Microsoft's acquisition of Activison Blizzard

[Darth Vader]

Do you know where I can access the full report of their new findings? And how many pages is it, specifically?

I'm not necessarily trying to get caught up in reading legal documents for my weekend

Here you go.

Microsoft / Activision Blizzard merger inquiry

The CMA investigated the anticipated acquisition by Microsoft Corporation of Activision Blizzard, Inc.

www.gov.uk

 

[Darth Vader]

I'll read it again tomorrow.

TLDR: Microsoft gave them new numbers and said #trustus and they did. That's the reasoning pretty much.

 

[Yobo]

Sony should have made their arguments about how Microsoft is attempting to lock them out of the biggest providers of major gaming genres. First it was the Western RPG subgenre, now it is the FPS genre.

 

[laynelane]

MS started investing into influencers and shills this gen to the point it's not even funny. They're all over the place. I've never seen a media push this big in the industry before. They're everywhere. Not just gaming sites but "gaming journalists" on a payroll as well. And it's not reporting on the industry, it's intentionally twisting facts to suit MS.

There isn't a single genuine, decent xbox content creator on youtube. Not a single one. matt, destin, randal, colt, dealer. All twist the narrative to serve their corporate overlord and the zealots that watch them.

Seriously, I don't remember seeing a worse fanbase in gaming before. It's so bad that, as an owner of a Series X and a GPU sub, it's putting me off the brand completely. You want to discuss games but it's all this zoo of animalistic screeching about money and acquisitions. Seriously, it's some Scientology level brainwashing on that side. Hand draw an xbox logo and post it on reddit. Hundreds of likes. They'll cheer for anything xbox. Anything. If Phil started kicking puppies, they'd applaud it.

Sorry for the rant but I'd just like to have a decent place to discuss xbox stuff.

I've noticed that too. The fanaticism is off the charts and has definitely been exacerbated by the acquisition of Zenimax and now ABK. That MS is manipulating this is apparent and since it's so contrary to their pro-consumer messaging, it's been disappointing to watch. What I find puzzling, though, is it's not bringing new people to their ecosystem as can be seen by sales for the Series consoles and Game Pass stagnating. And you're not the first level-headed X-Box fan I've seen who's not taken in by it. So, it's not bringing in new people and even turning away some fans. What's the point then? Personally, I suspect it is backfiring and they don't realize it yet. The level of arrogance in weaponizing your fanbase like this remind me of the XBox One reveal. It's possible others see it like this too.

 

[Dabaus]

Sony should have made their arguments about how Microsoft is attempting to lock them out of the biggest providers of major gaming genres. First it was the Western RPG subgenre, now it is the FPS genre.

This is great point.

 

[Deleted member 417]

Woah, woah ,woah, sweet child of mine, none of this is new. Is this what the Xbox fans have been cheering about? Old news?

Partial foreclosure is not the deal passing with flying colours. But it does sound like the CMA has given the green light to Microsoft to launch CoD on playstation after a period of exclusivity.

This is not the slam dunk win that has been paraded around for the past few days.

 

[Zeroing]

All I got to say is, Microsoft's plan to rehabilitate/clean their image is working.

MS started investing into influencers and shills this gen to the point it's not even funny. They're all over the place. I've never seen a media push this big in the industry before. They're everywhere. Not just gaming sites but "gaming journalists" on a payroll as well. And it's not reporting on the industry, it's intentionally twisting facts to suit MS.

This is nothing new, they did it for gamepass, xbox one and so on... the problem is, everyone just falls for it and does not complain. Now MS can spin any narrative they want because they can control the gaming media. Sony will be forever the "evil" company while Microsoft employees can fuel toxic gamer behavior.
Right now xbox team is giving a lot of interviews and very soon the media once again send this fake perception they are the only good thing in the gaming industry.

To be fair it's not only on gaming, anything bad related to Microsoft all of the sudden has "people" siding with Microsoft. For example the implications of MS having exclusive access to ChatGPT code, is something that should make people worry but it was shut down very quickly.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Woah, woah ,woah, sweet child of mine, none of this is new. Is this what the Xbox fans have been cheering about? Old news?

Partial foreclosure is not the deal passing with flying colours. But it does sound like the CMA has given the green light to Microsoft to launch CoD on playstation after a period of exclusivity.

This is not the slam dunk win that has been paraded around for the past few days.

It's not a slam dunk but they don't have any worry about Playstation anymore so are they going to use the same arguments and then say "we are worried about partial foreclosure...but on CLOUD only, divest COD like we said or blocked"

I would love it but I don't see it happening

 

[Eternal_Wings]

These Xbox fanboys are beyond ridiculous. It’s getting worse and worse by every day.
Destin is spreading the fake report that Sony is probed by the JFTC (Japan Fair Trade Commission). His source is made up from his arse.


