Ctrl+Alt+Deceive: All The Dirt, Info, Lies, and LOLs We Found During FTC vs. Microsoft

[Alabtrosmyster]

My thoughts are:
1 - MS is a crappy company
2 - I don't know if that gives the FTC any ground to block the purchase of ABK, so whatever happens happens and that's it.

This is not like xbox was an alternative to Sony anymore than the Switch is an alternative to the PS5, they just talk to different people.

 

[KnittedKnight]

Good.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

It's amazing that with all of this evidence, somehow the FTC's lawyers couldn't tie it all together in a way to sway the judge's vote to their side. People will keep highlighting her son working for Microsoft and yes that's an obvious conflict of interest, but the FTC did not request for another judge, seemingly because they thought they could win the PI.

Well they failed. They're talking about appealing and whatnot, but unless something material surfaces, that's honestly just all talk IMO. They had a perfect opportunity to argue a legit case, but they made their point too much about how Sony was going to be hurt by the deal, and not enough on how Sony's customers would potentially be hurt.

Since the judge wanted to play the "it's about the consumers" game, FTC's lawyers should've caught on and tied all of their arguments back to how those things affected Sony's customers, and how Sony's customers being affected is essentially equivalent to customers being negatively impacted.

It is what it is :/

 

[Gods&Monsters]

In the end, nothing in the OP mattered. The judge has no issues with mass consolidation until every competitor is bankrupt.

New info about Starfield and Indiana

 

[Gediminas]

In the end, nothing in the OP mattered. The judge has no issues with mass consolidation until every competitor is bankrupt.

New info about Starfield and Indiana

Just show how delusional xbox are. So they say, if they sell 5M, they can actually sell 15M to offset it?

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

At this pace MS will be lucky if Starfield does 12 million between Xbox and PC lifetime. That AMD news has apparently really plummeted preorders, and that's considering at least a 60:40 split in favor of PC. If the game is bugged to oblivion and lacks mod support on console, I expect Xbox sales to be even lower and Game Pass sub growth attributable to it to be slightly muted.

Even if everything goes perfect for the game, I can't see anything more than 14-15 million lifetime sales for it between the two platforms. They need PS and Nintendo to get Skyrim numbers. As for Indiana Jones....yeah the recent movie isn't going to help that much at all. I don't see that doing more than 6-7 million across both platforms lifetime, especially if it's heavily leaning into the more recent installments (especially the recent film).

 

[ToTTenTranz]

That AMD news has apparently really plummeted preorders

I don't think 6 twitter users claiming to cancel their preorders (that they probably didn't even do in the first place) counts as an event that "really plummets preorders".

It's a so far unproven videogame from the studio that last brought us Fallout 76 and comes bundled with GamePass. It's obvious that $70 pre-orders were always going to be low for this game. Even if they count all the copies being offered by AMD on CPU and GPUs.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I don't think 6 twitter users claiming to cancel their preorders (that they probably didn't even do in the first place) counts as an event that "really plummets preorders".

It's a so far unproven videogame from the studio that last brought us Fallout 76 and comes bundled with GamePass. It's obvious that $70 pre-orders were always going to be low for this game. Even if they count all the copies being offered by AMD on CPU and GPUs.

Add on the fact the first big(ish) round of traditional advertising for Starfield...literally doesn't focus on or push the console or even buying the game whatsoever. Rather, get it through Game Pass on Samsung TVs :/.

I don't think people are going to like what the sales numbers for this game are going to look like, if they're expecting opening numbers or something like an Elden Ring or GOW Ragnarok in terms of sales trajectory. I think it can outdo Baldur's Gate 3's current estimates for its launch, but not by much, and that's with Xbox & PC combined.

 

[Yurinka]

In the end, nothing in the OP mattered. The judge has no issues with mass consolidation until every competitor is bankrupt.

New info about Starfield and Indiana

Good luck at trying to compensate 10M sales of each game via GP.

 

[Zzero]

Good luck at trying to compensate 10M sales of each game via GP.

The saving grace is that unless its amazing Indie wasn't going to sniff those numbers anyway.

 

[Edmund]

I think Microsoft's attempt to manipulate the metacritic score for Starfield should be added here as well.

Sure it's Bethesda who strategically sent codes to pro Xbox influencers and websites, but I think the mastermind behind this should be none other than Phil Spencer.

Microsoft needed a win and they did it by underhanded means.

 

[KiryuRealty]

I think Microsoft's attempt to manipulate the metacritic score for Starfield should be added here as well.

Sure it's Bethesda who strategically sent codes to pro Xbox influencers and websites, but I think the mastermind behind this should be none other than Phil Spencer.

Microsoft needed a win and they did it by underhanded means.

To be fair, Bethesda pulled the exact same shit before they sold out to MS, and MS did the same shit with bribery and favoured access to outlets that went easy on their games since the original Xbox days. None of the Starfield situation is anything new.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

To be fair, Bethesda pulled the exact same shit before they sold out to MS, and MS did the same shit with bribery and favoured access to outlets that went easy on their games since the original Xbox days. None of the Starfield situation is anything new.

Phil bought Bethesda so he can leard Todd's techniques and buy his expertise as a pathological liar so his gig can go on a bit longer.

 

[Johnic]

Here comes a new wave of FUD after middlind SF reviews. "What is Sony doing and where are the games?". One of the youtubers, which won't mention here and give him clicks, is already on it.

 

[laynelane]

Here comes a new wave of FUD after middlind SF reviews. "What is Sony doing and where are the games?". One of the youtubers, which won't mention here and give him clicks, is already on it.

Not surprising, they're just taking cues from the top. One thing this acquisition process clearly showed for me was just how much and often Phil and co. attempt to deflect blame for their failings by warring with Sony. The only ones who don't seem to see this are their hard-core fans who just get more and more out of touch. It's especially noticeable since Sony doesn't stoop to MS' level.

 

[JAHGamer]

Career moment for Phil Spencer = spending money he didn't earn from his trillion dollar parent company

 

[Swolf712]

Career moment for Phil Spencer = spending money he didn't earn from his trillion dollar parent company

Valve as well.

The fact that people are seriously defending this, or are more upset that this leaked than they are at some of the contents is... very, very telling.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

People. start tagging Phil Spencer and other Xbox executives, MS executives etc. on Twitter and reminding them up-front about these plans they want to conceal from everybody, while masquerading as pro-consumer good guys. Don't let them sleep easy on this. Let them know that you know, and let them know how slimy and greedy you feel their mentality as a gaming corporation is in wanting to just buy their way to success, making the industry smaller in the process.

Let alone desecrating our hobby along the way, eating out everything like a gluttonous pig at the buffet about to vomit everything right back up. Consuming well beyond their capacity...that is Microsoft. That is Xbox. And it shouldn't be supported if you genuinely care about gaming as a hobby, or its history, its roots, and everything thereof.

 

[JAHGamer]

I can't believe this is the people that Sony is choosing to send free PS5s and games to , what a joke !

 

[Would_you_kindly]

Career moment for Phil Spencer = spending money he didn't earn from his trillion dollar parent company

Someone get this man an award ! He's earned it ! /S