What will happen with Xbox, if EU also blocks the acquisition of Activision Blizzard?

[Eternal_Wings]

So what do you think if the deal fells trough in 22th May, because Activision Blizzard pretty likely to redraw from this deal and receive the $3B?



Maybe they could attempt at a later date to acquire a smaller publisher with probably Ubisoft or either Embracer Group.
Xbox will be shutdown as a division because the investor could lose their patience. Remember Nadella was very close to shutdown Xbox business despite One generation was performing way better than Series era.
The last possibility imo, Xbox will drop the console business and becoming a 3rd Party Publisher. Wha do you think guys?

 

[Johnic]

100% done. They're not fighting 3 huge regulators.

Neither Ubisoft nor Embracer would be allowed to go through. They have a massive amount of IPs which would boost their cloud platform and since they own 60-70% of that market, the regulators aren't allowing that.

Going 3rd party would fix all their issues. They'd still have a foothold in gaming and rake in billions off of the new PS userbase. No hardware to bog them down.

 

[Cool hand luke]

The grounds on which the CMA blocked them precludes any additional publisher acquisition, meaning that avenue for 'growth' is spent.

The ONLY option for Xbox to survive is to go 3rd party. Provide GP with all the games on generic hardware (TV, PC) and release a truncated version or just B2P games on PlayStation (and Nintendo where appropriate).

 

[Deleted member 417]

The grounds on which the CMA blocked them precludes any additional publisher acquisition, meaning that avenue for 'growth' is spent.

The ONLY option for Xbox to survive is to go 3rd party. Provide GP with all the games on generic hardware (TV, PC) and release a truncated version or just B2P games on PlayStation (and Nintendo where appropriate).

Xbox is in a great position to become the number 1 VR publisher and dev. With Doom, Halo (a reboot or VR remake would bring the popularity back to the franchise), TES, Fallout and many others under their belt, they could knock VR games out for fun and make mad bank off of them.

Imagine the easy ports to get them started; updating Fallout 3 and NV with a VR version and 4k version, same with Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Easy money

 

[Eternal_Wings]

100% done. They're not fighting 3 huge regulators.

Neither Ubisoft nor Embracer would be allowed to go through. They have a massive amount of IPs which would boost their cloud platform and since they own 60-70% of that market, the regulators aren't allowing that.

Going 3rd party would fix all their issues. They'd still have a foothold in gaming and rake in billions off of the new PS userbase. No hardware to bog them down.

I am not sure about Ubisoft or Embracer getting blocked. Yes they have tons of IPs, but only a couple of them are huge sellers. AC is prob the biggest seller from Ubisoft but that’s not on Call of Duty Level. Their other IPs like Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six are not really big sellers.
Embracer has a lot of WRPGs but non of them is really big despite Dark Sider series Moving on AA level. Embracer got with Tomb Raider, DeusEx and Lords of the Rings prominent franchises but that’s it. Why I think Microsoft would target them? Because the IPs of either Ubisoft or Embracer are suited perfectly as content filler for Gamepass. I doubt that Sony would cause a ruckus again if Microsoft tries to buy one of those publishers. If I need to decide for one, I think it will be Ubisoft. Ubisoft and Microsoft have a really close relationship and we have seen that in the past: Marketing rights mostly on Xbox. Also Ubisoft is in financial trouble , so I could see it happening if Activision Blizzard fails.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Ideally Xbox would die and nothing of value would be lost.

I can't think how the existence of Xbox benefits anyone, including MS. This gen has been just such a complete disaster for them and everything backfired (Series S, 12 Teraflops, Gamepass, acquisitions).

Xbox is in a great position to become the number 1 VR publisher and dev. With Doom, Halo (a reboot or VR remake would bring the popularity back to the franchise), TES, Fallout and many others under their belt, they could knock VR games out for fun and make mad bank off of them.

Imagine the easy ports to get them started; updating Fallout 3 and NV with a VR version and 4k version, same with Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Easy money

FPS games don't translate so easily to VR as you seem to think.

 

[anonpuffs]

Nothing would happen that isn't already happening. The deal is dead.

 

[On Demand]

You’re acting as if they were to pass it the deal would automatically go through. CMA said fuck off and the FTC is suing them.

I don’t see a way forward? Crying and fighting for it as they want to.

 

[FatKaz]

Europe will be closed for buisness

 

[peter42O]

If EU blocks the acquisition, it's done which in a way is great because Microsoft can go back to just acquiring studios for the next few years and best of all, I don't have to see the ABK conversation continue for the next 1-3 years. Microsoft will simply go back on course before ABK fell into their laps.

 

[Dr Bass]

If EU blocks the acquisition, it's done which in a way is great because Microsoft can go back to just acquiring studios for the next few years and best of all, I don't have to see the ABK conversation continue for the next 1-3 years. Microsoft will simply go back on course before ABK fell into their laps.

Why can't they just make some games with who they have already rather than "go back to just acquiring studios"? Again, where does this mindset come from?

I think rooting for MS to keep buying up studios is a really, really, bad thing at this point. They need to make use of the resources they already have.

 

[Swift_Star]

Nothing. Business as usual. They might go for smaller studios.

