Well that's how it works, usually. It's actually out of the norm to see things like Bungie's Destiny or Minecraft staying multiplat.
This revelation wouldn't be big news if MS spokesmen (Phil, marketing and company) wouldn't lie about their true intentions continuously, dividing gamers even more along platform choice lines when folks make the conscious, or unconscious choice to parrot these false narratives and straight up lies that poison normal gamer-to-gamer discourse (because after all these narratives defy all normal common sense). However if MS and its acting heads didn't lie and deceive through their teeth they would be straight up naked, laying bare its true intentions for the market and to any and all potential audiences. In plain language, the job of MS acting heads and the company as a whole is to cover a smelly, nasty turd with perfume and pink candy coloring so folks and candy experts can pretend it's not a nasty turd. Naturally as a consequence of being naked MS would undoubtedly be rejected by most of the audience, including neutral observers with little knowledge or exposure to these topics. If MS didn't pursue this path of lies and deceit they wouldn't be able to give regulators a chance to allow MS get this acquisitions approved because it would be, shall we say, almost criminal to do so, even for the utterly corrupt (and many of these appointees at these institutions most certainly are - the career almost requires it these days for the climb). Thus if you lie, if you keep false pretenses, if you manufacture false narratives, if you craft and execute the deceit you give yourself, and not only yourself but also corrupt institutions a chance to deliver what MS ultimately wants (approval)......... despite whatever theater these institutions come up with (for the plebs that pay their bills with their tax money or parties that may be harmed but don't necessarily have the lobbying power to compete in equal footing aka Sony). In ideal terms, since no one is stupid, specially those helming these regulatory institutions, they would block this deal and blast it on first sight considering the rap sheet of the defendant in question and even recent precedent of straight up lies and deceit to these very same bodies (Bethesda acquisition exclusives). The strategy of lies and deceit is imperative to getting to the stage where these "pure", "incorruptible", "shining" institutions consider "behavioral remedies" on the most anti-competitive move the industry has ever seen. It's like a judge pretending a repeating drug offender will quit his addiction if the addict is mandated to go to some meetings at some recovery institution for a year. This is the pantomime that these institutions are running with now for the audience, and many in the audience are completely hooked on the make-believe (the threads on all gaming forums are immense and all consuming on this topic - a wonderful case study on sheep behavior).
In short, MS will definitely lie and they'll most definitely deceive - it pays a hundred times fold. Thus this strategy is built-in to the plan, and the overall success of the plan highly depends on how well this game on the public relations sphere can be maintained to allow and give these institutions plausible cover. Since Sony ain't no Amazon or Apple or Google, that is, a competitor with real lobbying teeth, it's no wonder that its the CMA the agency that is barking the loudest considering how much Sony has spent on the UK, and well, Sony did choose the UK to be its HQ for SIE - it's sort of expected of them to show that the faith from Sony's leadership wasn't misplaced when the UK won the tug of war that saw Shawn Layden and the American side lost (which has benefited the UK in terms of high tech job investment).
Naturally, neither the FTC nor the European court want to find themselves naked with their pants down in case the CMA does the miracle and comes down with the block hammer (however unlikely) while these other two ultimately intended to give MS a small slap (remedies), while allowing the acquisition to go through (the ultimate, most important MS objective). This is why there are so many delays, literally hot potato, on decisions - as if battling each other in a contest of "I'm not the most corrupt - you go first". That sheep can't see through the mirage and allow themselves to be consumed ny bickering along "party lines", "good vs. evil" says more about their lack of critical thinking skills, education, and the effect propaganda conditioning has had on their brain in how they frame conflict (pervasive since birth till death) - this ain't a Hollywood movie.
I was actually very dismissive of the CMA earlier on my superficial analysis and I still hold the view they're paper weight but Sony has shown it has some decent connections (pull, lobbying power - whatever you want to call it) there. Or you could put it this way, for lack of having bigger balls, it has to settle for what little they have in the UK and thus place their whole bet on the CMA (a non-entity until now). For what is worth, to bring in a Matrix reference, "It has made a believer out me" .... sorta...
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