Just because of this ignorant take pushed by Microsoft shady lobbyists.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

It's not a slam dunk but they don't have any worry about Playstation anymore so are they going to use the same arguments and then say "we are worried about partial foreclosure...but on CLOUD only, divest COD like we said or blocked"

I would love it but I don't see it happening

That's a good point. Microsoft said 10 years is enough time for Sony to make a COD competitor...but is 10 years enough for Nintendo to make a COD competitor? Nvidia? Boosteroid?

What would Xbox & Game Pass-exclusive perks do to hamper adaption of COD content on the other platforms and cloud services MS have been signing 10-year deals with like candy? Surely the CMA can't think Boosteroid or some other extremely small-scale cloud provider can create a COD competitor in 10 years, and if MS's plan isn't to potentially foreclose on those companies with COD after 10 years, why have they only made an exception for Sony? Who just happens to be their direct console competitor in the high-end market segment?

Hence why the CMA dropping their console concerns was a completely boneheaded decision, but now at least they can posit how MS intent to handle providence of COD to companies like Nintendo, Nvidia, Boosteriod etc. after the 10 years are up, or does Microsoft intend to remove COD access for them similar to with Sony? And again, if they always only planned to remove access after 10 years from Sony, why would the CMA drop their console concerns when that directly shows MS has a foreclosure strategy aimed at their direct, chief console competitor!?

Dunno, depending on how this all plays out, Sony might have a case to sue regulators if they give approval for MS to acquire ABK on reasons that are logically fractured and questionable.

These Xbox fanboys are beyond ridiculous. It’s getting worse and worse by every day.
Destin is spreading the fake report that Sony is probed by the JFTC (Japan Fair Trade Commission). His source is made up from his arse.


Just because of this ignorant take pushed by Microsoft shady lobbyists.View attachment 881

I usually don't say this about media personalities, but fuck Destin Legarie. He is an actual parasite on gaming altogether, let alone what's left of games journalism.

Hope he never decides to become a pro-PlayStation guy. You can't get rid of bad character just because you change your flag.

He's one of the few people who could lose all relevancy in gaming, make a begathon video pleading for donations, and I would just laugh through the entire thing with no cares given. Maybe just stick to baking cookies, you're no good for gaming.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

That's a good point. Microsoft said 10 years is enough time for Sony to make a COD competitor...but is 10 years enough for Nintendo to make a COD competitor? Nvidia? Boosteroid?

What would Xbox & Game Pass-exclusive perks do to hamper adaption of COD content on the other platforms and cloud services MS have been signing 10-year deals with like candy? Surely the CMA can't think Boosteroid or some other extremely small-scale cloud provider can create a COD competitor in 10 years, and if MS's plan isn't to potentially foreclose on those companies with COD after 10 years, why have they only made an exception for Sony? Who just happens to be their direct console competitor in the high-end market segment?

Hence why the CMA dropping their console concerns was a completely boneheaded decision, but now at least they can posit how MS intent to handle providence of COD to companies like Nintendo, Nvidia, Boosteriod etc. after the 10 years are up, or does Microsoft intend to remove COD access for them similar to with Sony? And again, if they always only planned to remove access after 10 years from Sony, why would the CMA drop their console concerns when that directly shows MS has a foreclosure strategy aimed at their direct, chief console competitor!?

Dunno, depending on how this all plays out, Sony might have a case to sue regulators if they give approval for MS to acquire ABK on reasons that are logically fractured and questionable.

Regulators are dumb like everyone else. Sony can do everything themselves in-house, foreclose them as you wish. We are more worried about that random cloud company we never heard of than the millions of customers on Playstation

 

[Eternal_Wings]

…

 

[laynelane]

These Xbox fanboys are beyond ridiculous. It’s getting worse and worse by every day.
Destin is spreading the fake report that Sony is probed by the JFTC (Japan Fair Trade Commission). His source is made up from his arse.


Just because of this ignorant take pushed by Microsoft shady lobbyists.View attachment 881

Some people really will just say anything at all, even to the point of playing make-believe.

And aside from making stuff up and the paid politician foolishness, Destin has a surprisingly low sub count. He's such a well-known shill that I thought he would have a bigger audience.

 

[laynelane]

Regulators are dumb like everyone else. Sony can do everything themselves in-house, foreclose them as you wish. We are more worried about that random cloud company we never heard of than the millions of customers on Playstation

For me, the reasoning given by the CMA - that MS won't foreclose CoD on PS because the financial loss would be too heavy just comes across as out of touch with what we've already seen. With Zenimax being a prime example and also that until they met with regulator pushback - MS was trying to get away with a three year contract with Sony while publicly saying something else. I'm aware these are all provisional findings and we won't have a final answer until the end of April, but I'd really like to see a revisit on these issues by the CMA.

