Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[One eyed jacks]

That 10,000 people was across the whole company, most not being involved in game dev. In the game parts a majority of the layoffs were from 343 which has spend a decade mismanaging Halo. If anything it was about time that they cleaned house there. Now then, as to investments, 343 Industries was one of them, they founded it and had 750 people working there as of 2020. How is that not an investment? Same with the Initiative and the Coalition, though they are both probably smaller in size. Its the under-performance of those groups, as much as anything else, that probably led to them deciding to focus on acquisitions instead.

So you just spent an entire paragraph making my argument for me by explaining that microsoft mismanages all its assets across the board and that leads to mass layoffs to fix the books. So I guess I don’t have to convince you afterall that they are the last company that should be buying up anything let alone big publishers. Good talk!

 

[Cool hand luke]

I had to do a double take reading the comments in the Polygon article. Sorted by most liked and every single one of them is tearing the author a new asshole.

Some great points in there, too, that don't often get vocalised, like the fact that Microsoft's strategy right now is to give everything away on GP and/or license it to competitors but when/if that goes tits up or shareholders clear house and install new management, the strategy could change back to hoarding all those IP they purchased as exclusives. That's a genuine possibility, so why should regulators ever approve this?

Note that this is different from the argument that Microsoft's strategy has always been to foreclose access to competitors, which speaks to their proven malicious nature. Given their complete ineptitude and incompetence in running gaming studios, it's even more likely an outcome if they're given the keys to ABK. Both eventualities lead to a weaker, less diverse gaming market.

 

[AshHunter216]

According to WSJ article, MS plan to keep signing more details. Guess MS think signing more contracts is all they need, lol.

 

[Old Gamer]

Yeah because Sony buying a small studio is in anyway comparable to buying up the biggest money maker game/publisher. Microsoft was lucky to get away with Bethesda and Minecraft.. I don’t see why they need to buy all the most popular games to compete.. oh yeah because they can’t create anything worth a damn themselves!

Sony is growing their own talent and big games.. it’s not trying to buy minecraft/GTA/COD and just call it a day. How is that going to lead to better games? Spoiler: It won’t!

But don't you see? You should approve of this deal, as a matter of principle. Capitalism. The open market should favor the biggest pockets, because that's what it's about, not about appealing to customers to win them over. Can't you see, as a consumer, that the Law of the Almighty Dollar is more important than preserving your choices?

 

[Swift_Star]

You asked me why they don't do it and I told you why. Why do you care, because I already laid out why I cared (political reasons, related to businesses having the freedom to compete.)

If they want to compete, they can invest, not take games away from other platforms. BS excuse. They’re literally trying to buy revenue and take it always from others, that’s not competing. That’s a power move, typical from monopolistic companies.

 

[Swift_Star]

According to WSJ article, MS plan to keep signing more details. Guess MS think signing more contracts is all they need.

There’s nothing else they can do anymore besides that. And they’re desperate. I just hope the CMA isn’t naive and see though that facade.

 

[One eyed jacks]

There’s nothing else they can do anymore besides that. And they’re desperate. I just hope the CMA isn’t naive and see though that facade.

Remember when microsoft lied to the CMA and other regulators that it wasn’t about COD? The CMA does.. that’s why they have said behavioural remedies will never work, too slippery of a slope to regulate. Microsoft can’t even keep up with its own lies before it trips over the finish line.. CMA caught them at their own game.

 

[AshHunter216]

Remember when microsoft lied to the CMA and other regulators that it wasn’t about COD? The CMA does.. that’s why they have said behavioural remedies will never work, too slippery of a slope to regulate. Microsoft can’t even keep up with its own lies before it trips over the finish line.. CMA caught them at their own game.

At this point, I'm ready for this all to wrap up. I wonder why they need 6 more weeks.

OT: Looks like a new post reaction was added.

 

[Zzero]

OT: Looks like a new post reaction was added.

Lol why, it fills the exact same purpose as fire. They really need to give a negative/disagree one that isn't haha.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

1:26:00
lie after lie

 

[One eyed jacks]

we

Lol why, it fills the exact same purpose as fire. They really need to give a negative/disagree one that isn't haha.

And why do they need to do that? If you actually had a point you will present it. Laziness shouldn’t be rewarded, this isn’t resetera!

 

[One eyed jacks]

At this point, I'm ready for this all to wrap up. I wonder why they need 6 more weeks.

OT: Looks like a new post reaction was added.

Yeah guess it’s just for optics to give the decision more weight but I agree I’m so done talking about these two greasy companies.

 

[Zzero]

we

And why do they need to do that? If you actually had a point you will present it. Laziness shouldn’t be rewarded, this isn’t resetera!

Because adding a post saying "I disagree" with, say, someone saying that the Switch Pro will be out in a year doesn't really add to discussion but the post, in itself, isn't laughably wrong and thus haha doesn't cut it. Compare this to, say, "this is the way" which has basically the same meaning as brain and basically never gets used, or this one which will never have a use-case that fire doesn't already cover. Or you could add a "dislike" that could be used, neutrally, for stuff like game delays or cancellations, in the same way that good announcements usually get a regular like.

 

[One eyed jacks]

Because adding a post saying "I disagree" with, say, someone saying that the Switch Pro will be out in a year doesn't really add to discussion but the post, in itself, isn't laughably wrong and thus haha doesn't cut it. Compare this to, say, "this is the way" which has basically the same meaning as brain and basically never gets used, or this one which will never have a use-case that fire doesn't already cover. Or you could add a "dislike" that could be used, neutrally, for stuff like game delays or cancellations, in the same way that good announcements usually get a regular like.

if you can’t be bothered to type don’t type or better yet don’t come to a forum. We don’t need emojis for lazy people who don’t have anything better to do but spam a dislike button all day.

 

[Zzero]

if you can’t be bothered to type don’t type or better yet don’t come to a forum. We don’t need emojis for lazy people who don’t have anything better to do but spam a dislike button all day.

I disagree intensely, posts that just say some variation of "I disagree" add nothing but scrolling time and drown out real discussion (same with the much more popular "I agree",) these like emojis exist so that those comments don't have to be posts. That is their purpose.

 

[One eyed jacks]

I disagree intensely, posts that just say some variation of "I disagree" add nothing but scrolling time and drown out real discussion (same with the much more popular "I agree",) these like emojis exist so that those comments don't have to be posts. That is their purpose.

If you haven’t got anything to say then don’t say anything. Simple. We don’t need an emoji for that and nobody is holding a gun to your head saying you need to type disagree every time you disagree with someone either.

 

[Zzero]

If you haven’t got anything to say then don’t say anything. Simple. We don’t need an emoji for that and nobody is holding a gun to your head saying you need to type disagree every time you disagree with someone either.

You don't need to say something every time you like something either, and yet there it is.

 

[One eyed jacks]

You don't need to say something every time you like something either, and yet there it is.

I don’t think even you know what you’re talking about at this point..

Emojis makes sense when you are agreeing with someone since there’s nothing left to add. Dislike button can be abused easily and is just an easy way out for those people with no leg to stand on.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Lol why, it fills the exact same purpose as fire. They really need to give a negative/disagree one that isn't haha.

I like to use the angry cat for that. I use it a lot for AdamGPT.

My favourite is the little red dude, very versatile good or bad.

 

[VillaiN]

Reeee and gaf threads re goldmine. I love how certain users justify scam tactics like victory 4 Ukraine like they re underdogs, they must fight with everything they got.