Microsoft has never lacked the ambition to expand its territory.
In addition to the operating system, Microsoft was once ambitiously involved in the MSN portal business, Xbox game console business, Bing search engine business and so on.
It's just that, relying on the powerful 'hindsight' that is always slower than others.
None of these projects were successful.
The online service with MSN as the core suffered a loss of 13 billion US dollars before and after, and finally nothing happened; the Xbox game console lost 3 billion in ten years, and barely burned out the game ecological chain, but it is far away from catching up with PS; the Bing search engine has accumulated losses Ten billion, there is no sense of existence in front of the powerful Google. Needless to say, other failures in the mobile phone business, tablet business, and mobile social applications. Even when the portal website was about to fade away, Microsoft once failed to see the situation clearly and wanted to acquire Yahoo for US$46 billion. It was "lucky" to touch It was only when he got on another guy who couldn't see the situation clearly, that he escaped a catastrophe.
At this time, at the Vanity Fair party, Eric listened to Damen’s classmates half-disguised about Microsoft’s intention to enter Hollywood, but he only had a bit of excitement in his heart. Well, let’s not underestimate people, just in case It succeeded by accident.
However, on the surface, Eric frowned slightly, pretending to persuade sincerely: "Bill, Microsoft's business center should be in IT, I don't think it's a good choice for you to make movies."
"How will you know if you don't try it?" Bill Gates said confidently, "What's more, isn't Firefly spanning the two major industries of IT and media?"
Eric knew that Damen Damen was referring to the entire Firefly business empire territory, and shook his head, saying: "This is not the same, Firefly Group and Firefly Investment have always been distinct."
Bill Gates smiled and took a sip of champagne from the glass in front of him. He didn't believe Eric's words.
Entering Hollywood is definitely not the result of Microsoft's whim. It is the result of a detailed analysis of the development trajectories of several major high-tech companies under Firefly Investment.
Take Yahoo as an example. Without the tireless support of the entire Firefly Group in terms of content and marketing resources, this Internet company would never have developed so rapidly. Yahoo’s brand placement in the first part of "Charlie's Angels" has long been It has become a successful marketing case for many companies to study and emulate.
According to statistics, Yahoo, America Online, Cisco, and Nokia, which are invested by Firefly, and other brands located overseas, excluding obvious hard advertisements, these brands are mentioned more than 300 times in Firefly’s huge media channel network every month. many. This kind of marketing effect that subtly makes people produce these brands and even an inseparable part of their lives is the most terrifying.
On the other hand, although Jeff Locke, one of Yahoo’s Big Three, was recruited to Microsoft last year to be responsible for the portal operation business, the MSN portal business launched by Microsoft has improved after a year of development, but MSN lacks content. Short boards were also quickly highlighted. In this regard, Firefly Group and its major allies will definitely not provide any content support for Microsoft. Although they can also cooperate with Time Warner and other groups, they will be controlled by others after all. Getting involved in the media industry has become a good choice.
The investment in the studio headed by Spielberg is only the first step for Microsoft to enter the media industry.
Since Jeff Locke left Yahoo last year, there has been a faint rift between the two parties. At this time, they only maintain harmony on the surface.
After chatting politely, Bill Gates got up and walked away.
Eric asked the waiter to refill a glass of wine for himself, and sat at the bar to consider the possible consequences of Microsoft's entry into Hollywood. Although he is not optimistic about the prospect of Microsoft getting involved in the media industry, Eric will not underestimate the other party. With Microsoft's strength, if Bill Gates is determined to enter the media industry, it will definitely affect his future layout.
Given the current situation in the media industry, in addition to cooperating with Spielberg and others to form a new major studio, Microsoft also has two other potentially unstable targets that can be annexed, namely Columbia in the hands of Sony and one of the four major TV stations. One CBS.
