Apple tipped to buy Sony?

Danger781

The US stock market is alive with rumours that Apple is about to launch an unprecedented acquisition - with Sony and EA just two of gaming's mentioned targets.

Apple has $51 billion cash to spend - and, last week, Steve Jobs hinted at where that might go.


"We strongly believe that one or more very strategic opportunities may come along, that we can take, that we're in a unique position to take advantage of because of our strong cash position," he told investors.

"So I think that we would like to continue to keep our powder dry because we do feel that there are one or more strategic opportunities in the future."

Could those "strategic opportunities" include the purchase of a video games company?

Some on Wall Street obviously think so.

Kaufman Brothers have tipped EA, Netflix and even Facebook as targets.

But it today emerged that financial wires have also nodded to Adobe, Disney and - wait for it - Sony.

Leading financial magazine Barron's is reportedly suggesting that Apple faces "speculation that it could acquire Adobe Systems, Sony, or even Walt Disney".

Just imagine. It sounds crazy.

But $51 billion and no debt is an enviable position - particularly when you consider that, for its last fiscal year to March 31, 2010, Sony announced a net loss of 40.8 billion yen ($440 million dollars).

The Japanese hardware giant is estimated to have a Market Cap value in the region of $40 billion - comfortably in Apple's price range.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=271625

Dades

Apple buying Adobe would be very interesting.

Danger781

If Apple do actually take action on the rumors and make a bid for Sony, it would provide for a great partnership in my opinion. Microsoft won't stand a chance.

abouttobebanned

If Apple bought Adobe, the following statement would be redundant:

"Nobody knows how much photoshop costs, because nobody has ever paid for it"

ted1

micro soft own a good percentage of apple. They baile them out a few years back to keep them afloat so windows would have competition and keep the competition authority of their back.

Danger781

I know there has been some sort of feud between Apple and Adobe over the past few years, so I guess buying out the company would help to get around that problem Although, I'm not sure why they'd bother? For Flash and Photoshop? That money could be invested in much better ways..

whiterebel

ted1 wrote: »

micro soft own a good percentage of apple. They baile them out a few years back to keep them afloat so windows would have competition and keep the competition authority of their back.

No, they loaned them $250M - Buying majority shares would have been unacceptable with the monopoly position at the time.

Qs

Danger781 wrote: »

I know there has been some sort of feud between Apple and Adobe over the past few years, so I guess buying out the company would help to get around that problem Although, I'm not sure why they'd bother? For Flash and Photoshop? That money could be invested in much better ways..

Because they already own a large share of the design community but buying out Adobe would allow them to give their machines a pretty significant advantage when it comes to performance. Intel and Adobe already have agreements to share info so their products work better together. Apple would likely make that performance difference even more significant, thus meaning almost every designer would end up using an apple.

Danger781

Qs wrote: »

Because they already own a large share of the design community but buying out Adobe would allow them to give their machines a pretty significant advantage when it comes to performance. Intel and Adobe already have agreements to share info so their products work better together. Apple would likely make that performance difference even more significant, thus meaning almost every designer would end up using an apple.

Hmm.. Interesting :rolleyes:

positron

If Apple bought Sony, that would be disastrous imho!! Imagine next version of the PS, say PS4, in two colors, own proprietary ports and connectors, simplified xmb with almost nothing useful, bloated with silly stuff like iTunes that you can't remove etc..! Nightmare..!

chrislad

positron wrote: »

If Apple bought Sony, that would be disastrous imho!! Imagine next version of the PS, say PS4, in two colors, own proprietary ports and connectors, simplified xmb with almost nothing useful, bloated with silly stuff like iTunes that you can't remove etc..! Nightmare..!

Are you describing the current PS3!?

positron

chrislad wrote: »

Are you describing the current PS3!?

It could be worse man, a lot worse..! Massively dislike Apple..!

Otacon

So the PS4 will be overpriced, have features no one uses and have constant firmware issues... just like the PS3.

