Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

KiryuRealty

Cambridge Dictionary High Priest of Grammar
28 Nov 2022
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Where it’s at.
Fake Puff opinion pieces paid for Microsoft is how this is going to be for the next month. If it were all sunshine and rainbows like xbot cultists would have you believe, none of this would be necessary. In my opinion, the more things like this pop up the worse its going for them behind the scenes.
This phase is all about trying to keep the stock from dropping in value, because anybody looking at things objectively can see the merger is not going to get approved.
 

Zzero

Major Tom
9 Jan 2023
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Fake Puff opinion pieces paid for Microsoft is how this is going to be for the next month. If it were all sunshine and rainbows like xbot cultists would have you believe, none of this would be necessary. In my opinion, the more things like this pop up the worse its going for them behind the scenes.
Hmm, who's opinion should I give more weight? A reputable law website with no real interest in games or a forum poster who actively wishes the deal would fail so that his system has more games?
 
24 Jun 2022
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Hmm, who's opinion should I give more weight? A reputable law website with no real interest in games or a forum poster who actively wishes the deal would fail so that his system has more games?

How is Law360 reputable? Seriously, I'm genuinely asking the question. How are they reputable? And if they have no real interest in games, are they in any position to have input on a business transaction that is firmly rooted in the gaming market?

I mean it's like saying Wedbush Industries is reputable because of their name, then you find out they've got $50 million in Microsoft shares that would become even more valuable if the deal goes through, so their insight provides a conflict of interest. I'm not accusing Law360 of that but you're saying they're reputable; I'm asking you in what way are they reputable?
 

Dabaus

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28 Jun 2022
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Hmm, who's opinion should I give more weight? A reputable law website with no real interest in games or a forum poster who actively wishes the deal would fail so that his system has more games?
I guarantee youve never heard of that website until today and if their paid for hire opinion piece was going the other way youd have some excuse as to why its not reputable. Whether I agree with it or not, these opinion article are puff peices.
 

Puff

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10 Jan 2023
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Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) remedies to address European Union antitrust concerns over its $69 billion acquisition of Activision (ATVI.O) focus only on cloud gaming services, with no mention of rival Sony (6758.T), people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The U.S. software giant has been trying to allay the Commission's concerns that the deal may reduce competition for console and personal computers, PC operating systems and cloud game streaming services. However, the absence of a Sony solution suggests the Commission no longer has concerns about competition in the console market.

Microsoft submitted its proposal to the European Commission last week but did not disclose details.
The sources said Microsoft has offered 10-year licensing deals for cloud gaming services, citing Nvidia, Ukraine-based cloud gaming provider Boosteroid and Japan's Ubitus as examples.

The EU competition enforcer has given rivals and customers until the end of this week to provide feedback before it decides on the deal by May 22, they said.

Microsoft's EU offer is narrower than that to the UK competition agency, which includes licensing deals to cloud gaming services and a 10-year deal with parity on content and quality for Activision's Call of Duty franchise to critic and PlayStation owner Sony.
The Commission is likely to accept such licensing deals and clear the deal, other people with direct knowledge of the deal have told Reuters, but it is not clear if the UK watchdog will accept such so-called behavioural remedies.
 

Dabaus

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"other people with direct knowledge of the deal have told Reuters" AKA Microsoft lawyers. Its going to be a nonstop onslaught every day of fake news, fake sources, innuendos, rumors, and mays and coulds until the CMA gives their final report.

If im wrong im wrong, but i feel like thats how this saga has gone so far.
 

AshHunter216

Banned
8 Jan 2023
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It's been rumored for a while now that the EU are a whole lot more likely to pass the deal with light concessions than the CMA.

The EU's initial antitrust warning always seemed a lot less harsh than what the CMA said by comparison. Pro-acquisition folks are going to celebrate anyway though. It is interesting that there's always been much fewer leaks concerning the CMA though. They must run a very tight ship.
 
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KiryuRealty

Cambridge Dictionary High Priest of Grammar
28 Nov 2022
6,646
8,165
Where it’s at.
"other people with direct knowledge of the deal have told Reuters" AKA Microsoft lawyers. Its going to be a nonstop onslaught every day of fake news, fake sources, innuendos, rumors, and mays and coulds until the CMA gives their final report.

