Rumor: Microsoft to pay $1 Billion for Epic games

[jediknight182]

I heard about this on Attack of the Show last night.

RUMOR: GamePro reported that Microsoft plans to acquire Epic Games for $1 billion US this summer, after the acquisition Microsoft can also earn licensing fee from Unreal Engine 3.

I know it is just a rumor but it could be big if it is true.

Here is a link to the rumor on Magic Box
http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm

Sorry if this has been posted before but I did a search and found no threads on this.

[york weir]

Interesting.

[jediknight182]

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

[Sylin]

Noooooooooooooo!

Every time MS buys one of my favorite game studios, bad things happen.

[WickyWoo]

I think they just want the royalties from the engine

and the profits *s*******...from *chortle* Duke Nukem Forever

[JTK]

Hope it doesn't happen.

[Cobalt]

Well, there goes the Unreal series. Down the drain. Why must they buy everything and then ruin it?

[Dragonraine]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

Well, there goes the Unreal series. Down the drain. Why must they buy everything and then ruin it?

errr, i think the unreal series has already gone down the drain. 2003 was a bust, 2004 was great, but the new one? 2004 with a new coat of peeling paint.

[Cobalt]

Originally Posted by Dragonraine

errr, i think the unreal series has already gone down the drain. 2003 was a bust, 2004 was great, but the new one? 2004 with a new coat of peeling paint.

Kinda agree but it's only going to get worse.

[xtop]

http://xbox360.qj.net/Epic-Games-Mar.../49/aid/114063

[JTK]

Originally Posted by xtop

http://xbox360.qj.net/Epic-Games-Mar.../49/aid/114063

Good. I hope they pull a Yahoo.

[Shin-Ra]

If it's not anti-competitive taking out a major middleware provider, I don't know what is.

[blackhawktraffic]

What the hell are they going to stick their finger into next, I mean its one little thing after another with those bastards.

[Dragonraine]

Originally Posted by blackhawktraffic

What the hell are they going to stick their finger into next, I mean its one little thing after another with those bastards.

Well, to be fair, Sony did much the same thing when they first got into the PS1, 12 years ago. They bought out alot of top developers (at the time) like Psygnosis and stuff. Not really any different.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

and the profits *s*******...from *chortle* Duke Nukem Forever

That game was announced the year before my oldest daughter was born, and she'll be 10 this April.

I've lost a lot of respect for Scott and George over the years. Scott used to be so upbeat, but now I wonder what the hell they do all day over there at 3d Realms?

7:30 AM - breakfast at Shoney's
8:30 AM - tee time
11:00 AM - early lunch
11:45 AM - second lunch for George
1:00 PM - watch movies
5:00 PM - look at development of game, sigh, and go back to movies
9:00 PM - go home, wonder where wife and kids are
11:55 PM - fall asleep infront of TV wishing your game was done

[Shin-Ra]

There's a huge difference. Psygnosis didn't provide a game engine that countless multiplatform developers rely on. And who's Psygnosis and stuff?

[phranctoast]

This is only a rumor and only one gamepros editors opinion.


Of course Mark Rein was contacted and he didnt exactly debunk the rumor but more or less made a joke.

Did you hear the one about Microsoft buying Unreal Engine developer Epic Games for one billion dollars? The rumor stems from the latest issue of GamePro magazine, and while not flat-out denying the rumor, Epic VP Mark Rein did has some choice words.

In an email to Develop, Rein said, "I have not seen the actual GamePro article but if they're going to make predictions about us selling Epic we would prefer if they started at $2 billion, because we don't want anyone thinking that we're cheap," followed by a smile-inducing emoticon. A more tangible bit of Epic Games speculation is that Gears of War 2 will be unveiled at GDC this week.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/19/ep...-buyout-rumor/