If this is true... Then... Wow...

[Giyguy]

I would expect nothing less from Microsoft.

the problem is that this got out. i wasn't going to buy their Xboner anyway.

could be an elaborate sabotage from sony or something, but at this point i don't care anymore.

 

[Lunar Templar]

While I wouldn't put it past Microsoft, I kinda doubt it, said Devs/Pubs would be hurting them selves by going a long with it, especially since we're in times when 3 million sales is a 'failure', the more awareness the better for them.

 

[TJC]

Interviewer: "We've heard that you paid publishers so that they would shun Sony in regards to their multiplatform games. A quite nasty rumour, indeed. Can we get an official statement about this from MS?"

MS PR guy/girl: "uhm, uhhhhh we know this is an important issue for gamers and we will definitely look into that. Keep you ears open for news" or insert another useless marketing blab in here

There's something fishy about this rumour so I won't believe it until it actually turns out to be true. But I wouldn't be that surprised if it were. Wasn't there some exclusivity deal they struck with one of America's gaming jurnalistz?

 

[Boris Goodenough]

Internet Sheep says "Baaa baaa internet forum rumour baaa baaa outrage like it's actually true baaa baaa"

Sheeple, sheeple please calm down!

This seems very apropos:

We all enjoy a trip around the rumour mill, it is great fun to speculate and judge in advance!

 

[CrystalShadow]

It's microsoft. You're surprised?

This is a company who, during the 90's were known for the phrase Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.

They've been compared to the borg, because that's pretty much what they used to do.
If you had a company with a competing product, they'd buy you out.
And... If you refused, they'd crush you in any way possible.

Seriously, microsoft has a long-standing reputation for being evil.
It amazes me more that people have somehow managed to forget that...

I mean, their reputation was so bad when the original Xbox was released, they went out of their way to make the microsoft logos and such as tiny as possible.

Ah well. XD. I guess they've just slipped back into old habits really.

Oh. Someone else also remembered what Microsoft was like in the 90's.

Oh, I'd say a quite a few people in the corporate world remember too.

I mean, sometimes, it feels a bit like the main reason Sun Microsystems contributes so much code to OpenOffice is basically just a way of giving a big 'f&%^ you' to Microsoft for what they did a long time ago when Word & Excel actually still had some competitors.

 

[Tom Waits' hat]

It just business.

This... Surely this is just how companies normally react? It's like companies paying sports stars to wear their gear, or food companies paying to have their foods shown in white goods advertising. The only difference is that there are only 2 companies involved. I can't imagine at all that Sony haven't been doing the same from day one, this article was just written by a Sony fan as obvious slander and propaganda.

Welcome to life...

I think it's unethical but this is not exactly new to us. Just look at all the smearing TV commercial during the election.

 

[Wolfhowl the shadow lurker]

So they are thinking something along the lines "If we have to crash and burn we are going to drag you all down with us!"

I hope that this is not true but the fact that people could belive it is shows how people view scumbag microsoft these days

 

[Vivi22]

Internet Sheep says "Baaa baaa internet forum rumour baaa baaa outrage like it's actually true baaa baaa"

Sheeple, sheeple please calm down!

Someone on the internet presented a rumour, clearly stated it was a rumour, and everyone speculated on the implications of said rumour should it turn out to be true, while acknowledging that it may not be.

Better call people sheep and tell them to stop reacting to a rumour as though it were true. Wouldn't want to seem like we could actually read the comments being made now would we?

 

[Brotha Desmond]

I highly doubt this is true. Sure, I wouldn't put it past them, but I don't ever trust rumors like this until given proof. This could easily be an angry person on the internet trying to further damage microsoft's image. I say wait and see.

 

[Subscriptism]

Oh Microsoft, you are so cute in how evil you are. Like a puppy that tears up the sofa when it can't find it's chew toys.

 

[II2]

Speculating on the notion in question, it's certainly nothing new for MS to try and promote, develop or solve problems just by throwing wads of money at it until things they want happen...

It's kinda shady, but I think it's probably *legal* to offer to pay someone off to NOT advertize somewhere, but I don't think they'll get very far. E3 shows cost a ton and a lot of contracts get signed. A lot of those Pubs and Devs probably couldn't make the deal even if they felt inclined on account of breaching other press / event scheduling / corporate contracts.

It'd be a hard sell, even for some Dev or Pub who *could*... They'd have to be reimbursed for their very expensive E3 press and PR planning work and probably demand more to actually profit from the transaction, to make it worth their time. Ironically, they'd just pop up later on all the gaming news outlets and undo what their E3 absence afforded MS, though given that E3 is the big corporate press event for 'the rest of the world (and shareholders)' maybe that would afford some measure of damage control??

It seems like a real, desperate stretch, though. True or Rumored, as it is.

 

[feeback06]

That thread is pointing out more problems on microsofts end then just trying to pay out the competition. It sounds like they are in complete panic.

That is an interesting point. Who knows at this point?

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

Everyone realizes that this dog fight isn't just between Sony and MS, right?

The publishers absolutely want MS to win this thing because a) publishers will make more money per game sold on Xbone, and b) Sony will also have to start treating consumers like shit to keep pace.

Consumers (should) want Sony to win because a) they aren't attempting to rewrite basic ownership concepts in favor of billion dollar corporations, and b) it will force MS to reverse their course.

Assuming Sony doesn't implement similarly horrible anti-consumer features (big assumption at this point, btw), this is shaping up as a war between Sony+Consumers and MS+Publishers.

So with that in mind, don't be surprised if a number of larger publishers happily go along with whatever MS asks of them. The publishers are obviously best served if the Xbone succeeds. The only way Sony wins out is if their market share advantage is sizable enough to counter the superior margins on Xbone. How sizable depends on how much extra revenue is generated by Xbone's new "features".

To be honest, I expect to see some extremely questionable media coverage of E3. Look for major news sources (IGN, Gamespot, etc.) to come out in favor of Xbone with little or no reasoning. Wouldn't be surprised to see virtually no mention of the anti-consumer features.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Well, today is the day we find out if it's true or not. Let's see what happens.

Assuming Sony doesn't implement similarly horrible anti-consumer features (big assumption at this point, btw), this is shaping up as a war between Sony+Consumers and MS+Publishers.

Actually, Sony has said 3rd Parties can implement their own DRM and Always-Online Requirements. This isn't a fight between Sony and Microsoft, this is really a fight between Nintendo and Microsoft (Who are opposite ends of the Spectrum), with Sony caught in between (And borrowing things from both of them).