Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

Ludwig

Well-known member
9 Feb 2023
258
310
Take-Two includes Zynga that I don't like, PC only studios and I have concerns about R* going forward. Why not back up Dan Houser new studio instead? Seems like the smarter bet.
It is a huge risk to fund a brand new studio with no IP. It will be hard to attract talent to it as well. But if PS can bet on Deviation, Firewalk and Haven. then they should bet on him as well
 

Nhomnhom

Banned
25 Mar 2023
8,414
11,558
It is a huge risk to fund a brande new studio with no IP. It will be hard to attract talent to it as well. If PS can bet on Deviation, Firewalk and Haven. then they should bet on him as well
It's not a huge risk, they just funded Haven and Firewalk. Dan Houser might not be as pretty but he founded created R* and wrote RDR2.
 

Cool hand luke

Veteran
14 Feb 2023
2,923
5,181
Well they haven't, that's why ms have been forced to propose a new deal. Ms have been trying to argue the same for gamepass ultimate that cloud is just a feature. CMA was unmoved here.

None of the regulators see that as an issue though.


It does matter, cause those deals were not acceptable to the CMA. It's no different then Nvidia taking that deal. These companies taking the deal doesn't change the fact that CMA found issues with the deals themselves.

CMA identified 3 major competitors to MS in cloud gaming, Sony, Nvidia and Amazon. So they do see consider sony in cloud gaming.
Yeah, Microsoft's arguments in favour of the cloud deals being a remedy are sophomoric.

"See? Even our (non-competitor, BYOG vs B2P) competitors accepted them. They have to be good for the market!"

I wonder if they actually stack up in some jurisdictions from a legal standpoint, because they don't pass any common sense checks and the CMA didn't fall for them at all.
 

Plextorage

Banned
26 Feb 2023
2,225
2,172
You can read my reply again to see what I mean better. But this is just one of many reasons he needs to be kicked. The fact that Sony or Jimbo does not understand the PS brand is strong like this because it develops and focuses on hardware and the closed ecosystem of the hardware, and not because it releases some god damn games like what a typical publisher does speaks enough about why he’s leading PS the wrong way.

CMA will definitely fold now that the idiot Jim Ryan did so and fucked up big time.

Explain what Jimbo screwed about this deal. Mind you that regulators are fighting against this merge and Microsoft, not Jimbo. Mind you that regulators or judges are up to decide will this deal go through or not, not Jimbo himself. He can just sit an watch.
 
Last edited:

Plextorage

Banned
26 Feb 2023
2,225
2,172
Again he should have accepted the deal and help Microsoft with the merger? He didn't bet on regulators. Regulatory bodies are there for a reason. He only was against the merger after Xbox tried to screw them over and went public lying.

Either way who carws if he looks pathetic? He got a longer deal and by doing so, buys themself sometime to hopefully come up with a few things to eventually ween their audience off COD.

I promise you Jim doesn't care what fanboys and media shills thinks of him. He's the reason the merger almost crumbled.

I really don't know how anyone can say "jimbo's bet on regulators was wrong". What, he should bet on some seer who said "deal will fail!" ?

Btw. Merge still can fail
 

reziel

Banned
12 Jun 2023
743
622
I really don't know how anyone can say "jimbo's bet on regulators was wrong". What, he should bet on some seer who said "deal will fail!" ?

Btw. Merge still can fail
It can fail but it's pretty much a 99% chance it won't now. With Playstation signing to continue having CoD on their system the CMA can't fight this anymore even if they threw out the console situation first.
 

Arminius

Well-known member
19 May 2023
250
180
Explain what Jimbo screwed about this deal. Mind you that regulators are fighting against this merge and Microsoft, not Jimbo. Mind you that regulators or judges are up to decide will this deal go through or not, not Jimbo himself. He can just sit a watch.
See post 13,429. Reziel did a good job explaining.
 

Cool hand luke

Veteran
14 Feb 2023
2,923
5,181
It can fail but it's pretty much a 99% chance it won't now. With Playstation signing to continue having CoD on their system the CMA can't fight this anymore even if they threw out the console situation first.
Enough already. Explain what's changed from the point at which this was 100% blocked in April to now to make it 99% in favour of the deal. Remember that it all comes down to the CMA. A win in any other jurisdiction means nothing for MS' chances in the UK.
 

Loy310

Veteran
14 Aug 2022
1,562
1,832
if it's a Square Enix acquisition, does it really benefit Sony? I don't see anything other than they just fully own them now.
I dont know what it is!
😂😂😂
All im saying is this person is as reliable as a u.s dollar and the fact that they put “x” in the tweet means its some sort of merger cause Sony use the same “x” for their merger announcement.
we will see, dont get too excited tho.
 

Gods&Monsters

Veteran
21 Jun 2022
5,572
11,362
Enough already. Explain what's changed from the point at which this was 100% blocked in April to now to make it 99% in favour of the deal. Remember that it all comes down to the CMA. A win in any other jurisdiction means nothing for MS' chances in the UK.
Do you know if it's possible the CMA issues a derogation and MS can close the deal if they keep Activision separate until they get the CMA final decision?

Screenshot_20230716_215343_Twitter.jpg

 

Cool hand luke

Veteran
14 Feb 2023
2,923
5,181
Do you know if it's possible the CMA issues a derogation and MS can close the deal if they keep Activision separate until they get the CMA final decision?

View attachment 1887


I believe they could, yes. It would go against what they said last week, which was that the block stood until they could review the new submission from Microsoft on why the proposed order to block shouldn't stand because of "material changes or special circumstances". That has a deadline of 29th August, unrelated to the self imposed MS ABK deadline. It looks more like MS flailing about and flinging shit at the wall in the hopes something sticks.

What I take issue with is the insinuation that this is to speed along the deal for Microsoft's sake. July 18th is the deadline for the CMA's final order, so the case management meeting happening after the FTC failed in court and before the CMA deadline makes sense if the CMA is to consider Microsoft's submission and allow MS to withdraw from the CAT appeal they were sure to lose had MS not weaseled in a new deal structure or whatever their submission has proposed. They legally have to consider the submission, but wouldn't have needed to if the FTC won and MS/ABK stuck to their word and withdrew.

Outlets are still spreading lies that the CMA considering this new deal structure is a response to the FTC verdict. The possibility has been in their timelines since the notice and the proposed order was released, and they revealed MS submitted a response before the June 19th deadline. First we're hearing of this afaik and it's from the CMA.