Microsoft Interested In Buying Batman, Mortal Kombat Dev WB Games - Report

[ItsYaBoi]

The KI devs approached KI WAY different that NRS approaches their games. KI was an XBL game, where as MK is a AA game. Also, from the beginning of KI's developement, the game was produced with a 'free -to-paly' model in mind, to be further developed over time. This is expressly different than how NRS does things.

Also, and I could be wrong about this, but the devs that MS has been partnering i believe are able to stand somewhat separate and apart from MS proper, owning there own IPs If that is true, do you know what that could mean?

What if MS bought WB Games, and NRS was able to become its own thing? Owning MK and all other properties they create? The MK tema / NRS HAS NEVER owned any IP I believe, most notably MK. They have only been able to act like they do, as they have been held to a certain standard by the Midway, and later WB, when creating their games. If NRS went into a partner ship with MS, who know what could happen.

Don't know if you meant to put AAA, but MK11 is most definitely a AAA game - not AA.

 

[Swindle]

At least Japanese developers start incorporating rollback netcode into their games, so if MK goes to Xbox, that's goodbye Mortal Kombat for me and I have something else to play.

Yeah, that ain’t happening without a fight.

 

[Immortal]

If anybody think that 2K or Activision or EA is better for MK then i suggest to think hard on this.

2K is well know to ruin their best games making them in essence a gambling focused scam (NBA 2K says hello). EA dont even need comment. Activision also done a fair share of shitty things to the players.

The real downside to MS buying WB Games is a fact that like i said before - 99% next MK game would be Xbox and PC only (with proper crossplay thou).

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

If anybody think that 2K or Activision or EA is better for MK then i suggest to think hard on this.

2K is well know to ruin their best games making them in essence a gambling focused scam (NBA 2K says hello). EA dont even need comment. Activision also done a fair share of shitty things to the players.

The real downside to MS buying WB Games is a fact that like i said before - 99% next MK game would be Xbox and PC only (with proper crossplay thou).

Agreed, but the only thing I'd correct you on is that MS may be prone to publish a game like MK on PlayStation as well. They did it with Minecraft, and they have put other first party games on platforms like Steam. You can never know for sure, but the possibility is there.

 

[Immortal]

Agreed, but the only thing I'd correct you on is that MS may be prone to publish a game like MK on PlayStation as well. They did it with Minecraft, and they have put other first party games on platforms like Steam. You can never know for sure, but the possibility is there.

Minecraft is an exception and there were other factors at play in that case.

Steam is PC. Microsoft pushes hard to have all their games on PC as well since it's their core business, this will not change. They have ZERO business incentive to put games which can be BIG Xbox exclusives (for consoles) on Playstation. MK would sell a lot of new Xbox units for them, arguably that is their motivation for even entertaining the idea of buying WB Games.

Not to mention that Sony really pushes against any crossplay with Xbox games owned by MS which would be another factor against releasing the game for PS to begin with.

 

[DarksydeDash]

If MK became an Xbox exclusive then I'd be done with with the series.

I can't justify buying a whole console to play my favorite fighting game and besides, PS has some of my favorite franchises of all time.

 

[Sugarwatermixlegit]

I don't want to buy an Xbox lol. Please please please stay on PS
KI vs MK is a welcome idea though.

 

[Pizza]

2K is well know to ruin their best games making them in essence a gambling focused scam (NBA 2K says hello).

They would make the Kasino even worse, and probably add more currencies and Shrine slot machines.

 

[Swindle]

If MK became an Xbox exclusive then I'd be done with with the series.

I can't justify buying a whole console to play my favorite fighting game and besides, PS has some of my favorite franchises of all time.

I bought an Xbox only for Killer Instinct. Love that game, but not in a hurry to repeat that kind of buy.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

Fair enough. For myself I'm going to wait a year or two after launch before buying a new console unless there's an exclusive on either platform that scream's must-own for me. Since all the first party Xbox Series X launch titles are apparently going to be on Xbox One as well, that likely won't occur.

Re: Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the popularity of those classic games is truly insane, they really are beloved. Forget about the Xbox One version, the PC version has sold insanely well and everyone was clamouring to play it there. Not bad at all for ten to twenty year old games!

