5 ms·

I'm curious, has anything ever improved as a result of being bought by Microsoft?

by pshc 10y ago

cwbrandsma 10y ago
Depends on how you look at it. With games: Minecraft and Halo didn't get any worse so far. On the business side, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SQL Server, and Analysis Services all got better, often to the point you don't remember them NOT being Microsoft products anymore. Microsoft also created a better Java, they just called it C# (ok, a bit snarky in that last one)
- talles 10y ago
  Point taken, but don't forget about Rare.
  - freehunter 10y ago
    That's an excellent point and very relevant. Rare was a Nintendo "second party" developer (Nintendo exclusive developer but not officially owned by Nintendo) who produced tons of classic games for Nintendo and was very successful. Battletoads, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, etc. They then started looking to be bought out (hoping to be bought by Nintendo) but Microsoft ultimately bought them. After moving to Microsoft, they made Perfect Dark Zero (terrible), Viva Piñata (unsuccessful), Kinect Sports (moderate success), and a single possible bright spot, the upcoming Sea of Thieves that's looking pretty good. Rare is a great example of how Nintendo and Microsoft differ and why it wouldn't necessarily be a huge success.
- FigmentEngine 10y ago
  actually this is more about the fact that company acquisitions dont add value. its frustrating but $MSFT is not more likely than others. 83% dont add value https://www.group50.com/mergers-acquisitions-shareholder-value/ https://www.group50.com/mergers-acquisitions-shareholder-val... many more on https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=company%20acquisitions%20dont%20add%20value https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=company%20acquis...
- umanwizard 10y ago
  When was Word ever not a Microsoft product?
  - gpapilion 10y ago
    Microsoft acquired a word processing company, and the owner claims that became word. I can't remember the company, and there isn't as much lore around it as the qdos purchase.
    - philliphaydon 10y ago
      Bravo? I Guess he bought the code with him because MS hired him to write Multi Word Tool which later became Word.
- chongli 10y ago
  Halo might have done well but I mourn the death of all of Bungie's [0] other [1] franchises [2]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth:_The_Fallen_Lords https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth:_The_Fallen_Lords [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_(video_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_(video_game)
  - fzzzy 10y ago
    Halo is basically an extension of the Marathon storyline. I do miss Myth and Oni though.
hiou 10y ago
Judging by the stock of late I would say the wealth of their shareholders. Which is the actual goal of a corporation as opposed to improving products after acquisition which is just one of many possible means to that goal.

I'm curious, has anything ever improved as a result of being bought by Microsoft?

by pshc 10y ago

I'm curious, has anything ever improved as a result of being bought by Microsoft?

Depends on how you look at it. With games: Minecraft and Halo didn't get any worse so far. On the business side, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SQL Server, and Analysis Services all got better, often to the point you don't remember them NOT being Microsoft products anymore. Microsoft also created a better Java, they just called it C# (ok, a bit snarky in that last one)

talles 10y ago
Point taken, but don't forget about Rare.
- freehunter 10y ago
  That's an excellent point and very relevant. Rare was a Nintendo "second party" developer (Nintendo exclusive developer but not officially owned by Nintendo) who produced tons of classic games for Nintendo and was very successful. Battletoads, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, etc. They then started looking to be bought out (hoping to be bought by Nintendo) but Microsoft ultimately bought them. After moving to Microsoft, they made Perfect Dark Zero (terrible), Viva Piñata (unsuccessful), Kinect Sports (moderate success), and a single possible bright spot, the upcoming Sea of Thieves that's looking pretty good. Rare is a great example of how Nintendo and Microsoft differ and why it wouldn't necessarily be a huge success.
FigmentEngine 10y ago
actually this is more about the fact that company acquisitions dont add value. its frustrating but $MSFT is not more likely than others. 83% dont add value https://www.group50.com/mergers-acquisitions-shareholder-value/ https://www.group50.com/mergers-acquisitions-shareholder-val... many more on https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=company%20acquisitions%20dont%20add%20value https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=company%20acquis...
umanwizard 10y ago
When was Word ever not a Microsoft product?
- gpapilion 10y ago
  Microsoft acquired a word processing company, and the owner claims that became word. I can't remember the company, and there isn't as much lore around it as the qdos purchase.
  - philliphaydon 10y ago
    Bravo? I Guess he bought the code with him because MS hired him to write Multi Word Tool which later became Word.
chongli 10y ago
Halo might have done well but I mourn the death of all of Bungie's [0] other [1] franchises [2]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth:_The_Fallen_Lords https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth:_The_Fallen_Lords [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_(video_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_(video_game)
- fzzzy 10y ago
  Halo is basically an extension of the Marathon storyline. I do miss Myth and Oni though.

hiou 10y ago

Judging by the stock of late I would say the wealth of their shareholders. Which is the actual goal of a corporation as opposed to improving products after acquisition which is just one of many possible means to that goal.