Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[Gediminas]

How? MS strategy is starving the competition, Adam, and you know this.
Unless you can come up with some sort of rebuttal… this is MS, this is what they do. It’s nothing new and it’s one of the main reasons UK will block the deal.

people who think that m$ can't take a loss and do anti-competitive stuff just living in dream world. they done that for decades now.

m$ lost 67B in 20 years on xbox. if it isn't anti-competitive, i don't know what is. after all this loss, they bought Bethesda 8,3B + incentives and now, they are buying ABK 69B + incentives.

nintendo and playstation is just peanuts in gaming compare to m$ power. all this buyouts and gamepass is just predatory practices to monopolize the gaming market. that's all.

 

[Doncortez77]

Microsoft is the kind of company that can never win a race so they decide to buy NASCAR instead.

I still don't know why they just don't take the money their using to buy ABK, just invest in moving the medium forward and build a better product, service and games which will lead to organic growth with a larger mindshare.

I personally dont care about any ABK games at all but I care about the direct gaming would go if they all this deal to go through and just let MS buy everything (enter a cheat code) just because they dont know how to play the business game.

 

[Swift_Star]

Is it my impression or the odds of this deal going through are becoming lower ?
It seems the more time passes, the more this deal will be blocked or have heavily remedies...

There's simply no way this deal will go through without any concessions after all the scrutiny MS is facing from the UK. Also, there is simply no way at all that they'll let CoD become an exclusive.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Microsoft is the kind of company that can never win a race so they decide to buy NASCAR instead.

I still don't know why they just don't take the money their using to buy ABK, just invest in moving the medium forward and build a better product, service and games which will lead to organic growth with a larger mindshare.

I personally dont care about any ABK games at all but I care about the direct gaming would go if they all this deal to go through and just let MS buy everything (enter a cheat code) just because they dont know how to play the business game.

You want to know why they don’t put that money into developing quality products on their own?

It is because, culturally, as a company, Microsoft is not capable of creating quality products.

Creativity and artistry are antithetical to the Microsoft way.

It is that simple.

 

[adamsapple]

How? MS strategy is starving the competition, Adam, and you know this.
Unless you can come up with some sort of rebuttal… this is MS, this is what they do. It’s nothing new and it’s one of the main reasons UK will block the deal.

Sony making exclusivity deals with third parties is also starving competition. The posts above mine were conspiracy BS that "oh first everyone said X but in reality its Y because i said so".

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

some people here should watch this video. and get educated a bit.

 

[Swift_Star]

Sony making exclusivity deals with third parties is also starving competition. The posts above mine were conspiracy BS that "oh first everyone said X but in reality its Y because i said so".

Sony timed exclusives will go to everywhere eventually, it's not comparable, you also know this and this ship has sailed long ago, give up, nobody is buying this, not even the CMA.

 

[adamsapple]

Sony timed exclusives will go to everywhere eventually, it's not comparable, you also know this and this ship has sailed long ago, give up, nobody is buying this, not even the CMA.

"Not even the CMA".

Weird flex, but ok. Sony have made more timed exclusivity deals to keep games off of Xbox this gen than the previous. If that's not intentional starvation of the competition, not sure what is. Don't forget, multiple Bethesda games were and future games were being planned, to be a full year timed exclusive to Sony. That's the kind of thing that bleeds competition.

Do you really think anyone will give a shit when Forspoken's 2 year exclusivity period ends ? No, and that's not just because the game was bad, but because 2 years is a very long time.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Sony making exclusivity deals with third parties is also starving competition. The posts above mine were conspiracy BS that "oh first everyone said X but in reality its Y because i said so".

Then Xbox exclusivity deals and Bethesda is also starving the competition. Nobody would have bought an Xbox for Deathpoop and Ghostwire so what games are you even talking about?

You think Sony sold more PS5s because of those games? No exclusivity deal in the last 3 years moved the needle that much so stop blaming Sony for Xbox failures.

People don't want an Xbox. Simple as that.

 

[Satoru]

Weird flex, but ok. Sony have made more timed exclusivity deals to keep games off of Xbox this gen than the previous. If that's not intentional starvation of the competition, not sure what is. Don't forget, multiple Bethesda games were and future games were being planned, to be a full year timed exclusive to Sony. That's the kind of thing that bleeds competition.