Eric has been secretly paying attention to the "Godzilla" project being produced by Sony Pictures. Although the film has not officially started shooting, the image of Godzilla that has been confirmed is very similar to a certain weak chicken Tyrannosaurus rex in the previous life. Look, this version of "Godzilla" is still on the old road. If "Godzilla" fails next year as it did in the previous life, Sony's confidence in continuing to operate Columbia will be hit again, and this will also be a great opportunity for others to take over Columbia Pictures.
Eric originally planned to leave this opportunity to MGM. However, with Microsoft joining in to disrupt the situation, the possibility that the other party will intervene will not be ruled out at that time.
Another unstable target is CBS. After failing to bid for Paramount with Viacom, Barry Diller launched the acquisition of CBS TV again last year. However, Barry Diller almost negotiated with CBS management and When the major shareholders negotiated the terms of the acquisition, Comcast, which was responsible for providing funds for the acquisition, suddenly stopped the project, which caused Barry Diller's return to the media industry to be frustrated again, and CBS returned to the for sale again. state.
Obviously, after cooperating with Spielberg and others to establish a major studio, if Microsoft wants to go further, Columbia Pictures and CBS will undoubtedly become the best targets. At that time, the two sides will inevitably meet again.
Eric was thinking about how to deal with it. Elizabeth and Julia walked over arm in arm. The two women were wearing identical suspender dresses, but one was black and the other was white. It looked a bit weird as a couple.
Walking up to Eric, Julia seemed to see the owner's kitten, and was about to rub against Eric with watery eyes, but Elizabeth grabbed her: "Hey, you are my girlfriend now, so It would be embarrassing for me to lean on other men."
Eric smiled helplessly. Elizabeth is now completely out of the closet in a half-truth and half-fake state. Although everyone knows that she has a relationship with his girlfriend, Elizabeth often blatantly goes out with Julia. Pulled Julia completely under the Fox banner, and at this time was filming "Shakespeare in Love" in charge of Miramax.
For this matter, Murdoch also called Eric specifically to ask what was going on. Eric didn't know what to say, so he could only perfunctory. Murdoch is also worried, not just for this daughter, because the old man's eldest son, Lachlan, also has a tendency to be somewhat unknown. He doesn't even have a girlfriend at the age of twenty-five, and instead likes to date a group of "beautiful" models Hunk, um, is a male model, which is actually one of the reasons why Lachlan Murdoch was sent back to his hometown in Australia by the old Murdoch last year
Patting his left hand, Eric said to Julia: "Don't pay attention to her, come and sit here."
Julia shook off Elizabeth and sat on the seat to Eric's left. Elizabeth glared at the two of them, but sat down on Eric's right.
Eric beckoned to the waiter to prepare drinks for the two girls, but Julia next to her approached without hesitation, waved her left hand at Eric, and said, "Look, Eric, is she pretty? "
Eric took a good look. It was the rose gold ring with 4 hearts. He didn't expect Julia to bring it out publicly. You know, the ring has the 'Williams' emblem tattooed on it.
Eric had someone make a whole set according to the numbers of the playing cards, but now he only has Virginia and Joanna, Julia and Elizabeth, Drew, and Nicole and Famke, these seven women They still stayed with Eric. Other women got along with each other for a period of time, or Eric felt bored and took the initiative to let go, or the relationship naturally cooled down, and they all left. The remaining thirty-seven rings lay quietly Inside the safe in Pointe Manor.
His thoughts settled down, and he was less frivolous and frivolous in the first few years. Now Eric would rather give a woman a bank card than take out the ring easily. In the past few years, there are still only seven women who own this ring. .
Grabbing Julia's little hand and admiring it for a moment, Eric nodded with a smile: "It's beautiful," and asked Elizabeth beside him: "Where's yours?"
Elizabeth raised her hand to signal, and then said: "Now this is the couple ring of me and Julia, it has nothing to do with you. Hehe, just now Demi Moore asked me where I bought it."
Eric wondered: "Demi Moore?"