If im wrong im wrong, but i feel like thats how this saga has gone so far.
You aren’t wrong.

Like I said, it’s all in defense of MS stock price.
 

AshHunter216

Banned
8 Jan 2023
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"other people with direct knowledge of the deal have told Reuters" AKA Microsoft lawyers. Its going to be a nonstop onslaught every day of fake news, fake sources, innuendos, rumors, and mays and coulds until the CMA gives their final report.

If im wrong im wrong, but i feel like thats how this saga has gone so far.
I'll be so happy when the media/PR storm ends. They've been incredibly obnoxious throughout this entire ordeal.
 
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FatKaz

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It's weird we had reports the SO the EC gave out had concerns about cloud, subscription services and console.

So what got them to drop their months of work to find concerns in the console space? A pinky swear?

If microsoft has already gone the lengths to offer 10 years to Sony and satisfy the console requirement, then why as a regulator would you drop it entirely? Surely that's a free win as a regulator to get that as a concession on paper? To get as much as you can get out of microsoft without much effort.

Just seems bizzare.
 
24 Jun 2022
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Probably same as Idas, Patcher, HoegLaw

Then that's "reputable" in the loosest definition of the term.


It would be nice if we could get some names of these "other people with direct knowledge of the deal". 'Ya know, just so we can ascertain for ourselves their reputability or if there are any conflicts of interest that could lean their observations a certain way.

I mean so much of this stuff has already been made available in the public eye, why hold back the names of these "other people with direct knowledge of the deal"? I'm sure at least some of them are lawyers. Wouldn't they like increased litigation offers in their field via exposure in this case? Easy growth opportunity there IMO.
 
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Cool hand luke

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It's weird we had reports the SO the EC gave out had concerns about cloud, subscription services and console.

So what got them to drop their months of work to find concerns in the console space? A pinky swear?

If microsoft has already gone the lengths to offer 10 years to Sony and satisfy the console requirement, then why as a regulator would you drop it entirely? Surely that's a free win as a regulator to get that as a concession on paper? To get as much as you can get out of microsoft without much effort.

Just seems bizzare.
Correct. That narrative makes no sense, particularly considering how much focus there was on Sony and Nintendo at the post EC meeting press conference. It's hard to imagine a competent regulator being swayed by pie charts or being surprised at the market share disparity.

More annoyingly is that Reuters persists with the false narrative that Boosteroid is Ukraine based.
 

laynelane

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AshHunter216

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I'm willing to bet MLex's source is from Microsoft's lawyers given how vocal MS have been about this process and how one previous MLex leak had a suspiciously annoyed tone concerning the CMA. The data from MLex is also being spun in a way that seems the most favorable to the deal within that era thread.
 
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Zzero

Major Tom
9 Jan 2023
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How is Law360 reputable? Seriously, I'm genuinely asking the question. How are they reputable? And if they have no real interest in games, are they in any position to have input on a business transaction that is firmly rooted in the gaming market?
Its a large and long-standing website that focuses on the state of the legal profession (as opposed to SCOTUSblog which just does court cases.) Like have you people not heard of it before?
 
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Cool hand luke

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I'm not posting that demented mongrel Foss' tweets here, but he noted the judge threw out the gamer lawsuit against Microsoft. Reee is screeching and throwing shade at the gamers (presumably because they hate actually playing games), but here's what the judge said:

"Why would Microsoft make Call of Duty exclusive to its platforms thus resulting in fewer games sold? What is it about the console market or PC games market and Microsoft’s position in those markets that makes it plausible ... Microsoft would take such steps."

Total buffoon. They slowly make Xbox the superior place to play ABK games and then foreclose when the cost of foreclosure is not as high.

And you have to wonder, if this is an impartial and highly educated judge, maybe some regulators can be convinced Microsoft's end game isn't to push competitors out of the market through attrition.
 
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Whether the deal goes through or not, I think MS have their eyes on Valve/Steam.
 
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