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[Makoto-Yuki]

Reminder on how not all the enormous acquisitions go through.





This isn't a suggestion that the AB acquisition is in grave danger or something, but for an acquisition of this scale the legislators will be pushing for anti-monopoly obligations.


Nvidia did promise to give full access of ARM's newest uarchs to their current competitors and it still didn't go through.
Of course, AFAIK Nvidia does have a worse history of monopolistic practices than Microsoft in the last ~10 years, and those were probably used by the plaintiffs to push the class action suit and kill the ARM deal.


I think Microsoft will probably be safe if they sign a contract saying they'll release Call of Duty, Diablo and others on Playstation for at least the next 10 years or so.
Which is on par with what Phil Spencer has been saying.


Note: I never played a single Activision Blizzard game on a console, I personally don't care either way. I'm simply commenting on the deal terms which will definitely go through a lot of hoops throughout 2022 and 2023.

i knew this kind of post was gonna be in here lol.

Microsoft probably have a good idea of whether or not the deal would go ahead before they decided to do it. Them getting Activison Blizzard isn't really gonna cause a monopoly or give them too much power. Maybe if they go for EA or Take Two next we can start to worry about regulations.

 

[ManaByte]

i knew this kind of post was gonna be in here lol.

Microsoft probably have a good idea of whether or not the deal would go ahead before they decided to do it. Them getting Activison Blizzard isn't really gonna cause a monopoly or give them too much power. Maybe if they go for EA or Take Two next we can start to worry about regulations.

Because unlike reactionary console fans on message boards and social media, regulators realize that a company that will become #3 with only 12% of its market is in no way a monopoly.

 

[dotnotbot]

So we are comparing Don Mattrick to Phil Spencer? I might actually play COD now but the Bluzzard get is huge and absolutely improves my investment into gamepass.

Phil, Don, they come and they go, who's next and what he's going to do no one knows, that's why I'm not happy with one corporation owning so much of huge IPs that once were independent from any platform or service.
History shows MS shouldn't be trusted.

 

[Umbasaborne]

Fucking gross dude

Also, good god how will the internet react if the next spyro and crash games are xbox exclusive? I don't think melt down will even begin to describe the reaction

 

[Ozriel]

Nobody said they would be raised above palatable figures lol you're trying to hard to have a gotcha moment here.

Ah. That explains why you called it a 'Trojan horse', eh?

 

[Swift_Star]

Ah. That explains why you called it a 'Trojan horse', eh?

Yes. It's a Trojan horse. They're letting people redeem at $1 for 3 years and then they'll stop offering that choice. It's really not that hard to understand. Follow the conversation before trying a failed gotcha moment.

 

[avin]

This has been an enlightening thread for me. I've learned that I'm likely the only person on this board that buys the new COD every year.

avin

 

[AV]

Also, good god how will the internet react if the next spyro and crash games are xbox exclusive? I don't think melt down will even begin to describe the reaction

Considering what Crash 4 sold...? Really not a big deal. Regardless I do hope they pull the Toys For Bob talent back out of Call of Duty and let them do Crash 5 and Spyro 4.

Yes. It's a Trojan horse. They're letting people redeem at $1 for 3 years and then they'll stop offering that choice. It's really not that hard to understand. Follow the conversation before trying a failed gotcha moment.

It's really not, though, when people can just stop subscribing. Trojan Horse implies they've been tricked and can't escape. They can't and won't just jack up the price of an existing Game Pass subscription without letting people bail if they want to.

It's just getting people into an ecosystem cheap, it's not so dramatic. Of course the price will increase eventually, but the service currently gets bigger and better annually too.

 

[Swift_Star]

Considering what Crash 4 sold...? Really not a big deal. Regardless I do hope they pull the Toys For Bob talent back out of Call of Duty and let them do Crash 5 and Spyro 4.



It's really not, though, when people can just stop subscribing. Trojan Horse implies they've been tricked and can't escape. They can't and won't just jack up the price of an existing Game Pass subscription without letting people bail if they want to.

It's just getting people into an ecosystem cheap, it's not so dramatic. Of course the price will increase eventually, but the service currently gets bigger and better annually too.