TBH I have never liked Apple's way of doing business, basically telling the user what they want rather than the other way around. Hopefully, whatever happens, game and console quality will be the priorities.

whiterebel

positron wrote: »

If Apple bought Sony, that would be disastrous imho!! Imagine next version of the PS, say PS4, in two colors, own proprietary ports and connectors, simplified xmb with almost nothing useful, bloated with silly stuff like iTunes that you can't remove etc..! Nightmare..!

You can't remove iTunes?!?!?!?
And they brought USB into the mass market, even though it is Intel's Tech, before they started using Intel processors?

Varik

Can you imagine the fanboys an apple ps4 would create, separately they're both retarded but apple has made a cult out of their fans. If Steve Jobs were dead and this happen fine but as apple is now no thank you.

Minstrel27

An Apple takeover would sadden me greatly. I don't like how Apple treat their customers so I would get an XBOX 360. Microsoft are no saints but Steve Jobs can blow me.

TiGeR KiNgS

Everyone forgot to mention the PS4 would be White, ewwwww,

GothPunk

Let's not forget here that investors tip that Apple are set to buy anything and everything. Some investment advisor pulled this out of their ass and now gaming sites picked up on it for some reason.

Might as well report that Apple are tipped to buy the Catholic Church.

RedXIV

GothPunk wrote: »

Might as well report that Apple are tipped to buy the Catholic Church.

Now THAT I would love to see

alastair_doom

Would love to see what Apple could do with a new PSP. I love my ipod touch, but if you add buttons, a control pad, advertising and their app store, they could give the 3DS a serious run for its money.

That said, I dread to think what they'd do to the PS3+

WhiskeyGoblin

Apple has no games.
Ps3 has no games.

PS4 will never exsist ;__;
Their laptops will come with Mac OS

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Eoin087

Ummm is it even possible for apple to buyout sony? From what I've been reading apple have around $51 billion to spend and when including all of sonys assets it adds up to around $140 billion... I'm no maths genius but wouldn't apple be short a few quid for it?

Otacon

Eoin087 wrote: »

...$140 billion...

Source? The article says $40 billion

milltown

whiterebel wrote: »

And they brought USB into the mass market, even though it is Intel's Tech, before they started using Intel processors?

Really?

I thought Apple had their colours pinned firmly to the Firewire mast until USB 2 arrived with similar transfer speeds and it's mass adoption made Firewire largely redundant.

I'm not in any position to argue with you but that was my understanding. Be interested to read any source that puts me straight.

Eoin087

Otacon wrote: »

Source? The article says $40 billion

2009 - http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/fr/08q4_sony.pdf

2010 - http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/ar/8ido18000003dkyy-att/8ido18000003dl0u.pdf

If I read that right sonys assets are worth $158 billion

Danger781

This is not likely to happen to be honest. I just posted it to see peoples reactions. If they really wanted to get into the gaming market, they should purchase Steam since Microsoft basically gave up developing PC games. Not sure how badly that would end though..

whiterebel

milltown wrote: »

Really?

I thought Apple had their colours pinned firmly to the Firewire mast until USB 2 arrived with similar transfer speeds and it's mass adoption made Firewire largely redundant.

I'm not in any position to argue with you but that was my understanding. Be interested to read any source that puts me straight.

USB first on the Bondi Blue iMac, as well as getting rid of the Floppy drive. Then pushed FireWire alongside USB as the "Pro" transfer capability for Camcorders and the like. Sony actually licenced the FireWire technology from Apple and called it something else, but never really used it, I don't think.

http://mactoids.com/imac-history/imac-233mhz-powerpc-g3-bondi-blue-rev-a/

macpac26

It won't happen but if it did it looks like Apple want a piece of Sonys gaming division. Personally as a Playstation and Apple customer it's a win win for me. Find it quite funny the attitude people have towards Apple these days and that if you like them your automatically a closed minded fanboy.

As I said this takeover will never happen. I see Apple going after EA as a more likely target.