MS to buy Epic Games????

[BCA]

According to news posts on dbtechno.com and WRAL the latest issue of GamePro states that Microsoft is closing in on a deal to acquire developer Epic Games. The report states that Epic, known primarily as the developer behind Unreal Engine 3, would cost Microsoft upwards of $1 billion dollars. If true the acquisition would mean Microsoft would own Unreal Engine 3, the engine that powers most next current generation titles on the Xbox 360, PC and rival PS3 which would see Microsoft profiting from any title that makes use of the technology.

We don't want to call out shenanigans immediately but this is hard to believe for a few reasons. One billion dollars to purchase Epic Games, who also own the rights to the Gears of War universe (Microsoft owns the current characters and title) and the Unreal franchise, seems like a bargain considering the value of the Unreal Engine licenses alone. This move would also put Microsoft at the forefront of current legal problems Epic is having with Silicon Knights, who has a publishing partnership with Microsoft. Also, Epic management don't seem like the kind of folks to let this thing slide considering how well they do financially on their own. We might be wrong on this one, but until we see the GamePro issue in question, talk to Epic's Mark Rein or hear about it from Xbox boss Don Mattrick we're not willing to call this one based on the fact that Epic has a booth next to Microsoft at GDC '08. But hey, crazier things have happened right and it really could happen couldn't it?

Rumor: MS to buy Epic Games? - Xbox 360 Fanboy

[PirateThom]

I noted this as being unlikely for a few reasons.

The main one being Epic and their dislike of Live (charging for maps, Unreal Tournament III a de facto PS3 exclusive, their open source nature in general).

[Nirvana09]

I hope they do it.

Originally Posted by PirateThom

I noted this as being unlikely for a few reasons.

The main one being Epic and their dislike of Live (charging for maps, Unreal Tournament III a de facto PS3 exclusive, their open source nature in general).

They were slightly ticked about it.. and most of that is internet conjecture. UT3 is not a PS3 exclusive... it is coming to 360 in late Spring early Summer (at least that is what Epic has hinted at)

Also a buyout is a buyout... everyone has their price.

[Shpeshal Ed]

Originally Posted by PirateThom

I noted this as being unlikely for a few reasons.

The main one being Epic and their dislike of Live (charging for maps, Unreal Tournament III a de facto PS3 exclusive, their open source nature in general).

I don't think it'll happen.

But sales of UT3 have accelerated the 360 port GREATLY. MS is in the box seat on UT3 now. Mods or no mods. MS could have at least guaranteed them some sales.

Now, by the time the game comes, Gears 2 will be on it's way and taking away all of it's thunder, meaning no sales on either format.

After UT3 on PS3, maybe Epic WANTS to be bought, who knows? I still find it unlikely though.

[PirateThom]

Originally Posted by Shpeshal Ed

I don't think it'll happen.

But sales of UT3 have accelerated the 360 port GREATLY. MS is in the box seat on UT3 now. Mods or no mods. MS could have at least guaranteed them some sales.

Now, by the time the game comes, Gears 2 will be on it's way and taking away all of it's thunder, meaning no sales on either format.

After UT3 on PS3, maybe Epic WANTS to be bought, who knows? I still find it unlikely though.

The 360 port is 100% finished, but Epic want mods and Microsoft won't let them.

If they game gets released, as is, it's going to be a shallow shell of a game since it relies on mods.

[downphoenix]

This would be a major win for microsoft, because they could either close out people using UE3 on other systems, or profit on it. They could even use it as an incentive to lure developers (offer discounted, or even free, UE3 usage, as long as they meet certain criteria and do not offer the game on PS3, for instance) to develop exclusive for 360 and Windows PCs.