I feel the same way...BUT

If the Xbox "Lockheart" is real, and it is indeed around $200 at launch, I'm probably just going to get that. I'm not planning on upgrading TVs anytime soon, so a cheaper, 1080p 60FPS Next Gen System is very enticing to me.

 

[Juxtapose]

I feel the same way...BUT

If the Xbox "Lockheart" is real, and it is indeed around $200 at launch, I'm probably just going to get that. I'm not planning on upgrading TVs anytime soon, so a cheaper, 1080p 60FPS Next Gen System is very enticing to me.

I figure my Xbox One X will still be good for another year or so, and that's a companion platform to my PC.

 

[Gooberking]

As a launch title, an MK game would be very persuasive, but by the time another MK game would be made the MS console won't be particularly new. The player base will largely have entrenched itself into whatever console decisions they are going to make; with far fewer potential console buyers open to being tempted as there will be in the first year the new consoles are out.

There is at least some merit to the argument that platform locking the next installment of a gaming franchise that sold the most games out of all games twice in a row now, maybe isn't a great play unless it was a system launch. I'm not convinced that platform exclusivity is all that certain, at least not for the next MK specifically. I could be underestimating their resolve though.

As for anything else, especially whatever NRS is currently working on, that might very well need an Xbox.

 

[Immortal]

There is something to this but since we dont know how far ahead Microsoft is planing (im guessing - pretty far) they could make it work. One example comes to mind - in 2-3 years they could release more powerful version of their console (as it was done before with X series and PS4 Pro in Sony camp) and have MK as launch title. That would probably be very good move on their part.

Thou that's just wild speculation at this point but we shouldn't underestimate MS logn term planing. Nobody spends billions without a long term plan.

 

[DeftMonk]

Agreed, but the only thing I'd correct you on is that MS may be prone to publish a game like MK on PlayStation as well. They did it with Minecraft, and they have put other first party games on platforms like Steam. You can never know for sure, but the possibility is there.

If I had to choose (pls don’t arrange a lynch mob to go after me)I’d rather mk12 be console exclusive than KI4. Everyone knows about mk but so many people missed out on the last KI it is really unfortunate. Ki is an amazing game.

 

[Dogeofthesea]

I'm sure MK11 has sold more copies on PS4 than on Xbox and Steam, right? If I'm a business man I don't think I will make such decision (MK exclusive for PC + Xbox) that decrease my sales by 40-50%.

 

[Cicada 5]

If Microsoft gets MK, that could mean I get that Mortal Kombat/Killer Instinct crossover I want.

 

[haketh]

If MK became an Xbox exclusive then I'd be done with with the series.

I can't justify buying a whole console to play my favorite fighting game and besides, PS has some of my favorite franchises of all time.

Everything directly published by MS is on both PC & XB1 now. I don’t think they plan on keeping anything just on console anymore.

 

[Inzzane_79]

Serious question to all those Xbox haters: What exactly is the problem you have with the Xbox?

I have both consoles. Yes, I play way more on the Xbox but that´s because all my friends are on Xbox and not Playstation. Is the PS bad therefore? Clearly not, it is as much of a good console as the Xbox is.

I will never understand people that say stuff like "Oh that´s hell, I would never buy a Shit-box or play on one, Microsoft is shit blablabalbla insert insults here". Like....for real? Most of you are grown up individuals that behave like little kids with such posts are you aware of that? Same the other way around when people bash on Sony just to bash them.

Of course it would suck hard if Microsoft would buy WB and make MK/Injustice an Xbox/PC exclusive like they did with Killer Instinct (and Sony did with StreetFighter). Exclusives are always bad for us gamers!! They divide us for no reason besides $$$$$$$ AND the company makes less money because of that. KI and SF could have way more sales in general if those two games were not exclusives imho.

