Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[arvfab]

Committment for CoD on Nintendo can be anything from Warzone, to CoD mobile or even XCloud streaming of the mainline games.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Empty promises... if there's anything Phil is good at, it's that.
Let's hope that at least the few regulators which are not corrupt out there are also smarter than this.

Well that's hard to hope for considering certain Democratic members of the regulatory body are suddenly becoming more "sympathetic" towards the acquisition. I'm 100% sure big monies and maybe a posh new supercar were not involved in garnering that newfound sympathy .

I think Sony is smart playing hardball but I hope they have some aces up their sleeve/contingency plans.
-Put a ring on square enix or at least formally invest in them with stock purchases.
-Do the same with capcom.
-maybe try to buy like 50 percent of ea or take 2?
-Continue to invest in fromsoft ware and epic games
-Acquire smaller studios they’ve been working with.

Whether this deal goes through or not this is the era of consolidation and Sony is going to have to accept that at some point. Focus on key companies and Franchises too big too lose and Formally invest in those companies while continuing to organically grow their own first party.

It is unfortunate but agreed, Sony will have to make some contingency investments for future securement. For smaller studios, I'd think they would be looking towards teams like Ember Lab, the Sifu developers, Deviation, and the devs behind Stellar Blade & Callisto Protocol potentially. For games I would hope they are investing in, DokeV is still one at the top of my list, still one of the best game reveals over the past couple of years for me, even with the kinda cheesy K-pop music.

Because as Microsoft are clearly doing (in what I'd consider a flex just as much as them attempting to appear like the good guys), these acquisitions can and will be used as bargaining chips and asserting power plays through other parts of the industry. Meaning these companies can use them as leverage. For that reason alone Sony will have to probably make a couple of large gaming acquisitions themselves, but otherwise I think they're good with just investing larger amount of shares or majority shares into various devs & pubs, and helping co-fund and co-develop games with 3P teams that become timed or permanent console exclusives.

 

[Satoru]

I think Sony is smart playing hardball but I hope they have some aces up their sleeve/contingency plans.
-Put a ring on square enix or at least formally invest in them with stock purchases.
-Do the same with capcom.
-maybe try to buy like 50 percent of ea or take 2?
-Continue to invest in fromsoft ware and epic games
-Acquire smaller studios they’ve been working with.

Whether this deal goes through or not this is the era of consolidation and Sony is going to have to accept that at some point. Focus on key companies and Franchises too big too lose and Formally invest in those companies while continuing to organically grow their own first party.

I firmly believe that Sony has everything set up with a couple of publishers in order to buy them IF this deal goes through. They won't move if regulatory entities knocks it down, but they will absolutely splurge the cash if it's completed.

 

[Dabaus]

I firmly believe that Sony has everything set up with a couple of publishers in order to buy them IF this deal goes through. They won't move if regulatory entities knocks it down, but they will absolutely splurge the cash if it's completed.

Theyd better have contingencies set up. None of these companies are loyal as we're seeing. I dont even mean loyal to sony, i mean loyal to their own fanbases even.

One of my concerns is that square enix is out here publicly begging for investments that one the chinese companies or saudia arabia will take notice while sony is busy trying to kill this activision deal.

 

[KiryuRealty]

I firmly believe that Sony has everything set up with a couple of publishers in order to buy them IF this deal goes through. They won't move if regulatory entities knocks it down, but they will absolutely splurge the cash if it's completed.

I think Sony is more likely to make strategic investments like they have been doing all along, and will only buy a publisher if the deal goes through, as a defensive measure.

Why buy the cow when you already get the milk for free?

 

[laynelane]

Just look at the traction "SONY TOO!" got among the weak-minded once the paid-off press started making the accusation that PS4 would have the same overactive DRM that the Bone was originally going to employ, or how many suckers fell for Phil's "We were totally gonna let you sell digital game licenses, but the mean bullies made us cancel our DRM plans" bullshit. If they had intended that from the start, wouldn't;t it have come out with the rest of the details of their plans?

Agreed, that "Sony too" nonsense was quite the bit of foolishness. No facts or data, just feelings and spin. It was satisfying to see the results of MS' poor decisions with the XBox One cause a very real and very poor result for them (in terms of sales of the console and the many who jumped ship to PS4 from their ecosystem). That's what should happen when you attempt to screw over consumers.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Agreed, that "Sony too" nonsense was quite the bit of foolishness. No facts or data, just feelings and spin. It was satisfying to see the results of MS' poor decisions with the XBox One cause a very real and very poor result for them (in terms of sales of the console and the many who jumped ship to PS4 from their ecosystem). That's what should happen when you attempt to screw over consumers.

I lost all respect for gamers when the Red Ring of Death resulted in so many parroting the bullshit line that their failure rate was within industry norms for electronics at 30% (Which ended up being more like 70%!), when the real norm is 5-10% for a new product, and they eagerly lined up to buy another 360 while the media acted like Microsoft was handling things perfectly fine and hadn't rushed a poorly-designed lemon to market.

 

[Gamernyc78]

I took a break from COD for about three years, just recently came back but I see I missed nothing. This commitment to release games also on Nintendo will make me stay away for good knowing it'll hold back advancements in the game by a good margin. Fuck this bs. I'll just stick to Warzone.

 

[KiryuRealty]

I took a break from COD for about three years, just recently came back but I see I missed nothing. This commitment to release games also on Nintendo will make me stay away for good knowing it'll hold back advancements in the game by a good margin. Fuck this bs. I'll just stick to Warzone.