Elizabeth thought that Eric didn't know who Demi Moore was, and explained: "Bruce Willis' wife, a very smart woman."
"Oh," Eric responded, changed the subject, and asked, "Aren't you in charge of the preparations for "Star Wars Prequel" recently? How is the situation?"
The news of the prequel of "Star Wars" has never been broken. As the memory of a generation of Americans, almost every news of the film can cause heated discussions. Although Eric is not very interested in the Star Wars series, he is also affected by countless news.
Hearing Eric mentioning this matter, Elizabeth's face immediately became depressed and Wubi said: "Don't mention it, George Lucas suddenly told us last week that the start of filming may be postponed for another half a year. revealed that they want to re-negotiate the release.”
Eric almost immediately thought of the classmate who had just left, the timing was too coincidental.
"Do you know why?"
Elizabeth turned her head and looked around the hall for a while, but she couldn't find anyone, she turned around and said, "Didn't you just chat with Bill Gates, it was him."
"So Spielberg also wants to bring George Lucas closer to the upcoming studio?"
Elizabeth also obviously heard the relevant news, maybe even more than Eric, nodded and said: "Yes, I guess, their target should be Industrial Light and Magic, because the film originally planned to cooperate with the digital field in terms of special effects, I also brought in another producer to talk to Stan, and last week, when Lucas told me that the film might be delayed, he also canceled his intention to cooperate with the digital field."
Eric took a sip of his wine, frowning slightly.
Although Industrial Light and Magic has been left far behind by the digital field in recent years, this special effects studio has a profound background in special effects after all. It has been abandoned by the digital field in recent years, mainly because mainstream special effects blockbusters have chosen the digital field for special effects production. , without enough projects for technology research and development and accumulation, it is almost inevitable that Industrial Light & Magic will be abandoned.
But just as the former "Lord of the Rings" trilogy supported Weta Digital, if the special effects of the "Star Wars Prequel" trilogy are all completed by Industrial Light and Magic alone, although the production process will definitely be bumpy and the cost will definitely be higher. It will be higher, but with the experience of three blockbuster special effects films, Industrial Light & Magic's special effects level will soon catch up, which is not a good thing for the digital field.
What is even more frustrating is that this kind of thing is still difficult to stop. Because with the increasing demand for special effects in Hollywood movies, no matter how large the digital field is, it is impossible to swallow all the special effects business.
Although without the participation of Katzenberg, Spielberg, David Geffen and George Lucas, coupled with Microsoft's strong technical and financial support, the strength of the brand-new major studio should not be underestimated. . It seems that Firefly still has to cheer up and deal with it.
"Eric, how is the situation of "Titanic"? I heard that it has just been completed recently, and the production cost has reached 120 million US dollars?" Elizabeth also asked about the firefly's affairs, her tone was concerned, And habitually with a little schadenfreude.
"Probably, if you want to complete the later stage, the total cost will need 200 million U.S. dollars," Eric shrugged. Fortunately, after receiving Eric's promise of sufficient financial support, Cameron finally did not delay this time. The shooting of the film has been completed, and the post-production has started rapidly.
"U.S. $200 million, tsk tsk, plus the post-publication costs, it will take at least $700 million at the global box office to pay back." Elizabeth shook her head, and said: "Cameron's movie box office is at best only $500 million or $600 million. "
"Yeah, I'm also worried." Eric smiled and looked at Elizabeth: "How about Fox helping me share some costs? Our production budget is originally 150 million, and you can give me another 50 million .”
"U.S. $200 million, tsk tsk, plus the post-publication costs, it will take at least $700 million at the global box office to pay back." Elizabeth shook her head, and said: "Cameron's movie box office is at best only $500 million or $600 million. "
"Yeah, I'm also worried." Eric smiled and looked at Elizabeth: "How about Fox helping me share some costs? Our production budget is originally 150 million, and you can give me another 50 million .” (To be continued.)