The European Commission has cleared Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard

[John Elden Ring]

The European Commission has cleared Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard | VGC

The approval is subject to Microsoft licensing Activision Blizzard games automatically to rival cloud gaming services…

www.videogameschronicle.com

The European Commission has approved Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The approval is conditional on Microsoft fully complying with a number of commitments related to the cloud gaming market.

The Commission’s investigation into the $69 billion deal indicated it would not harm rival consoles and rival multi-game subscription services, but that it could harm competition in the distribution of games via cloud game streaming services.

To address the competition concerns identified by the Commission, Microsoft offered the following licensing commitments, with a 10-year duration:

• A free license to consumers in the EEA that would allow them to stream, via any cloud game streaming services of their choice, all current and future Activision Blizzard PC and console games for which they have a license.
• A corresponding free license to cloud game streaming service providers to allow EEA-based gamers to stream any Activision Blizzard’s PC and console games.

“The commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission and represent a significant improvement for cloud gaming as compared to the current situation,” the EU said on Monday.

 

[Johnic]

lol

So basically their "concessions" come to basically nothing. Even after those deals MS signed turned out to be pure bs. But that's why they installed their own stooge in Europe.

 

[ethomaz]

The had the same concerns about Cloud gaming as CMA (for these that CMA was irrational).
The difference were the commitments from Microsoft.
I don't remember these 10 years free license in CMA but I could have missed them.

 

[KnittedKnight]

 

[On Demand]

Deal still ain’t going through.

Thank you CMA and FTC.

 

[Nhomnhom]

The longer this goes on the better, let them fight the CMA and FTC and renegotiate the deal with ABK. Even if it all goes right for them Xbox will be comatose and ABK will have been damaged beyond repair by the time we feel any effect from it.

It's Bethesda again but 10x worse.

The absurdity of the concession is just hilarious.

 

[AshHunter216]

The had the same concerns about Cloud gaming as CMA (for these that CMA was irrational).
The difference were the commitments from Microsoft.
I don't remember these 10 years free license in CMA but I could have missed them.

They offered the same kinds of deals in thr UK. The CMA just didn't think they were good enough.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

EU looks so weak and pathetic. They had a free license to look like actual regulators with the CMA and FTC block. Those pathetic slides from Clown Smith worked on them idiots

Thread title should be "The cheque has cleared Microsoft now owns the EC"

 

[Loy310]

Well they agreed with the cma in regards to what could happen if ms made abk games exclusive to ms own cloud network, they both said it would slc. Only difference is they accepted ms weak remedies for 10 years. After 10 year the EC is pretty much telling gamers to go kick rocks and telling MS they can do whatever they want after 10 years.

Sounds like the type of gov i want looking over me when the corps come to make my life worse.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Well they agreed with the cma in regards to what could happen if ms made abk games exclusive to ms own cloud network, they both said it would slc. Only difference is they accepted ms weak remedies for 10 years. After 10 year the EC is pretty much telling gamers to go kick rocks and telling MS they can do whatever they want after 10 years.

Sounds like the type of go i want looking over me when the corps come to make my life worse.

10 years from now the average gamer won't know what Xbox is and CoD would be lucky to remain half as popular as it is now.

10 years is a ridiculously long time for Xbox to keep existing without any success.

 

[Shmunter]

Well I’ll be a monkeys uncle

 

[Gediminas]

so, after Bethesda took EC one in the mouth from m$.

after this, EC will take in the Ass.

Spineless doormats.

 

[Kereke12]

Deal still ain’t going through.

Thank you CMA and FTC.

The FTC hasn't even said their final decision and plus Microsoft have the right to fight it in court just like META did with the FTC and took them to Supreme Court. In America you have rights, meanwhile, the UK has backward laws. I could see the final part going to Supreme Court. This is not over. Also if the Japanese FTC approved it then that surely tells you a lot where Microsoft has not ground in Japan compared to Sony and Nintendo.

 

[Kereke12]

The had the same concerns about Cloud gaming as CMA (for these that CMA was irrational).
The difference were the commitments from Microsoft.
I don't remember these 10 years free license in CMA but I could have missed them.

The argument over cloud gaming is a joke, cloud gaming will never take off due to our current internet infrastructure. I could see this working in 20 years, not in 10 years.

 

[AshHunter216]

Well they agreed with the cma in regards to what could happen if ms made abk games exclusive to ms own cloud network, they both said it would slc. Only difference is they accepted ms weak remedies for 10 years. After 10 year the EC is pretty much telling gamers to go kick rocks and telling MS they can do whatever they want after 10 years.

Sounds like the type of gov i want looking over me when the corps come to make my life worse.

Yep, they agreed that cloud was a concern. They disagreed on the types of remedies that would be acceptable.

 

[AshHunter216]

The FTC hasn't even said their final decision and plus Microsoft have the right to fight it in court just like META did with the FTC and took them to Supreme Court. In America you have rights, meanwhile, the UK has backward laws. I could see the final part going to Supreme Court. This is not over. Also if the Japanese FTC approved it then that surely tells you a lot where Microsoft has not ground in Japan compared to Sony and Nintendo.

That's not how the UK's system works at all, lol.

 

[Nhomnhom]

The FTC hasn't even said their final decision and plus Microsoft have the right to fight it in court just like META did with the FTC and took them to Supreme Court. In America you have rights, meanwhile, the UK has backward laws. I could see the final part going to Supreme Court. This is not over. Also if the Japanese FTC approved it then that surely tells you a lot where Microsoft has not ground in Japan compared to Sony and Nintendo.

What does Japan has to do with it? Xbox doesn't even exist in Japan.

That's not how the UK's system works at all, lol.

No place where a trillion dollar company can't buy up market share to corner a market knows true freedom. America once again triumphs and shows to the world their righteous ways. This deal is ultimately just a stand against tyranny and the culmination of centuries of human endeavor.

 

[Kereke12]

That's not how the UK's system works at all, lol.

I don't care you missed the point and it went straight through your thick head. I'm talking about the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!! Never did I mention the CMA. I only mentioned that the UK has backward laws and regulations that it makes them look bad that the EU approved it while the UK CMA rejected it lol like what? I'm talking about America.

 

[Dabaus]

I dont think the deal will go through but i do wonder what sony's contingency's are if somehow it does? Theyve all but closed deviation so scratch them off the list. What other independent FPS Studios are there that carry any weight?

 

[Kereke12]

What does Japan has to do with it? Xbox doesn't even exist in Japan.

It sure does have a lot to do with it lol You would think Japan would protect their own companies like Nintendo and Sony but they still approved it.