[BCA]

A4 (sequel to A3) - (2009) AniPark
Aliens — (2009) Gearbox Software
America's Army 3.0 — (2008) US Army
American Mcgee's Grimm - (2008) Spicy Horse
APB — (2008) Webzen
Alliance of Valiant Arms - (2007) Pmang
Black College Football: BCFX: The Xperience - (2007) Nerjyzed Entertainment
Black Powder Red Earth - (2007) Echelon Software
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway — (2008) Gearbox Software[41]
BioShock - (2007) 2K Boston/2K Australia
BlackSite: Area 51 — (2007) Midway Austin
Blitz - (2008) CJIG
Borderlands - (2008) Gearbox Software
Command and Conquer: Tiberium - (2008) EA Los Angeles
Crimecraft - (2008) Vogster Entertainment
Damnation - (2008) Blue Omega / Point of View
DC Comics MMO — (TBA) Sony Online Entertainment
Earth No More — (2009) Recoil Games / 3D Realms
Empire - (TBA) Chair Entertainment
Ender's Game — (TBA) Chair Entertainment
Elveon — (2007) 10tacle Studios[42]
End - (TBA) Faramix Enterprises[43]
Fatal Inertia — (2007) Koei[44]
Free Realm - (TBA) Sony Online Entertainment
Frontlines: Fuel of War — (2008) Kaos Studios
Fury — (2007) Auran[45]
Gears of War — (2006) Epic Games
Global Agenda — (TBA) Hi-Rez Studios[46]
Hail to the Chimp — (2008) Wideload Games [47]
Halo Wars — (TBA 2008) Ensemble Studios
Highlander: The Game — (TBA 2008) TBA
Hei$t - (2007) inXile Entertainment
Hour of Victory — (2007) Midway Games
Huxley — (2008) Webzen Games[48]
Interstellar Marines - (2008) Zero Point Software [49]
Lost Odyssey — (2007) Mistwalker[50]
Mass Effect — (2007) BioWare[51]
Magna Carta 2 - (TBA) Softmax
Medal of Honor: Airborne — (2007) Electronic Arts[52]
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia — (2007) Artificial Studios[53]
Mortal Kombat 8 - (2008) Midway
Parabellum - (2008) Acony
Project Georgia - (TBA) Obsidian Entertainment
Project M - (TBA) NC Soft
Red Steel sequel - (TBA) Ubisoft
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy - (2008) High Moon Studios
RoboBlitz — (2006) Naked Sky Entertainment[54]
Rogue Warrior: Black Razor - (2007) Bethesda Softworks
Section 8 (2009) Timegate Studios
Sephiroth 2 - (TBA) IMagic Entertainment
Sin City - (TBA) Transmission Games / RedMile Entertainment[55]
Stargate Worlds — (2007) Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment[56]
Stranglehold — (2007) Midway Chicago[57]
The Agency - (2008) Sony Online Entertainment
The Last Remnant — (2008) Square Enix
The Scourge Project — (N/A) Tragnarion Studios
Tiberium — (TBA) Electronic Arts[58]
TNA iMPACT! - (2008) Midway Games / Point of View
To End All Wars — (2008) Kuju Entertainment [59] [60]
Tom Clancy's EndWar — (2008) Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas - (2006) Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - (2008) Ubisoft
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty — (2008) Spark Unlimited
Turok — (2008) Propaganda Games
Undertow — (2007) Chair Entertainment
Unreal Tournament 3 — (2007) Epic Games
The Wheelman — (2008) Midway Games
Warmonger - (2008) NetDevil
project M (codename by NC Soft new MMORPG) - (2009) NC Soft
project M (codename by Red Duck new MMORPG) - (2010) Red Duck
MU2 (2010) - Webzen

Wikipedia list of current/future Unreal Engine 3 games in case anyone is wondering what M$ could profit from.

[PirateThom]

Originally Posted by downphoenix

This would be a major win for microsoft, because they could either close out people using UE3 on other systems, or profit on it. They could even use it as an incentive to lure developers (offer discounted, or even free, UE3 usage, as long as they meet certain criteria and do not offer the game on PS3, for instance) to develop exclusive for 360 and Windows PCs.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Unreal Engine 3 is not great, all the games look the same in it. At the very least it might actually cause developers to develop good game engines.

[downphoenix]

Mass Effect doesn't use the Unreal engine, does it?

I was under the impression it used the Aurora engine.