Just my 2cents, sorry for the rant

 

[Tony at Home]

1. It's now reasonably uncommon that development limitations will force a developer to choose only one console to ship on
2. Making something exclusive is no longer a technical decision
3. There's not much difference graphically between consoles, and with no reason for developers to make exclusives because of tech limitations, there's no differentiation between consoles unless console makers enforce one somehow (exclusivity deals)
4. We're probably heading towards Playstation and Xbox competing similar to how virtual storefronts like Epic/Steam and Netflix/Hulu compete with each other, rather than hardware products like Bose and Beats compete with each other.
5. That kind of competition is risky, and similar to what Netflix and Hulu are doing we'll probably see the platform holders want to produce content in house rather than rely on deals with third party producers (like Netflix basically becoming it's own production company)
6. Expect less console exclusives from independent publishers in the future, and expect console makers to buy up developers in the future to maintain exclusives (so, exactly what's happening now)

 

[Immortal]

I'm sure MK11 has sold more copies on PS4 than on Xbox and Steam, right? If I'm a business man I don't think I will make such decision (MK exclusive for PC + Xbox) that decrease my sales by 40-50%.

Doesn't matter at all. It will sell Xbox units coz it will force a lot of MK fans to either buy Xbox or a decent PC. It's a win / win either way for MS. It's not always about the obvious profit.

 

[lusca_bueno]

Serious question to all those Xbox haters: What exactly is the problem you have with the Xbox?

I have both consoles. Yes, I play way more on the Xbox but that´s because all my friends are on Xbox and not Playstation. Is the PS bad therefore? Clearly not, it is as much of a good console as the Xbox is.

I will never understand people that say stuff like "Oh that´s hell, I would never buy a Shit-box or play on one, Microsoft is shit blablabalbla insert insults here". Like....for real? Most of you are grown up individuals that behave like little kids with such posts are you aware of that? Same the other way around when people bash on Sony just to bash them.

Of course it would suck hard if Microsoft would buy WB and make MK/Injustice an Xbox/PC exclusive like they did with Killer Instinct (and Sony did with StreetFighter). Exclusives are always bad for us gamers!! They divide us for no reason besides $$$$$$$ AND the company makes less money because of that. KI and SF could have way more sales in general if those two games were not exclusives imho.

Just my 2cents, sorry for the rant

Yeah, I think Microsoft is the best possible buyer out of those options, the problem being the casual audience in this case. This audience is the biggest factor in how MK grew the way it did, with such production value, and being an exclusive of Xbox it will likely lose a lot of those sales. It's a hard hit that will likely lead MS to invest far less in its production.

 

[Juxtapose]

Everything directly published by MS is on both PC & XB1 now. I don’t think they plan on keeping anything just on console anymore.

Almost everything. Here's a list of the few games that are truly only available on Xbox One.

I'm actually hoping Halo 5: Guardians makes it to PC as well.

 

[Marlow]

Yeah, I think Microsoft is the best possible buyer out of those options, the problem being the casual audience in this case. This audience is the biggest factor in how MK grew the way it did, with such production value, and being an exclusive of Xbox it will likely lose a lot of those sales. It's a hard hit that will likely lead MS to invest far less in its production.

I guess I'm not that convinced that Microsoft buying it would automatically mean they'd make MK an Xbox exclusive. Financially it would really seem to limit the value.

 

[xenogorgeous]

I guess I'm not that convinced that Microsoft buying it would automatically mean they'd make MK an Xbox exclusive. Financially it would really seem to limit the value.

yep, if they treat this business as much profitable as possible, kinda, treat like Minecraft, where they even put the game for Playstation, yeah, agreed

Of all these big dogs struggling for this subject, I hope EA and TakeTwo just give up and get out of this ....... perhaps Microsoft and even Activison, despite all backlash it received for some stupid business practices they did regarding COD and Diablo, could be more interesting for MK franchise future .... Actvision did pretty well with partnership with From Software and Sekiro as a major sucess and GOTY, so, I give them a fair chance this time ....

The destiny of our beloved franchise is at the Elder Gods hands right now, let's see what happens ....

 

[lusca_bueno]

I guess I'm not that convinced that Microsoft buying it would automatically mean they'd make MK an Xbox exclusive. Financially it would really seem to limit the value.

It could be the case they recognize huge part of MK sales are not coming from fans that would buy a console just for it, but then again, it could be the case they think a huge franchise like this would create interest in their console. I agree it could go either way, but it's still a risk. Creatively and financially MS would be the best case scenario out of these potential buyers though, that's for sure.