The Switch versions will just be streaming versions, like Kingdom Hearts III, REVIII and many, many more.

 

[BloodMod]

New merger thread merged.

Carry on.

 

[Dabaus]

Well that's hard to hope for considering certain Democratic members of the regulatory body are suddenly becoming more "sympathetic" towards the acquisition. I'm 100% sure big monies and maybe a posh new supercar were not involved in garnering that newfound sympathy .



It is unfortunate but agreed, Sony will have to make some contingency investments for future securement. For smaller studios, I'd think they would be looking towards teams like Ember Lab, the Sifu developers, Deviation, and the devs behind Stellar Blade & Callisto Protocol potentially. For games I would hope they are investing in, DokeV is still one at the top of my list, still one of the best game reveals over the past couple of years for me, even with the kinda cheesy K-pop music.

Because as Microsoft are clearly doing (in what I'd consider a flex just as much as them attempting to appear like the good guys), these acquisitions can and will be used as bargaining chips and asserting power plays through other parts of the industry. Meaning these companies can use them as leverage. For that reason alone Sony will have to probably make a couple of large gaming acquisitions themselves, but otherwise I think they're good with just investing larger amount of shares or majority shares into various devs & pubs, and helping co-fund and co-develop games with 3P teams that become timed or permanent console exclusives.

I agree with the notion that owning important IP for trade leverage is reason enough to go on alittle shopping spree of their own. I do think deviation games and ember labs are probably already done deals. I do think sony needs to formally invest in say square enix and EA. EA actually aligns well with sony. Both do single player story driven games and EA has the GAAS thing down pat. Its just getting the deal done and the price of it thatd be hard for sony imo.

 

[Yobo]

Do we need a consolidated thread? Why does all big news need to get tucked away?

 

[KiryuRealty]

Do we need a consolidated thread? Why does all big news need to get tucked away?

Megathreads bury news. This consolidation sucks.

 

[Yurinka]

Do we need a consolidated thread? Why does all big news need to get tucked away?

I think that since they are the same topic they make sense to be in the same thread.

 

[Yobo]

I think that since they are the same topic they make sense to be in the same thread.

These threads get filled up with people just arguing the same points over and over and news gets lost. I dont bother going into them because of that. GAF and Era did that and I was grateful people were actually making threads for updates here

 

[Ezekiel]

The FTC Must Stop Microsoft’s Aggressive Push to Monopolize Gaming - The FTC Must Stop Microsoft’s Aggressive Push to Monopolize Gaming

www.economicliberties.us

Washington, D.C. — Ahead of Microsoft reported meeting with Federal Trade Commission today, along with news that Microsoft has offered concessions to Sony and Nintendo in an effort to secure their proposed acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision is an unlawful merger that will undermine the vitality of an important sector of the American economy and consolidate the video game industry into a small group of firms who control walled gardens of content, data, and advertising,” said Sarah Miller, Executive Director of the American Economic Liberties Project.

“Microsoft’s recent promises not to abuse that power by making preemptive concessions to Sony and Nintendo reinforce the underlying illegality of the original deal,” Miller added. “The antitrust agencies’ long history of overseeing failed settlements, even when appropriately negotiated with the agency rather than as part of a PR strategy, suggest an outright block is the appropriate response.”

“We understand why Microsoft is seeking monopoly power in this area,” said Miller. “In a recent Wall Street Journal piece, Microsoft President Brad Smith argued that his firm’s real goal is to break into the mobile app gaming sector, where Apple and Google have ironclad control because of their chokehold on App Stores. As Smith wrote, acquiring ‘Activision Blizzard would enable Microsoft to compete against these companies.'”

“Microsoft’s claim that Apple and Google have monopoly control over the mobile ecosystem is reasonable,” Miller added. “This control prevents video game firms, and not just Microsoft, from competing fairly on important platforms. The appropriate response, however, is not to grant Microsoft corresponding market power so it can cut special deals, but to break Google and Apple’s control over the mobile ecosystem, as Congress and a number of state legislators are currently considering. We also encourage the Department of Justice Antitrust Division to bring an antitrust case against Apple over its app store market power.”

“The right response to one set of monopolies – Apple and Google – is not to further entrench another monopoly – Microsoft – to fight them,” said Miller. “The antitrust laws are designed to foster an open and competitive economy, one where the little guy can compete on the merits, and not one based on getting permission from a monopolist to get access to a market.”

 

[KiryuRealty]

The FTC Must Stop Microsoft’s Aggressive Push to Monopolize Gaming - The FTC Must Stop Microsoft’s Aggressive Push to Monopolize Gaming

www.economicliberties.us

Other than the assertion that Apple or google has any kind of monopoly, that's mostly a good piece.

 

[Old Gamer]

Other than the assertion that Apple or google has any kind of monopoly, that's mostly a good piece.

That is indeed a bit of a stretch, but the message is a reasonable one.

 

[Satoru]

Other than the assertion that Apple or google has any kind of monopoly, that's mostly a good piece.

Apple has an app store monopoly on their mobile devices. Without Jailbreak, you must use the app store to download or buy anything. Android does not have such requirement, as you can sideload APKs freely or get them from alternative storefronts.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Apple has an app store monopoly on their mobile devices. Without Jailbreak, you must use the app store to download or buy anything. Android does not have such requirement, as you can sideload APKs freely or get them from alternative storefronts.

It isn't a monopoly by definition, as Apple does not hold a monopoly position in smartphones. Don't want to use the App Store and iCloud? Buy an Android.