What did Microsoft do with all its cash?

[benheck]

First check out the chart I found one one of my favorite sites:

http://money.howstuffworks.com/microsoft3.htm

So even with rising income they went from $60 billion cash to $37 billion in a year. Granted that's still A LOT but where'd it all go?

Could this have anything to do with their die-hard push of the XBox 360? I dunno, makes you think.

See, this is what worries me, and should worry any gamer. With that much money Microsoft may be able to crush cash-straped Sony. Nintendo has lots of money too but not THAT much and let's face it, they're not as big a threat like Sony. Similar to how Microsoft killed Netscape but didn't care less about Apple.

Sure gaming started in America but the Japanese pulled it out of the dark ages and made it better. Do we really want a world with 1 game machine maker (and computer maker) and EA?

It reminds me of an old Onion article - "Latest Mega-Merger Reduces Total Number of Companies to 3"

[abbibi]

I think the biggest mistake made in the gaming industry in recent years was Sega pulling the Dreamcast. Priced at only $99 dollars before it's demise, they could have really kept Microsoft from gaining a hold in the gaming industry. I always felt something special died when Sony became a major player. I think the world would be a better place if all the systems out there were made by dedicated gaming companies. The sun would shine brighter, the birds would sing Bohemian Rhapsody, and the buffalo would roam free.

[bioniclebert]

It reminds me of an old Onion article - "Latest Mega-Merger Reduces Total Number of Companies to 3"

Ah the onion....





Under crime:

"5 or 6 dudes jump out of no where and just start whaling on this one guy"

"This is totally messed up" Roommates said.



(wait nobody else caught that? *sigh*)

[xxxeagle]

I think the biggest mistake made in the gaming industry in recent years was Sega pulling the Dreamcast. Priced at only $99 dollars before it's demise, they could have really kept Microsoft from gaining a hold in the gaming industry. I always felt something special died when Sony became a major player. I think the world would be a better place if all the systems out there were made by dedicated gaming companies. The sun would shine brighter, the birds would sing Bohemian Rhapsody, and the buffalo would roam free.

I agree with you about the dreamcast. But I think that sega should have waited a while to release it. Also I think microsfoft kind of copied the dc controller. Really its very similar do the dc's.

[*o*]

i think its wrong that conglomerant companies have control of an industry they dont even specialise in i think we need nintendo and sega to knock out microsoft and most of sony (i still like there porables better)

[MilkMonster]

I hate the monopoly Microsoft has, but pretty soon the government will step in, like they did with Bell telephones (they split bell up into sbc, southern bell, etc.) and split it into smaller independent companies.

[abbibi]

i think its wrong that conglomerant companies have control of an industry they dont even specialise in i think we need nintendo and sega to knock out microsoft and most of sony (i still like there porables better)

I would like to think that if Sega was still in the portable business, they'd put the PSP to shame. The only complaint I remember of the Game Gear was it's incredibly low battey life.
Technology has advanced enough that shoving a Dreamcast into a PSP sized handheld is VERY possible. In fact, I'm going to to see how possible this is. If I can find a micro-pc with the right specifications, we could work together and make a professional handheld with an internal micro-drive (like the ipod) and load it with games!

Damn, I'm inspired! I'm gonna go do some research...

[extremesonic]

doesnt Microsoft lose "X" ammount of dollars on every XBOX made/sold. The whole XBOX project was a cash drainer on them, but you usually do lose out in your first venture. They're really hoping to finally turn a profit on the 360.

[nos_slived]

First check out the chart I found one one of my favorite sites:

http://money.howstuffworks.com/microsoft3.htm

So even with rising income they went from $60 billion cash to $37 billion in a year. Granted that's still A LOT but where'd it all go?

Could this have anything to do with their die-hard push of the XBox 360? I dunno, makes you think.

See, this is what worries me, and should worry any gamer. With that much money Microsoft may be able to crush cash-straped Sony. Nintendo has lots of money too but not THAT much and let's face it, they're not as big a threat like Sony. Similar to how Microsoft killed Netscape but didn't care less about Apple.

Sure gaming started in America but the Japanese pulled it out of the dark ages and made it better. Do we really want a world with 1 game machine maker (and computer maker) and EA?

It reminds me of an old Onion article - "Latest Mega-Merger Reduces Total Number of Companies to 3"

I'll bet you were reading HSW's front page article about Microsoft. I was checking out the updates last night, and I considerred reading that, but I decided against it, since it was about 3am.

[G-force]

Bill Gates spent it all on drugs. It makes sense.

[Sparkfist]

Guess Abbibi is out of the loop, but does anyone remember around January that a chip that contained the circuitry like that of the Dreamcast. It opperated at over 1GHz, simalar graphics engine. If you could get the pinout and find a PCB creator that is capible of making a board to accept the chip, you'd have a hand-held Dreamcast.

I'll agree that Microsoft isnt the best money handling company in exsistance, given a monopoly on the computer market they dont have to worry about income, Dell and all the PC manufactures are keeping them in the black. They also failed for the most part with the Xbox because it was a computer and really didnt have anything to offer over PS2 and GameCube.

I will say that if Microsoft does have Universal Online Play, I will be glad. Paying for Xbox-Live and the Hunter's Guild (Sega) is really silly. Why pay extra to play on someone else's servers.

[electromaster64]

I honestly don't think Microsoft has a monopoly, yet, They do great making OS's (despite what people say) But if they use their cash to dominate the videogame industry it will be a sad day, especially if nintendo died in the process (I don't like sony that much). I too think the Saturn and Dreamcast could have done better if they had kept supporting them, if it is not selling then just don't make any more but keep the games coming and people will buy them. But when you get in the habit of prematurely dropping products people loose confidence in your company. Everyone that I knew had the Dreamcast. It had a lot of good games but then they dropped it. I think nintendo and sega should team up and crush everyone

[benheck]

Of course they don't have a monopoly - what about those 3 Mac users out there?

[cowsgoquack101]

I got to tell you I got all three systems(first Nintendo). But I don't think that any company is better than the other one. They all have their qualitys and their downfalls. But I just wish I had 4 consoles to choose from intsead of 3.


P.S:But if you put some clothes on an xbox you have a pretty nice pillow.

[madc0w]

I think the biggest mistake made in the gaming industry in recent years was Sega pulling the Dreamcast. Priced at only $99 dollars before it's demise, they could have really kept Microsoft from gaining a hold in the gaming industry. I always felt something special died when Sony became a major player. I think the world would be a better place if all the systems out there were made by dedicated gaming companies. The sun would shine brighter, the birds would sing Bohemian Rhapsody, and the buffalo would roam free.

I agree with you about the dreamcast. But I think that sega should have waited a while to release it. Also I think microsfoft kind of copied the dc controller. Really its very similar do the dc's.

maybe its because they used the same designers for both...