 

[nongkris]

For me, the reasoning given by the CMA - that MS won't foreclose CoD on PS because the financial loss would be too heavy just comes across as out of touch with what we've already seen. With Zenimax being a prime example and also that until they met with regulator pushback - MS was trying to get away with a three year contract with Sony while publicly saying something else. I'm aware these are all provisional findings and we won't have a final answer until the end of April, but I'd really like to see a revisit on these issues by the CMA.

That's the dumbest part of the entire report. MS is one of the few companies that could/would take the financial loss of taking COD away from PS just because their profits from their other divisions are astronomical. Bethesda already showed them that they're willing to do it! The crack the CMA must be smoking to have made that idiotic point is crazy.

 

[Shmunter]

That's the dumbest part of the entire report. MS is one of the few companies that could/would take the financial loss of taking COD away from PS just because their profits from their other divisions are astronomical. Bethesda already showed them that they're willing to do it! The crack the CMA must be smoking to have made that idiotic point is crazy.

I suppose the 10yr deal is off the table now for Sony. See how it plays out.

 

[Cool hand luke]

That's the dumbest part of the entire report. MS is one of the few companies that could/would take the financial loss of taking COD away from PS just because their profits from their other divisions are astronomical. Bethesda already showed them that they're willing to do it! The crack the CMA must be smoking to have made that idiotic point is crazy.

Absolutely insane. A regulator's role is not just to look at the market today but also to project into the future. A future in which Microsoft has free reign to buy up all of its competitors' revenue sources, draw consumers to their platform through incentives (Cod) and total foreclosure (zenimax, blizzard) and then foreclose the remaining titles (Cod, Minecraft) is an outcome that is possible, likely, and importantly, insanely profitable in the long run. They would rather have no competition at all than have to offer titles to them, and if they control all the inputs, a monopoly is exactly what they'll have.

That's notwithstanding the fact that MS can stomach any course of action another company a 20th of their size would find impossibly unprofitable.

When the CMA strikes this down on the cloud SLC, you'd hope it fully humbles Xbots but I somehow doubt it.

I suppose the 10yr deal is off the table now for Sony. See how it plays out.

They've still got to offer full parity for 10 years or their reputation will be in tatters with the public and with regulators. Sony had nothing to lose by fighting them.

 

[Ludwig]

I suppose the 10yr deal is off the table now for Sony. See how it plays out.

Correct me if I am wrong here.
In the recent CMA document, did CMA say or apply that taking off COD will not hurt PS? When reading it says that MS doesn't have the incentive to take COD off.

 

[Fenton]

◉Buy big publishers with their massive warchest and get control of popular IPs, deliberately be vague and avoid giving definitive answers about game platforms.
◉Act like a goody benevolent company by offering games in a heavily publicized cheap subscription service (to take ownership away from customers, also kill the physical market)
◉Offer COD to a successful company which doesn't even need and nobody asked for it (Nintendo)
◉COD on PS Plus (only after Sony pays us a hefty amount)
◉COD on Game Pass, Sony will sell it for full price if they don't pay us
◉Tell Sony to make a COD rival (which even MS and others cannot), hinting to COD fans on PS that it will be gone one day.
◉Strike 10-year deals with Nvidia and some obscure streaming services which nobody uses to hoodwink the regulators.
◉Use Azure and Office 365 profits to fund all these endeavours and cover up the losses by not showing gaming financial details in investors briefings
◉Utilize social media, press conferences for PR, and also political connections.... let the media shills and fanboys control the narrative

 

[riesgoyfortuna]

MS started investing into influencers and shills this gen to the point it's not even funny. They're all over the place. I've never seen a media push this big in the industry before. They're everywhere. Not just gaming sites but "gaming journalists" on a payroll as well. And it's not reporting on the industry, it's intentionally twisting facts to suit MS.

There isn't a single genuine, decent xbox content creator on youtube. Not a single one. matt, destin, randal, colt, dealer. All twist the narrative to serve their corporate overlord and the zealots that watch them.

Seriously, I don't remember seeing a worse fanbase in gaming before. It's so bad that, as an owner of a Series X and a GPU sub, it's putting me off the brand completely. You want to discuss games but it's all this zoo of animalistic screeching about money and acquisitions. Seriously, it's some Scientology level brainwashing on that side. Hand draw an xbox logo and post it on reddit. Hundreds of likes. They'll cheer for anything xbox. Anything. If Phil started kicking puppies, they'd applaud it.

Sorry for the rant but I'd just like to have a decent place to discuss xbox stuff.

this,you can see that on the reeee forum all their links are from people like jez corden,tom warren,flos mueler,dustin legarie,fuck me they even link people like sensutsage its so pretty clear what kind of fanbase they have fostered