So? Your point? It's exactly what I'm saying lol. You're arguing semantics at this point. There's really nothing else to be said about this topic.

 

[PaintTinJr]

Because unlike reactionary console fans on message boards and social media, regulators realize that a company that will become #3 with only 12% of its market is in no way a monopoly.

Seems like a completely fair point you make in regards of gaming and their third place position - if ignoring PC/smartphone/tablet gaming - but giving some thought to Microsoft's past, the original intention of the Direct-X-Box project, gamepass as an offering, the acquisition intentions and that it is bankrolled by Microsoft - with Phil changing caps to head of Microsoft Gaming -I can't help but think this is all a trojan horse to push proprietary Windows APIs - extending Window's market share - and Microsoft with Windows have been the #1 OS with proprietary API use for decades.

Looking at the acquisitions you have Minecraft which was platform agnostic being Java based IIRC, and now the Java version is being maligned - particularly the Java launcher on Windows to push a Windows Store API based solution, or a Windows non-java SDK based version of the game.

Then you have CoD, which IIRC was based on crossplatform OpenGL API/C idtech3 from Quake3, then you have most of Bethesda successful games which I also believe were idtech based - not just the idsoftware ones.

If Microsoft's justification of spending $70B on a games company is that it only makes financial sense through improving Windows' market position, and regulators spot that, then in reality, this deal may face major push back in the way the IE4 integrated desktop for Windows 95 and API wars with Netware got them in trouble in the past.

I think the deal will still slip the net and get approved, but if it gets blocked, I suspect it will be on grounds of their massively dominant postion with APIs, and the risk to the wider computing industry - in the way Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems(Java) was bad for the industry.

 

[AV]

So? Your point? It's exactly what I'm saying lol. You're arguing semantics at this point. There's really nothing else to be said about this topic.

Sure, just feels like you think it's a problem, maybe I'm misreading that.

 

[ReBurn]

Haven't posted much, but just wanted to give my thoughts on this.

I've been a PS owner since I promised I wouldn't buy a MS system again after they knowingly put out faulty machines in the 360 era.

That said, I decided I'd buy one for this gen just to play gears tactics. And then the buy out of Bethesda sealed the deal. I couldn't not play fallout, elder scrolls or probably even star field.

I don't play COD and haven't for about 10 years. I'm not a fan of any multiplayer games.

Having given the background, my thoughts are as follows:

1: this adds nothing to game Industry. It simply takes away from the whole and gates it off from roughly half of the community. Xbox fans are in no better position with his acquisition. Sony fans are worse off. Assuming they play COD.

2: aside from Microsoft releasing soon to break consoles in the 360, they also
A) tried to bully through anti consumer policies with the Xbox one
B) essentially abandoned a whole generation of console owners with little exclusives. They failed at making exclusives and were embarrassed by Sony.

3: gamepass is obviously compelling value. But do people think given all of the above that as soon as Microsoft can screw consumers with price rises they won't do it?

All in all, the strategy Microsoft is employing will do nothing but hurt the games industry. How much is still unclear. But those thinking a company using money not earnt from the gaming industry to try and cripple the market leader of the game industry, can be anything but bad for everyone has no scope to look at things from a long term point of view.

The anti-consumer stuff is an interesting take. Especially when you consider how last generation Sony handed out lots of money hats to lock up major titles like SFV as full console exclusive, FF VII remake as a timed exclusive, and kept content for Destiny and CoD only on PlayStation. They've locked up Final Fantasy XVI for PS5. Making moves to lock major titles away has been the name of the game and Sony has traditionally made moves to starve competitors of major titles in the big categories.

Now Microsoft has taken the playbook of locking up content to a level Sony can't play at so suddenly it's anti-consumer and doesn't add anything, only takes away, and does nothing to help the industry. I'm having a hard time seeing how locking millions of people out of Street Fighter and Final Fantasy helps the industry but locking millions of people out of Elder Scrolls and Call of Duty hurts the industry.

 

[Swift_Star]

Sure, just feels like you think it's a problem, maybe I'm misreading that.

Never said it's a problem. Said that's their strategy and that the price will rise over time.

