has been doing has been on point. And Nintendo can do no wrong in the eyes of their fans, for everything outside of Pokemon.

 

[bitbydeath]

There's not going to be a company out there in gaming as it exists today that can counterbalance Sony who isn't Microsoft. That boat has sailed.

Right now, we're looking at a Tencent console coming out in the next 5-10 years.

Nintendo?

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Oh but Sony wasn't non-endemic coming in hot back in the day? Yeah go fuck yourself Shawn.

Like Microsoft hasn't been banging on with DOS/windows/DirectX/hardware peripherals and more with gaming for decades. Games like Flight have been around longer than Playstation has existed. Apple and Google dominate mobile gaming through the inaction or ineffectiveness of Sony, Nintendo, Xbox, Steam etc. It's not just because they have big pockets. No wonder I don't agree with this twat's hubris comments and have little interest in modern Sony.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

There's not going to be a company out there in gaming as it exists today that can counterbalance Sony who isn't Microsoft. That boat has sailed.

Right now, we're looking at a Tencent console coming out in the next 5-10 years.

Hot Tip: Tencent have already had a 100s of Millions install base console release years ago in the East. Also things like Logitech handheld game devices backed by Tencent are a thing too. This ship has been built and is heading for more ports round the world.

 

[nial]

The real threat to the games industry is people who don't know what makes a good game entering into the industry and trying to shove a movie into a game shaped box.

Yes, that appeals to investors who may not understand or play video games, but the proliferation of movie games is not good for the health of the industry.

in what world lol

 

[nial]

Tencent have already had a 100s of Millions install base console release years ago in the East.

What?

 

[ZehDon]

The issue isn't "non-endemic", the issue is "non-committal". Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft - the major console players have been around for a long time, taken their licks, and demonstrated their commitment to this entertainment medium outside of its ability to generate money.
Google, Amazon, Apple - gaming is a "growth opportunity" for them, not something that they believe in enough to commit to it. Heck, Google dropped Stadia the moment they realised it wasn't going to be as simple as launching a terrible business model and watching the money roll in. The further away this type of "investment" stays from video games, the better.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

What?

It was called the Tencent Gaming Platform (TGP), also called the TGP Box, from 2016.

Starting in 2016, Tencent Games developed a video gaming console dubbed TGP (Tencent Gaming Platform) Box. The TGP BOX is called the Blade. It is an Intel-powered console running Windows 10 and a TGP Box mode. So far, the TGP console has imported many Tencent games, such as League of Legends, FIFA Online 3, NBA 2K, Monster Hunter, Need for Speed, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Tencent Games hopes to bring third-party developed games.[19] On 22 November 2017, Tencent Games formally entered into a strategic co-operation with PUBG Studios and obtain exclusive rights to operate Playerunknown's Battlegrounds in China.[20]

From memory it was pushing estimates at close to 150-200million all said and done over the years. It's just not outside of China basically.

 

[nial]

It was called the Tencent Gaming Platform (TGP), also called the TGP Box, from 2016.



From memory it was pushing estimates at close to 150-200million all said and done over the years. It's just not outside of China basically.

Oh, I did know about this, but it's practically impossible for a system to sell that many units in a single country. Maybe it was 200 million revenue/profit?

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Oh, I did know about this, but it's practically impossible for a system to sell that many units in a single country. Maybe it was 200 million revenue/profit?

Nope. Units sold. Tencent locked down PUBG exclusively for TGP Box in China and had lock on games like League of Legends in the far East. Never doubt the powers that be behind the world's biggest walled garden in terms of economic access and business. China.

Wait until you look into over 10,000 gaming related businesses now completely out of business because the CCP changed tact for citizens number of hours allowed to play games per week, or gaming jobs affecting social ranking status. CCP foreclosed thousands of businesses related to the gaming industry only in the last 1-2 years or so. It's a shit show, far worse than the likes of Apple or Google. Tencent in the West has far less governance and controls than Tencent in the East but with far more oversight and interference from politics.

EDIT: Here's some data for guestimates to back the install base units -
Source

• 30 million people play PUBG Mobile daily, and about 50 million play Game for Peace

NOTE: Game for Peace is the Chinese version of PUBG, it's larger than the rest of the world basically. Also the mobile downloads numbers from 2021 are in the hundreds of millions for Free to Play PUBG version.

*I'm not sure what version the Chinese Game for Peace (PUBG), is based on e.g. console (paid) or mobile (free2play). My assumption in China is sell the boxes, free to play PUBG on it = MTX cash.

** China's mobile revenue dwarfs the US market, by many factors, handhelds/mobiles/devices are far more popular in China.
Source

In March 2022, two titles from the Chinese entertainment titan Tencent occupied the highest earning mobile games in the world - Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile. In that month, PUBG Mobile generated over 56 percent of its 199.8 million U.S. dollars gross revenue from its Chinese version Game for Peace in China.

So just PUBG is $200M for 2021. The TGP Box is from 2016 so has many more years and I think a few hardware revisions (2 or 3 updates I think) to get to the big numbers on install base.