There are three types of platform exclusives

• The ones that you commission the game from a third party and keep the IP
• The ones were you pay to have the exclusive for X amount of time simply
• The ones where the developer doesn't care about releasing on other platforms

I have said I don't agree with 2 plenty of times, but you seem to imply that all of them are that same scenario when they aren't. Microsoft does this as well and I don't see you complaining.

Timed Xbox Console Launch Exclusives: The Complete List

Timed exclusives, or console launch exclusives, are nothing new, with both Xbox and PlayStation regularly releasing games that’re exclusive to their platform for a limited amount of time. These are different from permanent exclusives. Highly anticipated games such as Starfield and The Elder...

culturedvultures.com

Edit - It's also funny how you and every other Microsoft mouthpiece tries to level the playing field of two massive publisher acquisitions by saying "but sony pays for exclusives".

I'll remind you of this: One company is valued at ~100B. The other company is/has invested close to 80B in publisher acquisitions in the last 3 years.

Also, what was the volume of timed exclusives Sony paid for this gen and how is it bigger than last gen? I suppose you have data for that?

 

[Swift_Star]

Weird flex, but ok. Sony have made more timed exclusivity deals to keep games off of Xbox this gen than the previous.

Moot point, the games will go to Xbox eventually.

 

[adamsapple]

I have said I don't agree with 2 plenty of times, but you seem to imply that all of them are that same scenario when they aren't. Microsoft does this as well and I don't see you complaining.

Timed Xbox Console Launch Exclusives: The Complete List

Timed exclusives, or console launch exclusives, are nothing new, with both Xbox and PlayStation regularly releasing games that’re exclusive to their platform for a limited amount of time. These are different from permanent exclusives. Highly anticipated games such as Starfield and The Elder...

culturedvultures.com

Just look at the names of the games in your own article.

Do you think those have the same sway as huge franchises like Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, huge AAA projects like Death Stranding or the heavily rumored MGS remake ?

No, absolutely not, and saying that High on Life or Valheim will have the same sway as FF16 is just arguing for arguments sake.

Come on.

Moot point, the games will go to Xbox eventually.

The damage has been done at that point. If FF7 remake comes to Xbox later this year, it would be a welcome game but it would have little to no impact as its already a very old game by now and most anyone who wanted to, would have played it one way or the other.

This is the very definition of bleeding the competition.

You can choose to ignore it as "but it will come eventually" that won't change the effect they're having.

Then Xbox exclusivity deals and Bethesda is also starving the competition. Nobody would have bought an Xbox for Deathpoop and Ghostwire so what games are you even talking about?

Why ? If the games were releasing day and date on both platforms, they would have had similar kinds of reception on both platforms.

Elden Rings has only a 9~ % sales split on PS vs Xbox (using UK as an example) where PS hardware is almost 2, 3 times more available than Xbox (cross-gen keep in mind).

Lego Star Wars only has a sales split of 5% between the platforms with the same hardware split.

Assuming that "X game would not have done anything on Xbox and only be relevant on PS" is just a fanboy mentality.

You think Sony sold more PS5s because of those games? No exclusivity deal in the last 3 years moved the needle that much so stop blaming Sony for Xbox failures.

People don't want an Xbox. Simple as that.

All of these points are heavily subjective fanboy drivel.

But that's not really surprising.

 

[Doncortez77]

You want to know why they don’t put that money into developing quality products on their own?

It is because, culturally, as a company, Microsoft is not capable of creating quality products.

Creativity and artistry are antithetical to the Microsoft way.

It is that simple.

you're correct. I know why whey wont I was speaking to what make more sense business wise if they want to be the market and mindshare leader.

Microsoft had this identity for years and i know its never going to change.

Steve jobs said this in the past and it still true based on their performance today:

 

[Swift_Star]

The damage has been done at that point. If FF7 remake comes to Xbox later this year, it would be a welcome game but it would have little to no impact as its already a very old game by now and most anyone who wanted to, would have played it one way or the other.

This is the very definition of bleeding the competition.

You can choose to ignore it as "but it will come eventually" that won't change the effect they're having.

FF7R would never sell on xbox anyway. You also know this lol

 

[Deleted member 417]

80% of the world's console gamers have a ps5. How does making games exclusive for ps5 compare to making games exclusive for the xbox?

Hifi rush was only downloaded by 10% of gamepass owners. Why would a dev want to replicate those non-sales?