 

[ZywyPL]

Also, good god how will the internet react if the next spyro and crash games are xbox exclusive? I don't think melt down will even begin to describe the reaction

I don't think majority of the modern audience would care/notice at all, it's a franchise that's been pretty much dead for almost two decades, most youngsters never hear of Crash let alone think it's something iconic to Playstation, it's just us old pricks here on Neogaf who grew up with PSX/PS2 who still remember games like Crash, Sly, Spyro, Crock, Gex etc. that were oh so popular back in those days

 

[Leyasu]

Fucking gross dude

Also, good god how will the internet react if the next spyro and crash games are xbox exclusive? I don't think melt down will even begin to describe the reaction

I really fucking hope that crash team racing comes back in a big way.

I can't wait for both

 

[dotnotbot]

The anti-consumer stuff is an interesting take. Especially when you consider how last generation Sony handed out lots of money hats to lock up major titles like SFV as full console exclusive, FF VII remake as a timed exclusive, and kept content for Destiny and CoD only on PlayStation. They've locked up Final Fantasy XVI for PS5. Making moves to lock major titles away has been the name of the game and Sony has traditionally made moves to starve competitors of major titles in the big categories.

Now Microsoft has taken the playbook of locking up content to a level Sony can't play at so suddenly it's anti-consumer and doesn't add anything, only takes away, and does nothing to help the industry. I'm having a hard time seeing how locking millions of people out of Street Fighter and Final Fantasy helps the industry but locking millions of people out of Elder Scrolls and Call of Duty hurts the industry.

MS could easily outbid Sony if they wanted to get FF and others for themselves. They clearly didn't care for those titles or didn't think they're worth it.
Now Sony probably can't get MS IPs at all. I don't know how those 2 situations are even comparable. The amount of flips some of you are doing to defend MS is worrying.

 

[adamsapple]

jesus christ, can we not please ?

 

[Captain Toad]

Serious question. Are there Disney fanboys that celebrate every time Disney acquires a popular franchise or service?

 

[Effigenius]

Serious question. Are there Disney fanboys that celebrate every time Disney acquires a popular franchise or service?

I was happy when they bought Fox. But that's because I'm a comic fan and I was tired of seeing them try to bury the X-Men and Fantastic Four because they didn't own the movie rights.

But to answer your question, probably not. Disney doesn't sell an exclusive machine that is the only way of accessing their content like the Switch, PS5 and XBox are. So when you have to decide between one, you wind up rooting for good things to happen to the one you chose. This happened in the days of blueray vs HD DVD also.

 

[ReBurn]

Yes. It's a Trojan horse. They're letting people redeem at $1 for 3 years and then they'll stop offering that choice. It's really not that hard to understand. Follow the conversation before trying a failed gotcha moment.

Literally nobody is paying $1 for 3 years of Game Pass. People are paying $181 for 3 years of Game Pass. The Gold subscriptions weren't free. They also know that it's going to renew at $15.99 per month. Nobody is being tricked with Game Pass subscriptions.

 

[clarky]

Serious question. Are there Disney fanboys that celebrate every time Disney acquires a popular franchise or service?

Probably. Just like there are Sony and Nintendo ones as well.

Its kinda weird but here we are. Usually you grow out of this behaviour when you hit 14,get a paper round and can afford more than just one console

 

[Swift_Star]

Literally nobody is paying $1 for 3 years of Game Pass. People are paying $181 for 3 years of Game Pass. The Gold subscriptions weren't free. They also know that it's going to renew at $15.99 per month. Nobody is being tricked with Game Pass subscriptions.

People should really read the thread.

 

[abcdrstuv]

jesus christ, can we not please ?

too soon

 

[Schmick]

I few people stating the obvious and think it's a winning point in an argument.

Of course, at some time in the future Gamepass will have a price increase. Goes without saying.

 

[TheGrat1]

This has been an enlightening thread for me. I've learned that I'm likely the only person on this board that buys the new COD every year.

avin

 

[Chukhopops]

MS could easily outbid Sony if they wanted to get FF and others for themselves. They clearly didn't care for those titles or didn't think they're worth it.
Now Sony probably can't get MS IPs at all. I don't know how those 2 situations are even comparable. The amount of flips some of you are doing to defend MS is worrying.

