Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[Puff]

US FTC eyes options after Microsoft/Activision loss, source says​

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is considering its options after stinging losses last week in its bid to stop Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy Activision, a source told Reuters on Monday amid expectations the agency's fight is nearing the end.

After a big loss last week in district court, the agency's remaining options are: pursue its fight in the internal FTC court; pursue its parallel case before the appeals court; pursue both; or settle with Microsoft or drop the matter entirely.

The source, who is familiar with the matter, declined to give any other details.

The acquisition could fundamentally reshape the console market by giving Microsoft access to Activision's programmers, who have pumped out hits like the "Call of Duty," "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" series.

U.S. regulators, however, have said it could harm consumers by possibly limiting the reach of Activision's games.

US FTC eyes options after Microsoft/Activision loss, source says

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is considering its options after stinging losses last week in its bid to stop Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy Activision, a source told Reuters on Monday amid expectations the agency's fight is nearing the end.

www.reuters.com

FTC are the only ones who have demonstrated they have balls

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Seems like Sony didn’t give up on them.
This could be a fine military shooter.

 

[Zzero]

Seems like Sony didn’t give up on them.
This could be a fine military shooter.

Those openings could be for any type of game. Not saying the game is dead or not being retooled or whatever, but job listings like that don't give us a clue other than that the studio is still active.

 

[Bryank75]

Seems like Sony didn’t give up on them.
This could be a fine military shooter.

I like the realistic, gritty military aesthetic... more of that, more realism... high attention to detail. Multiple approaches to attack... demolitions, water, changing environments, sniper / power positions etc.



VS

COD under Microsoft....

 

[historia]

I like the realistic, gritty military aesthetic... more of that, more realism... high attention to detail. Multiple approaches to attack... demolitions, water, changing environments, sniper / power positions etc.

View attachment 1893View attachment 1894

VS

COD under Microsoft....

View attachment 1895View attachment 1896

Those would takes too much time development, and an engine to support on top of that.

COD is successful because of their massive infrastructure to release games constantly, not because the IP is too big.

I still think only Bungie can get as big as Activision.

 

[Dabaus]

Seems like Sony didn’t give up on them.
This could be a fine military shooter.

Uh sorry guys, looks like that deals going through after all. Could you all come back please?

Wait buddy doesn’t provide a link? LOL

 

[Bryank75]

can we ban him and Warren from the Forum? @TubzGaming @Bryank75 @BloodMod ?

Send me a message about this.... on one hand, he is annoying, a PS hater and troll of the PS community.

On the other hand, he is useful to highlight how toxic and biased some of the media are, how absolutely anti-gaming, anti-choice they are.

How easily they go from presenting themselves as ethical arbiters to full on right wing, corporate worshiping weirdos.

 

[Bryank75]

Those would takes too much time development, and an engine to support on top of that.

COD is successful because of their massive infrastructure to release games constantly, not because the IP is too big.

I still think only Bungie can get as big as Activision.

They just need one every 3 years.. Bungie and the other studios will cover the off years and there is also xDefiant and other stuff coming.

They just need a gritty mil-sim option. IMO

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Uh sorry guys, looks like that deals going through after all. Could you all come back please?

Wait buddy doesn’t provide a link? LOL

Yeah could be legitimately true. Didn’t the mastermind behind it leave?
Jason Blundell was his name I think.
If I am not wrong that other guy Tony is still there?

 

[Muddasar]

They just need one every 3 years.. Bungie and the other studios will cover the off years and there is also xDefiant and other stuff coming.

They just need a gritty mil-sim option. IMO

For now a free to play military FPS like Warzone will suffice with regular updates to it.

Or make it free to play for all PS Plus subscribers.

No need for a new game every year. That can come later.

 

[Cool hand luke]

What I still don't understand is that MS had until June 18 to submit a new deal to the CMA but the CMA said they didn't see the deal yet (just some talk). The deadline is over for that.

I hope the press in UK will roast the CMA to know what happened. Some pressure groups for consumers rights or something.

The CMA said they received a detailed and complex submission from Microsoft in relation to the proposed order, which, yes, had to have happened before June 19th - the deadline for responses to said order. That isn't the same as proposing a new deal, but it is hard to imagine how circumstances could've changed so materially or that there are reasons so special that they change the CMA's position on the merger without a new deal structure.

I don't know how you get one without the other, i.e. how do you prove material changes without changing the deal, and if you've changed the deal, why do they not have details of it given a month has passed since the submission deadline?

Because it's clear the market hasn't changed and the basic construct of the merger as we know it hasn't changed (MS still buying ABK) - the EU has approved the deal and the FTC was denied an injunction in court. Those are the only changes in circumstance.

From the CMA's notice of extension to the timeline:

The CMA invited written representations on the proposed Order from any
interested person or persons with a deadline of 17:00 UK time on 19 June
2023. The CMA received written representations on the proposed Order from
interested persons which are currently under consideration. In particular, the
CMA received a detailed and complex submission from Microsoft claiming that
there are material changes in circumstance and special reasons under section
41(3) of the Act which mean that the CMA should not adopt the proposed
Order

I posted 41(3) earlier and it's related to the bar for the CMA changing course on the final order, which is the same bar the Judge has set for granting the adjournment.