Larian are not releasing bg3 for xbox because of Microsofts own policies. They've been public about this. How many other companies are bringing their games to playstation as to not deal with Microsoft policies, but cash in on "exclusive money" from Sony?

If I didn't want to bring a game to a competitors, I wouldn't ruin future relations by saying so, but I would take a big chunk of cash to not do so.

 

[Satoru]

Do you think those have the same sway as huge franchises like Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, huge AAA projects like Death Stranding or the heavily rumored MGS remake ?

And here comes the dishonesty. Death Stranding was commissioned by Sony. They paid for the development of the game, supplied the game engine, and kept the IP. It's not a timed exclusive, it's an exclusive that they paid to be developed.

Leaked documents show SH2 Remake was pitched to Sony and Sony is co-funding the development of the game. Suffice to say that perhaps the rumoured MGS remake follows the same logic. Final Fantasy yes, they paid for exclusivity.

So right away you provide 4 games whereby only 1 was actually "moneyhatted" by Sony and 1 is inconclusive (it may not even exist). The other 2 would not exist as games without Sony.

Just look at the names of the games in your own article.

What about them? Aren't you the one cheerleading for every single Xbox exclusive? You still haven't answered my question:

Also, what was the volume of timed exclusives Sony paid for this gen and how is it bigger than last gen? I suppose you have data for that?

 

[peter42O]

@peter42O is also xbox centric as in "I DIE for you Phil" but is generally pleasant although to chat too,

Hahaha. I don't love Phil Spencer but I do like him and he is the guy who literally saved Xbox in 2017 from being shut down so coming out of E3 2018, I was always going to give him this entire generation as finally being the man with no one else standing in his way repeatedly to see what he can do. Thus far, I have no major complaints. Phil's direction is perfect for Microsoft as a company, Xbox as a brand and for me as a consumer/gamer. Xbox baby!!!

 

[Satoru]

Hahaha. I don't love Phil Spencer but I do like him and he is the guy who literally saved Xbox in 2017 from being shut down so coming out of E3 2018, I was always going to give him this entire generation as finally being the man with no one else standing in his way repeatedly to see what he can do. Thus far, I have no major complaints. Phil's direction is perfect for Microsoft as a company, Xbox as a brand and for me as a consumer/gamer. Xbox baby!!!

He didn't save anything. He's the reason Xbox is the shitshow it is. But I agree, he's perfect for Microsoft as a company, and Xbox as a brand: an incompetent, tasteless, lying sack of incompetence.

 

[laynelane]

Just look at the names of the games in your own article.

Do you think those have the same sway as huge franchises like Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, huge AAA projects like Death Stranding or the heavily rumored MGS remake ?

No, absolutely not, and saying that High on Life or Valheim will have the same sway as FF16 is just arguing for arguments sake.

Come on.


The damage has been done at that point. If FF7 remake comes to Xbox later this year, it would be a welcome game but it would have little to no impact as its already a very old game by now and most anyone who wanted to, would have played it one way or the other.

This is the very definition of bleeding the competition.

You can choose to ignore it as "but it will come eventually" that won't change the effect they're having.

I see the goal posts have been moved once again. First it was Sony bad for doing timed exclusives, reasonable people pointed out that MS does them too, and now it's changed to the quality of the timed exclusives. Sony's timed exclusives are better, according to you, so that means Sony is bleeding the competition. I don't mean to be offensive to you, but you are really reaching here.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Do you think those have the same sway as huge franchises like Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, huge AAA projects like Death Stranding or the heavily rumored MGS remake ?

No, absolutely not, and saying that High on Life or Valheim will have the same sway as FF16 is just arguing for arguments sake.

Silent Hill was announced recently after PS5 was already at like 30 millions sold, MGS is a recent rumour. Death Stranding 2 is a first-party they are publishing so it doesn't count with the point you're failing to make.

Final Fantasy is not even out yet, Hogwarts Legacy is selling more PS5s than FF ever will so no I don't believe any of the games you mentioned would have changed anything for this gen. Deathloop and Ghostwire didn't move PS5 units, no more than Xbox exclusives like Tunic, Medium, Gunk, Flush, etc.

Consumers at large don't want an Xbox, a Final Fantasy coming out 3 years later is not the reason why. Blame Spencer and Xbox instead.

Kojima is also working with Xbox. They are starving the competition with that too, right?