- Sony gets an exclusive through moneyhatting: it's MS' fault for not outbidding them;
- MS buys a publisher that was for sale and apparently contacted other possible buyers: it's MS' fault for buying it.

Definitely see some flips here indeed…

 

[WitchHunter]

i knew this kind of post was gonna be in here lol.

Microsoft probably have a good idea of whether or not the deal would go ahead before they decided to do it. Them getting Activison Blizzard isn't really gonna cause a monopoly or give them too much power. Maybe if they go for EA or Take Two next we can start to worry about regulations.

2,2 trillion usd company that owns:

Windows operating system,
Azure, a cloud platform,
Skype,
Bing,
GitHub,
MSN,
LinkedIn
Office suite,
Microsoft Teams,
Outlook.com,
OneDrive,

Plus some hardware:
Surface notebooks, PC accessories, PCs, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, and other devices;
Gaming, including Xbox hardware, and Xbox content and services; video games and third-party video game royalties

What's next? Groceries? Farmlands?

Wondering what will trigger a monopoly threshold?

 

[Majukun]

Wondering what will trigger a monopoly threshold?

an actual, you know, monopoly?

 

[Lognor]

Never said it's a problem. Said that's their strategy and that the price will rise over time.

Um no shit? Prices ALWAYS rise over time. That's not the amazing insight you think it is.

Did you realize that Sony increased the price of PS5 games by $10?

 

[AV]

2,2 trillion usd company that owns:

snip: lots of things

Wondering what will trigger a monopoly threshold?

A monopoly refers to a lack of competition in a single market. Microsoft can start selling dildos if they want to, it's not going to amount to anything.

Video games are much bigger than just MS and Activision, this deal won't trigger anything.

 

[WitchHunter]

A monopoly refers to a lack of competition in a single market. Microsoft can start selling dildos if they want to, it's not going to amount to anything.

Video games are much bigger than just MS and Activision, this deal won't trigger anything.

People nuthugging companies is just a terrible sight : DD. What for? To slurp up the sweatdrops or the morsels that amount to nothing? To feel empowered? Ridiculous.

 

[AV]

People nuthugging companies is just a terrible sight : DD. What for? To slurp up the sweatdrops or the morsels that amount to nothing? To feel empowered? Ridiculous.

Why so triggered? I have no love for or attachment to Microsoft, I'm just educating you because you don't understand what a monopoly is.

 

[WoodyStare]

 

[WitchHunter]

Why so triggered? I have no love for or attachment to Microsoft, I'm just educating you because you don't understand what a monopoly is.

Next stop at 10 trillion valuation.

Revisiting the spectacular failure that was the Bill Gates deposition

In the 1990s, Microsoft wore its disdain for antitrust on its sleeve. Now, not so much.

arstechnica.com

 

[SlimySnake]

2,2 trillion usd company that owns:

Windows operating system,
Azure, a cloud platform,
Skype,
Bing,
GitHub,
MSN,
LinkedIn
Office suite,
Microsoft Teams,
Outlook.com,
OneDrive,

Plus some hardware:
Surface notebooks, PC accessories, PCs, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, and other devices;
Gaming, including Xbox hardware, and Xbox content and services; video games and third-party video game royalties

What's next? Groceries? Farmlands?

Wondering what will trigger a monopoly threshold?

They dont have a monopoly on anything other than MS office. Windows competes with MacOS, Azure competes with AWS and Google Services, Skype and Teams compete with Zoom and well every other video chat company. Bing cant compete with google. MSN is trash.

If they went out and bought Playstation and Nintendo or Take2, Square and Ubisoft then yes it would be a monopoly.

 

[dotnotbot]

- Sony gets an exclusive through moneyhatting: it's MS' fault for not outbidding them;
- MS buys a publisher that was for sale and apparently contacted other possible buyers: it's MS' fault for buying it.

Definitely see some flips here indeed…

I haven't said it's their fault for not outbidding Sony, my point was that they could if they wanted, they had that option.

And MS did those timed exclusivity deals that you guys hate so much just recently with Medium and Stalker 2. Buying whole publishers is completely different.