EDIT2: I don't really care which companies are involved but I prefer the MS less exclusive approach, I want me games on my PC, console or devices and with cross progression, saves and sharing etc. Walled gardens and exclusive to one hardware base suck.

 

[Shits_McGiggles]

Google and Amazon have no idea how to successfully enter the gaming market. They either try to capture a market that is completely unable to handle the stress load (game streaming) or are trying to make the biggest profit maker right out of the gate with no creative vision.
There isn’t a universal blueprint for success in gaming, and the more these companies try to analyze the market to decide their next game without a proper vision, the less successful they are going to be.

 

[Aces High]

As a consumer, I'd be happy to see one or more big players enter the market. It's been a little stale lately.

 

[violence]

Disney left the gaming industry because it’s a different skill set. One does not simply walk into Mordor.

I was sort of relieved when stadia failed.

 

[Aces High]

I was sort of relieved when stadia failed.

But why would you want to protect the status quo?

Sony has been increasing game prices for two generations in a row and last week they rewarded their loyal fans with a 33% price hike for the subscription service that is mandatory to play online.

Nintendo is selling the cheapest toy-level hardware they can find, never reduces the prices for their 1st-party software (which is basically the same five IPs for 1000 years), and implements a zero tolerance refund policy for purchases.

Microsoft is like a stupid little brat that spends his daddy's wealth instead of developing real skills. Imagine being in an industry for 20 years and still have to rely on studio acquisitions in order to survive.

In my opinion, all three could benefit from a kick in their asses. Corporations are not your friends.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The use of terminology 'non-endemic' is kind of hilarious to me. Shawn Layden thinks he's an ecologist now or something.

You need to watch out for those invasive species, like Apple, Netflix, Amazon, and Microsoft! They don't belong in the native ecosystem!

 

[violence]

But why would you want to protect the status quo?

Sony has been increasing game prices for two generations in a row and last week they rewarded their loyal fans with a 33% price hike for the subscription service that is mandatory to play online.

Nintendo is selling the cheapest toy-level hardware they can find, never reduces the prices for their 1st-party software (which is basically the same five IPs for 1000 years), and implements a zero tolerance refund policy for purchases.

Microsoft is like a stupid little brat that spends his daddy's wealth instead of developing real skills. Imagine being in an industry for 20 years and still have to rely on studio acquisitions in order to survive.

In my opinion, all three could benefit from a kick in their asses. Corporations are not your friends.

I hope the future is not a mobile phone direction.

 

[CGNoire]

"I'm hoping gaming will be the first industry where we disrupt ourselves," he continued. "Where it doesn’t take a Google or an Amazon to completely flip the table. We should be smart enough to see these changes coming and prepare ourselves for that eventuality."

....oh FUCK OFF!!

 

[Aces High]

I hope the future is not a mobile phone direction.

It won't. Just look at the combined revenue of console and PC gaming.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I love everything he said.

 

[Three]

Oh but Sony wasn't non-endemic coming in hot back in the day? Yeah go fuck yourself Shawn.

Like Microsoft hasn't been banging on with DOS/windows/DirectX/hardware peripherals and more with gaming for decades. Games like Flight have been around longer than Playstation has existed. Apple and Google dominate mobile gaming through the inaction or ineffectiveness of Sony, Nintendo, Xbox, Steam etc. It's not just because they have big pockets. No wonder I don't agree with this twat's hubris comments and have little interest in modern Sony.

Xbox was last to enter in the console space so why use the console on one side and the flight simulator game on the other? Sony Imagesoft was making games for other consoles before playstation in the 80s too. They were making MSX computers and peripherals. What exactly are you upset about telling the guy to go fuck himself and calling him a twat?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Nintendo?

Nintendo gave up on competing directly with Sony and hasn't since the gamecube.

I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Wise words from Shawn. Sony was a similar case, but they at least better understood entertainment. It’s clear Amazon, Google, Apple, etc don’t get it.

 

[Ozzie666]

Wise words from Shawn. Sony was a similar case, but they at least better understood entertainment. It’s clear Amazon, Google, Apple, etc don’t get it.

To be fair, part of what became Sony gaming SCE came from Sony Imagesoft with Sony Music. They had some idea about creating games, just not very good games, mostly terrible games. It's not like they didn't pay their LJN or THQ level dues. They at least had enough self awareness to know they needed help.

 

[Godot25]

Lol.
What a stupid idea.
Yeah. Let's build a wall around gaming industry because some companies did not even existed when gaming industry grew and tell them to fuck off, because they are too late...

So basically, reason why Sony and Microsoft can be part of industry and Amazon, Netflix and Google cannot is because they decided to enter it later?
All while being employed by Tencent. Good lord.

How about...let products speak for themselves? Stadia came and went because business model was horrible, but if Google persevered and brought great product they have every right to be part of industry. Amazon bombed hard with Crucible, but if they want to fund new games and they will be great, I'm sure people won't mind playing them. Same for Netflix.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Maybe more competition would be better? I dunno.