UK watchdog recommends Xbox Activision deal for ‘in-depth investigation’ amid competition concerns

Papacheeks

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It's going to go through lmao, UK regulators don't actually control anything. The most they could accomplish is slowing down the process, it's impossible for them to stop it.

UK literally stopped NVIDIA from buying ARM for 40 Billion.

I still think the deal will go through. But I think there will be things in place.
 

Heisenberg007

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21 Jun 2022
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UK literally stopped NVIDIA from buying ARM for 40 Billion.

I still think the deal will go through. But I think there will be things in place.
Yeah, I read their 8-page filing yesterday. They have two concerns:
  1. COD should remain multiplatform. (MS has committed to this one)
  2. COD can't be exclusive to Gamepass. (MS hasn't committed to this one yet)
Their concern is that the console gaming market is tough as it is, but cloud gaming presents an opportunity for new entrants to come in relatively easily (aka Google Stadia).

But if Xbox gets this catalog and makes it exclusive to Gamepass, it'll increase that barrier for future competitors to enter the market. This is also because Xbox is already in a good position because of MS money and cloud capabilities.

They have now given MS 8 days to respond and eliminate their concerns. Otherwise, they will move this investigation to the second phase.
 

Lord Mittens

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Yeah, I read their 8-page filing yesterday. They have two concerns:
  1. COD should remain multiplatform. (MS has committed to this one)
  2. COD can't be exclusive to Gamepass. (MS hasn't committed to this one yet)
Their concern is that the console gaming market is tough as it is, but cloud gaming presents an opportunity for new entrants to come in relatively easily (aka Google Stadia).

But if Xbox gets this catalog and makes it exclusive to Gamepass, it'll increase that barrier for future competitors to enter the market. This is also because Xbox is already in a good position because of MS money and cloud capabilities.

They have now given MS 8 days to respond and eliminate their concerns. Otherwise, they will move this investigation to the second phase.

That part about COD being exclusive to gamepass, isn't the BR free to play anyway?
 

DynamiteCop

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lol who do you think blocked the Nvidia / ARM acquisition?
No one blocked anything, they were being heavily criticized with potentially looming regulatory action and killed the deal themselves. What is this revisionist history bs...

P.S. They were being hammered by MULTIPLE regulatory boards and ARM was a UK company. Apple and oranges, these Brit's can't do shit.
 
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Lord Mittens

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That's the F2P game, yes. But they are talking about the rest of the catalog.

Would many people really be bothered by that though? if the campaign elements were on the sub?
I've said before I really don't think Xbox would make COD exclusive in anyway, even after existing contracts.

COD will always have a massive population on PlayStation even if it was on gamepass
 

DynamiteCop

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That part about COD being exclusive to gamepass, isn't the BR free to play anyway?
That would be a stupid sword to fall on for these regulators and in a legal battle they would get gutted. The games not being pulled from PlayStation is enough, but trying to dictate that Xbox can't launch the games solely into their own subscription service is a dead end argument.
 

Shmunter

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I found out what all the Xbox guys were doing....


Everyone is in there.... PeterOvo, Post Up etc etc. LOL
Just look at the live chat.
Is this guy legit? I started listening and immediately he draws comparisons Scoring goals on a football field as a "competition", and only breaking legs on the field etc. as anti competitive.

Ok….except all sports codes implement salary & budget caps to ensure fair competition otherwise the rich clubs would amass all the best athletes and there would be no competition. That’s the parallel, not on field cheating.

I don’t get what he’s trying to say in his address.


Edit: listened more and he is defending MS purchase as investing in the industry. Investing yes, but investing in the industry? also don't understand. Acquisition is acquiring a slice of an existing pie - not growing it. Now...industry could buy up things e.g. patents, tech, etc. in effort to spin them into something more, but I can't see that here either.

I think he's got it wrong.
 
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Heisenberg007

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Would many people really be bothered by that though? if the campaign elements were on the sub?
I've said before I really don't think Xbox would make COD exclusive in anyway, even after existing contracts.

COD will always have a massive population on PlayStation even if it was on gamepass
Warzone is very different as it's BR only (as far as I know). The yearly COD releases multiplayer components are very different.

They're separate products, and regulators want both of them to stay multiplatform as they were.
 

Darth Vader

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It's going to go through lmao, UK regulators don't actually control anything. The most they could accomplish is slowing down the process, it's impossible for them to stop it.

Confidently incorrect.


"These Brits" need to greenlight the deal, same as the EU.
 

Bryank75

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Is this guy legit? I started listening and immediately he draws comparisons Scoring goals on a football field as a "competition", and only breaking legs on the field etc. as anti competitive.

Ok….except all sports codes implement salary & budget caps to ensure fair competition otherwise the rich clubs would amass all the best athletes and there would be no competition. That’s the parallel, not on field cheating.

I don’t get what he’s trying to say in his address.


Edit: listened more and he is defending MS purchase as investing in the industry. Investing yes, but investing in the industry? also don't understand. Acquisition is acquiring a slice of an existing pie - not growing it. Now...industry could buy up things e.g. patents, tech, etc. in effort to spin them it into something more, but I can't see that here either.

I think he's got it wrong.

Oh yeah, he is all in on MSFT... he sounds like an Xbox shill often.

He isn't even very well informed, he didn't realize that CME can kill this deal on their own.... CME killed the NVidia deal.
 

Sircaw

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No one blocked anything, they were being heavily criticized with potentially looming regulatory action and killed the deal themselves. What is this revisionist history bs...

P.S. They were being hammered by MULTIPLE regulatory boards and ARM was a UK company. Apple and oranges, these Brit's can't do shit.
We, the Brits, have got your balls in our hands.


tomato lol GIF by Disney Pixar
 

Shmunter

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Oh yeah, he is all in on MSFT... he sounds like an Xbox shill often.

He isn't even very well informed, he didn't realize that CME can kill this deal on their own.... CME killed the NVidia deal.
It’s a shame because I’ve listened to a few of his other vids and they seemed above board, but here it does seem bias and not based on an impartial take at all.

Someone should get him on the forum to discuss.
 

DynamiteCop

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It's called product tying eg "you can have COD as long as it's through Gamepass". Amd that's exactly what they are trying to do
That's not at all what's taking place.

Confidently incorrect.


"These Brits" need to greenlight the deal, same as the EU.
For someone saying that I'm incorrect it's quite hilarious when you don't even know what happened with this deal. I already addressed this and shot down that other know it all.

No one blocked anything, they were being heavily criticized with potentially looming regulatory action and killed the deal themselves. What is this revisionist history bs...

P.S. They were being hammered by MULTIPLE regulatory boards and ARM was a UK company. Apple and oranges, these Brit's can't do shit.