Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[KiryuRealty]

Well, one fun development out of this is seeing a LOT of Team Green types just straight up admitting that they're selfish and don't care about the health of the industry!

 

[riesgoyfortuna]

Well, one fun development out of this is seeing a LOT of Team Green types just straight up admitting that they're selfish and don't care about the health of the industry!

I hope they like the taste of crow

 

[KiryuRealty]

I hope they like the taste of crow

We already know they love the taste of Phil after he's been up in them!

 

[BigMclargeHuge]

I hope they like the taste of crow

When you're wrong like I was but in a good way, the crow tastes great.

 

[laynelane]

All that precursor PR led to news that the FTC is taking action. I've noticed this before. MS says a lot of PR stuff, usually in an overly-confident manner, and their supporters run wild with it. Then the other shoe drops and the bad news comes. It's a pattern at this point. That aside, MS getting called out on Zenimax exclusivity (assuring regulators they had no reason to make titles exclusive and then making titles exclusive as soon as the deal closed) is good to see.

 

[KiryuRealty]

All that precursor PR led to news that the FTC is taking action. I've noticed this before. MS says a lot of PR stuff, usually in an overly-confident manner, and their supporters run wild with it. Then the other shoe drops and the bad news comes. It's a pattern at this point. That aside, MS getting called out on Zenimax exclusivity (assuring regulators they had no reason to make titles exclusive and then making titles exclusive as soon as the deal closed) is good to see.

The bluster and overly-aggressive talk is a long-standing pillar of Microsoft's toxic culture, especially with people like Phil and Greenberg, since they came up during the Steve Ballmer years, and Ballmer was widely known as a bully who screamed, yelled, threatened staff and threw furniture in meetings. Anyone who isn't aware of Microsoft's conduct outside of gaming should read about how Ballmer responded to the iPhone and iPad launches, it is very revealing as to how upper management and executives behave there. Also, Microsoft invented the Stack Ranking format for staff evaluations. If you haven't heard about that, read up, it's insane. Gabe Newell uses the same system at Valve, and it is cited as one of the reasons some of the best minds there bailed over the years.

 

[Satoru]

Some interesting stuff from the FTC PDF document related to the complaint. It really clashes with the MS Ambassador & Shill™ narrative. I'm going to try my best to summarise the paragraphs, so some suppressions are to be expected and will be marked as such.

8. Activision’s content is extremely important for, and drives adoption of, video game consoles. Given their immense popularity, Activision’s titles are of particular importance to console makers, including Microsoft’s competition.

9. Microsoft produces its own first-party video game titles. Microsoft has acquired over ten third-party studios and their titles in recent years to expand its offerings. Microsoft has frequently made those acquired titles exclusive (...) eliminating the opportunity for consumers to play those titles on rival products or services. (...)

10. The Proposed Acquisition is reasonably likely to substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in multiple markets because it will create a combined firm with the ability and increased incentive to use its control of Activision titles to disadvantage Microsoft’s competitors. The Proposed Acquisition also may accelerate an ongoing trend towards vertical integration and consolidation (...).

11. (...) ownership of Activision would provide Microsoft with the ability to withhold or degrade Activision content (...), including manipulating (...) pricing, degrading game quality or player experience on rival offerings, changing the terms and timing of access to Activision’s content, or withholding content from competitors entirely.

12. Microsoft’s past conduct provides a preview of the combined firm’s likely plans (...), despite any assurances the company may offer regarding its plans. In March 2021, Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media Inc (...). Microsoft assured the European Commission (“EC”) during its antitrust review of the ZeniMax purchase that Microsoft would not have the incentive to withhold (...) titles from rival consoles. But, shortly after the EC cleared the transaction, Microsoft made public its decision to make several of the newly acquired ZeniMax titles, including Starfield, Redfall, and Elder Scrolls VI, Microsoft exclusives.

13. Today, Activision touts that it is and seeks to offer its games wherever gamers want to be playing them. It has an incentive to offer its titles broadly. Microsoft’s ownership of Activision’s content would alter that dynamic. As Microsoft seeks to increase its profits from the lucrative video game industry, the Proposed Acquisition will increase Microsoft’s incentive to withhold Activision content from, or degrade Activision content on, consoles and subscription services that compete with Xbox consoles and Xbox Game Pass. (...)

14. These effects are likely to be felt throughout the video gaming industry. The Proposed Acquisition is reasonably likely to substantially lessen competition and/or tend to create a monopoly in both well-developed and new, burgeoning markets, including high- performance consoles, multi-game content library subscription services, and cloud gaming subscription services.

There's plenty of stuff that references internal comms from Microsoft. I'd recommend reading the document, since they have several suppressions so as not to reveal key information to the public.

 

[KiryuRealty]

My god, the XBots on GAF can't possibly believe the shit they are saying about this situation. DarkMAge619 seems to genuinely think MS, who constantly bragged about doing it, never money hatted games before, and that only Sony does it.