 

[Ludwig]

The grounds on which the CMA blocked them precludes any additional publisher acquisition, meaning that avenue for 'growth' is spent.

The ONLY option for Xbox to survive is to go 3rd party. Provide GP with all the games on generic hardware (TV, PC) and release a truncated version or just B2P games on PlayStation (and Nintendo where appropriate).

Or make quality games that people want to play.

 

[AshHunter216]

The CMA's ruling is a problem for MS regardless of what the EU does.

 

[Cool hand luke]

I am not sure about Ubisoft or Embracer getting blocked. Yes they have tons of IPs, but only a couple of them are huge sellers. AC is prob the biggest seller from Ubisoft but that’s not on Call of Duty Level. Their other IPs like Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six are not really big sellers.
Embracer has a lot of WRPGs but non of them is really big despite Dark Sider series Moving on AA level. Embracer got with Tomb Raider, DeusEx and Lords of the Rings prominent franchises but that’s it. Why I think Microsoft would target them? Because the IPs of either Ubisoft or Embracer are suited perfectly as content filler for Gamepass. I doubt that Sony would cause a ruckus again if Microsoft tries to buy one of those publishers. If I need to decide for one, I think it will be Ubisoft. Ubisoft and Microsoft have a really close relationship and we have seen that in the past: Marketing rights mostly on Xbox. Also Ubisoft is in financial trouble , so I could see it happening if Activision Blizzard fails.

For the record, Sony is absolved of any blame or credit for the CMA block, even if they were totally in the right. It doesn't matter if Sony gets involved here because the FTC has labelled Ubisoft as untouchable (one of the big four 3rs party pub), and Embracer has too broad an operation to be palatable to any regulator. The CMA has outright said even a moderate increase in Microsoft's position can be considered detrimental to competition (in cloud gaming). The interpretation of that is so broad as to be impossible for Microsoft to make any further pub acquisitions.

They could still do individual studios, which is why I want Sony to buy IO and Platinum.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

I am not sure about Ubisoft or Embracer getting blocked. Yes they have tons of IPs, but only a couple of them are huge sellers. AC is prob the biggest seller from Ubisoft but that’s not on Call of Duty Level. Their other IPs like Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six are not really big sellers.
Embracer has a lot of WRPGs but non of them is really big despite Dark Sider series Moving on AA level. Embracer got with Tomb Raider, DeusEx and Lords of the Rings prominent franchises but that’s it. Why I think Microsoft would target them? Because the IPs of either Ubisoft or Embracer are suited perfectly as content filler for Gamepass. I doubt that Sony would cause a ruckus again if Microsoft tries to buy one of those publishers. If I need to decide for one, I think it will be Ubisoft. Ubisoft and Microsoft have a really close relationship and we have seen that in the past: Marketing rights mostly on Xbox. Also Ubisoft is in financial trouble , so I could see it happening if Activision Blizzard fails.

Ubisoft and Embracer are both in Europe so I would get cold feet if I was them. Can you imagine starting all this process again after what happened with Activision?

There's a lot of rumors about Sega but Japan hates Xbox. Those Sega execs should get that on their conscience before proceeding with a merger with them but maybe they don't care like Nintendo who was all giddy to get involved in the Acti case

 

[AshHunter216]

Why can't they just make some games with who they have already rather than "go back to just acquiring studios"? Again, where does this mindset come from?

I think rooting for MS to keep buying up studios is a really, really, bad thing at this point. They need to make use of the resources they already have.

Agreed, some have gotten this idea that Xbox's only path forward involves permanently taking franchises off of Playstation and becoming so large that No one can keep pace with them.

 

[Killer_Sakoman]

Nothing, they'll keep coming back with new ideas to fuck the industry. Unfortunately, the damage from their deeds will accumulate. We already had alot of fuck ups in this industry. All caused by Microsoft.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

Nothing, they'll keep coming back with new ideas to fuck the industry. Unfortunately, the damage from their deeds will accumulate. We already had alot of fuck ups in this industry. All caused by Microsoft.

Everything has its limits. I can’t imagine that investors and shareholders are happy with Xbox division. Some of the people on the board will certainly raise their concerns about Xbox dragging Microsoft’s performance down.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

They'll go for Certain Affinity (negotiate a deal with current owner to sell), Avalanche (same), Crystal Dynamics (same), and IO Interactive (same). And MAYBE a Japanese developer/studio, but if not then they will try partnering with one (get Arc System Works to do an anime-styled Killer Instinct for example).

Realistically those are the only four studios I could see them getting so should this ABK deal 100% fall through, and it's already like 95% of the way there. Alongside that if they do get Crystal Dynamics I think they'd also try getting a license or purchase the rights to Tomb Raider and Hitman from Embracer, since the teams responsible for those would be moving from them to Microsoft.

Also notice the four studios I mentioned already have ongoing game development relationships with Microsoft. CA on Halo, CD on Perfect Dark reboot, IO Interactive supposedly working on a dragon-themed exclusive for them ATM, and Avalanche working on Contraband. That's why I said if they wanted a Japanese developer, it'd be more likely they do a partnership for an exclusive, rather than buying them outright (Arc Systems Work for example would probably create conflict with Bandai-Namco if purchased since they developed Dragon Ball FighterZ and there'll very likely be a sequel to that in the future).