Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

You can't blame anyone at Bethesda for this. Zenimax owned them, and they were purchased so Bethesda came with the package. Pete Hines email confirmed that being the case that if they had the choice Playstation would still get games.

Yep. The blame's at least 90% on Phil Spencer, he's the one who decided on exclusivity for all future Zenimax titles. The creatives didn't even have a say in that decision (similar to their studios being sold to Microsoft in the first place).

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer: Microsoft heard Starfield might skip Xbox before buying Bethesda

Additional insight.

www.windowscentral.com

"I've also heard from a couple of sources that one of the reasons a deal to sign Starfield as a PS5 console exclusive didn't pan out — or rather, wasn't reached before Microsoft reached a deal to buy ZeniMax Media — was directly because of game director Todd Howard, who wasn't keen on the game having PS5 exclusivity".
And todd turned out to be MS double agent who reached his boss to prevent starfield from touching PS5 LOL.

You have to take anything from Windows Central with a HUGE grain of salt, especially if the article is written by Jez Corden. AFAIK, Samuel Tolbert's track record isn't that much better.

We don't know the real reason Starfield didn't become a PS5 timed exclusive. We don't even know if that was ever in the works. A marketing deal seems like something that was more on the cards for a game of that scope, and maybe it had less to do with Todd than it did with Zenimax's previous owners who just wanted to sell things off to Microsoft.

I always say to read these articles with lots of suspicion because they are trying to normalize other sentiments. In this case, the sentiment a lot of Xbox people have that Sony pays to keep games off of Xbox, when these "reporters" can't even confirm if there was ever an exclusivity deal in the works, or if that was a marketing deal etc. Just like Imran Khan's rumors from 2020 that seemed to turned out to be BS because I'm sure we would've seen a lot more 3P AAA timed exclusives on PS5 if it were (outside of mainline Final Fantasy games, which actually seem to be the only notable 3P AAA exclusives PS5 has gotten so far IIRC).

And who else was, in court no less, pushing the same idea that Sony pays 3P to keep games off Xbox? Phil Spencer.

 

[Fenton]

 

[Darth Vader]

Thought i had if the Injunction isnt granted. The CMA said the MS and ABK cannot communicate with one another, so how would they agree to an extension to get past the CMA trial if theyre not supposed to communicate?

An extension can be set independently, they don't need to necessarily agree on the same dates.

 

[Bryank75]

When are we guessing the FTC injunction ruling will come? Next week?

 

[FatKaz]

Thought i had if the Injunction isnt granted. The CMA said the MS and ABK cannot communicate with one another, so how would they agree to an extension to get past the CMA trial if theyre not supposed to communicate?

CMA never said they can't communicate with each other.

 

[MrRevocs1256]

When are we guessing the FTC injunction ruling will come? Next week?

Whenever MS's Cheque to the judge clears I guess

 

[Nhomnhom]

Ultra-Bottom Tier: Reward grinders and gamepass scammers/trickster, that get paid the lowest possible compensation per hour wasted and yet think MS is helping them.

Yep. The blame's at least 90% on Phil Spencer, he's the one who decided on exclusivity for all future Zenimax titles. The creatives didn't even have a say in that decision (similar to their studios being sold to Microsoft in the first place).



You have to take anything from Windows Central with a HUGE grain of salt, especially if the article is written by Jez Corden. AFAIK, Samuel Tolbert's track record isn't that much better.

We don't know the real reason Starfield didn't become a PS5 timed exclusive. We don't even know if that was ever in the works. A marketing deal seems like something that was more on the cards for a game of that scope, and maybe it had less to do with Todd than it did with Zenimax's previous owners who just wanted to sell things off to Microsoft.

I always say to read these articles with lots of suspicion because they are trying to normalize other sentiments. In this case, the sentiment a lot of Xbox people have that Sony pays to keep games off of Xbox, when these "reporters" can't even confirm if there was ever an exclusivity deal in the works, or if that was a marketing deal etc. Just like Imran Khan's rumors from 2020 that seemed to turned out to be BS because I'm sure we would've seen a lot more 3P AAA timed exclusives on PS5 if it were (outside of mainline Final Fantasy games, which actually seem to be the only notable 3P AAA exclusives PS5 has gotten so far IIRC).

And who else was, in court no less, pushing the same idea that Sony pays 3P to keep games off Xbox? Phil Spencer.

Circulating the rumor that Sony was going to make Starfield exclusive is precisely the type of move we should expect from MS.

 

[reziel]

When are we guessing the FTC injunction ruling will come? Next week?

No idea last thing heard in regards of that is MS was trying to push for her decision before the 18th. Now if she waits until the day before I'd have to agree with the tinfoil theories that she's in the MS camp.

 

[AshHunter216]

Apparently, the ruling will initially be sealed, so MS and the FTC will potentially know a full week before the rest of us do.

 

[Arminius]

We all know the judge is going to allow MS to coast by, but the CMA won’t.

 

[Bryank75]

We all know the judge is going to allow MS to coast by, but the CMA won’t.

I think we all shifted heavily to this state of mind the minute we heard her son was working for MSFT and she didn't recuse herself. It's a bit of a joke.

 

[anonpuffs]

I think we all shifted heavily to this state of mind the minute we heard her son was working for MSFT and she didn't recuse herself. It's a bit of a joke.

I did find that very interesting. A lot of conflict of interest laws don't permit government employees from presiding over matters where an immediate family member is involved in one of the parties. Why is it different here? That's an immediate red flag imo

 

[FatKaz]

The judge should have been automatically disqualified. Absurd that the FTC have to challenge it.

How do the FTC prove that her judgment could be effected by her son working for MS? Go looking for emails? Or past judgements to prove she is going to rule in favour of MS? Read her mind? Cause they can't just say "her son works for ms" cause the system allows that.

If they can't find anything they are fucked. Stuck with a judge they made career ending allegations against.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Who knows it may very well end up being in the FTCs favour, and the judge ends up feeling a bit pressured to lean more towards the injunction to not come across biased.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I think we all shifted heavily to this state of mind the minute we heard her son was working for MSFT and she didn't recuse herself. It's a bit of a joke.

Well let's look at it this way: maybe she hates her son precisely because he works at Microsoft?

 

[Puff]

 

[FatKaz]

 

[AshHunter216]

Either way, isn't the CMA still a problem for MS here?

 

[Loy310]

Either way, isn't the CMA still a problem for MS here?

Depends on CAT, the folks handling the appeal in the uk. Hearing with CAT begins on the 28th and will more than likely be a repeat of the PI trail we just saw last week in the usa. Hopefully the cma can make their case to the CAT and thereby causing the CAT to uphold the block.

 

[AshHunter216]

Depends on CAT, the folks handling the appeal in the uk. Hearing with CAT begins on the 28th and will more than likely be a repeat of the PI trail we just saw last week in the usa. Hopefully the cma can make their case to the CAT and thereby causing the CAT to uphold the block.

The CAT can't change a CMA ruling, they can, at most, kick it back to the CMA for another investigation. Also, the CMA would be focused on the cloud market, not the console one, which is a stronger case.

My concern is with MS using victories in other territories to apply pressure to the UK.

 

[Old Gamer]

The CAT can't change a CMA ruling, they can, at most, kick it back to the CMA for another investigation.

And after the public display of evidence by the FTC, the CMA would then have grounds to extend their concerns to console gaming.