Other idiots are arguing that MS should be given free rein to do as they please in gaming, because they can't seem to beat Sony without owning every publisher, and it isn't fair to anyone that Sony is so successful.

Christ, I need a drink.

 

[Gamernyc78]

My god, the XBots on GAF can't possibly believe the shit they are saying about this situation. DarkMAge619 seems to genuinely think MS, who constantly bragged about doing it, never money hatted games before, and that only Sony does it.

Other idiots are arguing that MS should be given free rein to do as they please in gaming, because they can't seem to beat Sony without owning every publisher, and it isn't fair to anyone that Sony is so successful.

Christ, I need a drink.

Why bother? The exclusivity deals in terms of dlc, timed exclusivity, etc starting with Call of Duty was started by Ms then few years later Sony beat them at their game. They all know Microsoft started tht tactic years ago and Sony eventually joined in the party. Dark age is an idiot, along with catlady and all the other Schills there.

 

[Loy310]

All that precursor PR led to news that the FTC is taking action. I've noticed this before. MS says a lot of PR stuff, usually in an overly-confident manner, and their supporters run wild with it. Then the other shoe drops and the bad news comes. It's a pattern at this point. That aside, MS getting called out on Zenimax exclusivity (assuring regulators they had no reason to make titles exclusive and then making titles exclusive as soon as the deal closed) is good to see.

yup, too much resistance from the start, even if they were small.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Why bother? The exclusivity deals in terms of dlc, timed exclusivity, etc starting with Call of Duty was started by Ms then few years later Sony beat them at their game. They all know Microsoft started tht tactic years ago and Sony eventually joined in the party. Dark age is an idiot, along with catlady and all the other Schills there.

And MS usually did it shadier, like the GTA IV DLC not being allowed to be announced for PS3 until it was released for 360, and that's not even getting into shit like the content parity rules they had, which led to PS3-exclusive content having to be downloaded instead of on the disc, or interfering with the devs on Tom Clancy's EndWar to force them to drop the PSEye gesture interface from the PS3 version of the game, or not be allowed to release it on 360.

 

[Old Gamer]

And MS usually did it shadier, like the GTA IV DLC not being allowed to be announced for PS3 until it was released for 360, and that's not even getting into shit like the content parity rules they had, which led to PS3-exclusive content having to be downloaded instead of on the disc, or interfering with the devs on Tom Clancy's EndWar to force them to drop the PSEye gesture interface from th ePS3 version of the game, or not be allowed to release it on 360.

Or how Tetris Effect misteriously dropped remote play support, just as the xbox port was announced.

 

[Gamernyc78]

And MS usually did it shadier, like the GTA IV DLC not being allowed to be announced for PS3 until it was released for 360, and that's not even getting into shit like the content parity rules they had, which led to PS3-exclusive content having to be downloaded instead of on the disc, or interfering with the devs on Tom Clancy's EndWar to force them to drop the PSEye gesture interface from th ePS3 version of the game, or not be allowed to release it on 360.

Yes and those idiots know tht lol thy just play oblivious.

 

[Sircaw]

Time for me to ear some crow. The ftc actually didn't just rubber stamp this.

Not good enough, WE WANT BLOOD.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

Im surprised more people arent talking about microsofts president saying sonys objections are like block buster complaining about netflix. Didnt netflix put blockbuster out of business? Why would you use that analogy? Surely sony lawyers saw that and are running with it.

Yeah making comparisons like that isn’t helping Microsofts case.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

We already know they love the taste of Phil after he's been up in them!

Lmao

 

[KiryuRealty]

Yeah making comparisons like that isn’t helping Microsofts case.

Of all MS' PR own goals in this process, that is probably the LEAST damaging. Phil stating that Activision wasn't going to be their last big purchase is probably the most harmful to their own cause out of all the things they've said. It was also pretty stupid to do things like having Matt Booty tweeting a picture of Crash Bandicoot throwing an X sign on the day the intent to merge was announced, as the implied belief it was a fait accompli could rub regulators the wrong way. Arrogance is MS' primary product, and it usually bites them in the ass, like when Ballmer laughed off the iPhone when it was unveiled.

 

[Ezekiel]

Thread should be renamed "... proposed acquisition ..."

 

[anonpuffs]

The problem with the "blockbuster complaining about netflix" comparison is that customers actually wanted netflix. By and large gamers don't care about gamepass, but Microsoft still wants to shove it down everyone's throats. Netflix ran a business model that succeeded on its merits, not by taking away every Hollywood blockbuster (heh) from its competition. Phil really screwed the pooch by making starfield and redfall exclusive, because they could still argue they're following the netflix model if they hadn't.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Thread should be renamed "... proposed acquisition ..."

"increasingly unlikely proposed acquisition"