 

[historia]

Do you think Destin Lingerie and other mentally ill individuals in that fanbase gonna off themselves if the deal fall through. Thay sounds pretty emotionally and mentally invested in this though.

 

[On Demand]

Nobody is saying they should not investigate the new deal but there is NO DEAL and the CMA lawyers were fighting HARD to cancel their final report and trash all the work they did for months. Even the judge is completely flabbergasted about why they want to stop this so bad. This is not normal.


Also some justice for @KiryuRealty he was always right about the process but he was banned unfortunately I don't know why

I bet they didn’t expect the Judge to ask to see this so called new deal(there is none). CMA is scribbling together something to show the Judge as we speak. Knowing he sees through the CMA obvious back tracking, I bet it doesn’t please him what they come up with.

Still hoping for a last minute hail mary block, or Activision walks away.

 

[historia]

I bet they didn’t expect the Judge to ask to see this so called new deal(there is none). CMA is scribbling together something to show the Judge as we speak. Knowing he sees through the CMA obvious back tracking, I bet it doesn’t please him what they come up with.

Still hoping for a last minute hail mary block, or Activision walks away.

It is UK so hope we can get the funny Fergie Time moment.

 

[Nhomnhom]

I bet they didn’t expect the Judge to ask to see this so called new deal(there is none). CMA is scribbling together something to show the Judge as we speak. Knowing he sees through the CMA obvious back tracking, I bet it doesn’t please him what they come up with.

Still hoping for a last minute hail mary block, or Activision walks away.

I personalty always hated ABK since before they bought and ruined Blizzard. The best thing about a block would've been the precedent it would set and the effect it would have on the toxic Xbox community.

The past two or three years were easily the worst period ever to be following gaming news thanks to MS and their army of stupid shills.

 

[Bryank75]

Do you think Destin Lingerie and other mentally ill individuals in that fanbase gonna off themselves if the deal fall through. Thay sounds pretty emotionally and mentally invested in this though.

Never want any hard to befall anyone but I'd love a dose of reality for them, to snap them out of this destructive obsession with acquisitions and trying to hurt Sony / PlayStation.

PlayStation didn't get where it is by focusing on Xbox and trying to hurt it as much as possible... they would argue otherwise though.

But the facts are that Sony became their best selves by learning to make high quality games and adapting to the consumer after the start of PS3.
They listened to their fans. They made games like Uncharted, Infamous and many others and secured important exclusives like MGS4.

The intention wasn't to hurt Xbox but to make PS a great place to be with its own personality.

Microsoft had done enough with Zenimax to provide that and maybe a couple smaller devs to flesh out the offering but ABK was too far.....it's now about controlling the industry and hurting their main competitor, the line was crossed.

 

[reziel]

I bet they didn’t expect the Judge to ask to see this so called new deal(there is none). CMA is scribbling together something to show the Judge as we speak. Knowing he sees through the CMA obvious back tracking, I bet it doesn’t please him what they come up with.

Still hoping for a last minute hail mary block, or Activision walks away.

I don't see how the block can still stand. I mean the CMA was the one that did it and now they don't want to continue the block so it should be done. At most wouldn't this only stay in effect until the CAT trial if the judge doesn't budge?

 

[Ludwig]

Yeah could be legitimately true. Didn’t the mastermind behind it leave?
Jason Blundell was his name I think.
If I am not wrong that other guy Tony is still there?

He wasn't the only mastermind behind it.
Yes everyone is still there expect him and some people from treyarch join too like Tony Flame who was at Treyarch for like 10+ years.

 

[Gediminas]

What we are witnessing is not the regular procedure. He couldn't know the CMA would make an about-face at the last minute, begging the judge to let MS close the deal.

The CMA needs to change their logo to Microsoft. Who's going to do it on their Wiki?

someone should.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Never want any hard to befall anyone but I'd love a dose of reality for them, to snap them out of this obsessive and destructive obsession with acquisitions and trying to hurt Sony / PlayStation.

PlayStation didn't get where it is by focusing on Xbox and trying to hurt it as much as possible... they would argue otherwise though.

But the facts are that Sony became their best selves by learning to make high quality games and adapting to the consumer after the start of PS3.
They listened to their fans. They made games like Uncharted, Infamous and many others and secured important exclusives like MGS4.

The intention wasn't to hurt Xbox but to make PS a great place to be with its own personality.

Microsoft had done enough with Zenimax to provide that and maybe a couple smaller devs to flesh out the offering but ABK was too far.....it's now about controlling the industry and hurting their main competitor, the line was crossed.

MS haven't done shit with anything they bought so far, they are obsessed with controlling the gaming market and never actually cared for building something of quality or culturally relevant.

I have very little doubt MS will fuck most of these studios up (the ones that aren't already fucked up), the problem is that it feels like MS moves made Sony desperate to move beyond consoles in a hurry.