Also let's not compare Doom, Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls and so on to Final Fantasy.

 

[WitchHunter]

They dont have a monopoly on anything other than MS office. Windows competes with MacOS, Azure competes with AWS and Google Services, Skype and Teams compete with Zoom and well every other video chat company. Bing cant compete with google. MSN is trash.

If they went out and bought Playstation and Nintendo or Take2, Square and Ubisoft then yes it would be a monopoly.

And with 100 billion in cash reserves they enter the dildo market then there is nothing to see there right?

 

[WitchHunter]

Why so triggered? I have no love for or attachment to Microsoft, I'm just educating you because you don't understand what a monopoly is.

I meant antitrust laws, doesn't matter. If you don't see the problem, then there is nothing to argue about.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Because unlike reactionary console fans on message boards and social media, regulators realize that a company that will become #3 with only 12% of its market is in no way a monopoly.

Yep, Nvidia getting arm would literally get them practically 100% almost of the mobile industry, and it would directly lead to Nvidia disadvantaging direct competitors in the exact primary business they're in. Microsoft, for example may be involved with gaming, but everybody knows it's far from their biggest money maker or core business.

 

[Yoboman]

He has a point.

Naughty Dog - Acquired in 2001
Insomniac - Acquired in 2019
Bend - Acquired in 2000
Sucker Punch - Acquired in 2011
Bluepoint - Acquired in 2021
Guerrilla - Acquired in 2005
Housemarque - Acquired in 2021
Media Molecule - Acquired in 2010

Which IP did Sony take from multiplat to exclusive out of those purchases?

 

[AV]

I meant antitrust laws, doesn't matter. If you don't see the problem, then there is nothing to argue about.

Again, not saying 6 companies owning everything is a good thing, just stating facts. MS buying Actiblizz will not trigger antitrust, nor will them becoming a dildo supplier.

 

[ManaByte]

Which IP did Sony take from multiplat to exclusive out of those purchases?

Basically Final Fantasy.

The FFXIII trilogy and FFXV were multiplat, now FFVII Remake and FFXVI are exclusive.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Which IP did Sony take from multiplat to exclusive out of those purchases?

Sony has engaged in the practice many times even if not acquiring the studio that had the IP. They took Tomb Raider from multi-plat to exclusive with Tomb Raider 2, which definitely hurt Saturn.

 

[Yoboman]

Basically Final Fantasy.

When did Sony buy Square Enix?

You listed a bunch of Sony first party to back up Penello's statement point that "buying studios to bring IP internal is how it works"

So which IP are you referring to?

 

[ManaByte]

When did Sony buy Square Enix?

You listed a bunch of Sony first party to back up Penello's statement point that "buying studios to bring IP internal is how it works"

So which IP are you referring to?

That's not what he was saying. He was saying companies build up their internal IP producing studios through acquisitions, but you know that and were editorializing the quote.

 

[Neofire]

Basically Final Fantasy.

The FFXIII trilogy and FFXV were multiplat, now FFVII Remake and FFXVI are exclusive.

You don't know what you are talking, with this statement alone you shouldn't be taken seriously the rest of the discussion lol.

 

[Yoboman]

Sony has engaged in the practice many times even if not acquiring the studio that had the IP. They took Tomb Raider from multi-plat to exclusive with Tomb Raider 2, which definitely hurt Saturn.

Weird cause Tomb Raider is still multiplat and is not internal at all

 

[dotnotbot]

Sony has engaged in the practice many times even if not acquiring the studio that had the IP. They took Tomb Raider from multi-plat to exclusive with Tomb Raider 2, which definitely hurt Saturn.

... 25 years ago. Nice stretch.

 

[ManaByte]

You don't know what you are talking, with this statement alone you shouldn't be taken seriously the rest of the discussion lol.

Where are the Xbox versions of FFVII Remake and FFXVI then?

 

[Yoboman]

That's not what he was saying. He was saying companies build up their internal IP producing studios through acquisitions, but you know that and were editorializing the quote.

Maybe you should read what he says



Its okay to say Sonys purchases haven't taken any multiplat IP to exclusive