SRMember

Not only are extreme NDAs a good idea, they are *necessary* when game development takes 5-10 years and the final product often looks very different from the rumors. Or even offical preannouncements.

(Here's looking at you, DRAGON AGE VEILGUARD, which isn't even an RPG much less a proper DRAGON AGE sequel.)

More, publishers need to stop preannouncements.

What's the point of showing a few rendered clips before the game is even started coding? (EVERWILD anybody?) At least Obsidian made a droll joke video of the practice.)

I understand the desire to reassure the market that new games are coming but vaporware announcements only feed the narrative that the game is in trouble or has been cancelled when it fails to show up.

A game should never be announced until it is at least in alpha.

Don't forget that he is allegedly setting up a game development studio to leverage his xAI studio tech. For that he can either start from scratch with a new untested IP or he could buy a still profitable IP.

Plus he can afford it.

Plus he already has the AI tech.

Plus, the Hasbro brands are strong.

Now, consider what happens if he sets up an online D&D "gaming room" where friends can gather virtually (or physically) with an AI Dungeon Master.

Remember, one of the hardest part of any game is setting up lore and balancing the gameplay. Well, what is D&D IP but precisely that; lore and balanced rules?

The type of game will define what else is needed but he doesn't have to create a story and characters; the gamers do that in a typical D&D real world gaming session, no? And if voice actuated it might play something like online poker. That would not be hard to code.

The games he produces don't have to be massive ELDER RING or BALDURS GATE 3 class games. They don't even have to be PALWORLD level. They might even be self-funded by Hasbro's current revenue streams.

This is all speculative: he loves to troll and his targets are really EA and Obsidian. But a good troll needs at least a veneer of plausibility and this one is not impossible.

Musk is known for online trolling (like his whimsical question about the value of MSNBC), especially lately. And his wheelhouse has long been tech and manufacturing industries.

But...

Hasbro took a big hit over 2022-23 and is now trading about 40% lower than their 2021 peak.

If he were to spend $10B it would be turning some of his paper earnings from the post election Tesla bump into a revenue generator. Not that Hasbro is a rain maker but it is somewhat profitable (9% margin) and if he is serious about creating a gaming publisher it's not a bad starting point. Conceivably he could also grab Ubisoft (which is also eyeing LLM game coding) in a merger.

So, not crazy.

But still, likely trolling.

When Activision came up for sale, Sony was the first company Kotick contacted. Then he discovered they only wanted COD and couldn't even afford that much.

History may be repeating.

Worse, the price isn't so high that any of a number of other players can't outbid them.

If $3-4B is beyond their reach it surely isn't beyond Tencent, Microsoft, Nintendo, or any other big multinational gaming company like EA, TAKE 2, or even Roblox if interested in expanding into Asia. Some of the Japanese gaming publishers like Sega, Square, or Konami might need to get creative raising cash (or finding a partner) but they could do it.

The best fit might actually be Nintendo (MS doesn't seem interested in jumping into the non-software IP business) because they have nothing like FROMSOFT. Tencent can do it but it's not clear a Japanese firm would welcome a Chinese buyer. (Or American, for that matter.) And it would be...enjoyable...if Sony announces they want KADOKAWA and they end up with Nintendo.

Don't think the fanbase of either would mind, would they?

Don't see a lawsuit unless Sony, like Nintendo, has a patent they can claim is being violated.

Look and feel lawsuits under trade dress laws are hard to win and copyright only covers the actual code. You can't copyright the *idea* of animal-shaped robots any more than you can Copyright the idea of powersuited characters or demolition-derby car games.

That leaves trademark and that is more of a market confusion thing. If anything, it might hurt Sony if and when they release a Horizon online multiplayer game.

Sony can't even try to outspend them in eternal litigation because TENCENT has deeper pockets than they do.

As is, the copying is only skin deep; the Tencent game is different in all the ways that matter. Game category, gameplay, target market, and (apparently) monetization as it is a live service game. If anything, ARK might have a better case. For all we know the thing started out as a clone of ARK and got a Horizon facelift later.

Specifically, the game presents as a post apocalyptic survival game with coop, crafting, creature capture and "training". None of those apply to *existing* Horizon games.

Depending on when Tencent started work on their game and Sony started work on their unreleased live service game, Tencent might even have a better case on a countersuit. 😁

Best guess is Sony has to grin and bear it.

At least they now know it feels like to have a Chinese company shamelessly copy your product. (Look up Chery Cars.) This is neither the first not the last time China, Inc does it to a successful global company.

The OP is mostly right...

...for the base game.

But the GOTY version (or the base game with DLC) includes the garden floor panels that let you grow food anywhere and, more importantly, place water pumps (up to 14 per panel) to build massive water farms. Which, btw, it is the easiest/fastest way to start a playthrough. With hundreds of pounds of water every game day you can buy enough building material shipments to build high above the unscrappable structures.

Some locations let you build very high, up to 20+ floors in some places. Red Rocket, for one.

Also, one building mechanic no often mention is that solid foundations will snap to wooden stairs and walls, which allows stacking them to build high and thick concrete perimeter walls. Essentially castles. Plant a few rocket turrets atop those walls and the place practically defends itself.

So no, Red Rocket is a very good place to build. You can go high, have a commanding view of the attackers, and be close enough to merchants to sell water.

The Alley is tricky but it is a good place for a water farm to sell to Diamond City and the vault. No real need to call settlers there.

The same is true for Taffington. Up to three merchant sites in quick reach, easy to build a cube fort with plenty of rooms for settlers, and easily defensible even from enemies that spawn inside the walls (they only pop in at ground level).

It's easy to be creative with the base game but Creations and mods allow even more sophisticated settlements. Lots of fun to be had just with crafting.