Microsoft: Call of Duty and other popular AB games will continue to be released on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms beyond current agreements

GHG said:
This is all so laughable.

You really think Microsoft's lawyers, who will undoubtedly be some of the best in the business, will type up a defence that consists of "but Disney!" while knowing full well that every case is dealt with on individual merit?

And there's no need to appeal yet so settle down. If there is reason to appeal you'd know about it because the only party doing the suing will be the FTC.
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Then the FTC would need to have solid reason to block the deal them.

Because their reason will be countered, if they keep saying fear of monopoly.

They gave the monopoly power to Disney.

MS has a good case here.
 
assurdum said:
So you didn't smell anything of suspicious they make such announcement after to have talked to their new principles for their new marketplace.
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This is them sucking up to the FTC. They literally admit in the post that this is their pitch so the AcitBliz acquisition will get approved.
 
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adamsapple said:
Good Burger Reading GIF





* Continue to be available. Not necessarily get new releases.

I hope this gets clarified before Q4 2023.
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The obvious concern is that Microsoft could make this title available exclusively on the Xbox console, undermining opportunities for Sony PlayStation users.

To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision.
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And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo's successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.
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They aren't going to suddenly remove older games, its talking about future CoD titles.
 
Ass of Can Whooping said:
This is them sucking up to the FTC. They literally admit in the post that this is their pitch so the AcitBliz acquisition will get approved.
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I don't know how you can firmly believe that they will release new COD on ps5 after the 2023. They can turn around their words easily saying they want Gamepass on ps5 but Sony don't and what's their legal issue then?
 
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kingfey said:
Then the FTC would need to have solid reason to block the deal them.

Because their reason will be countered, if they keep saying fear of monopoly.

They gave the monopoly power to Disney.

MS has a good case here.
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Microsoft has had a monopoly for over 35 years: it's called Windows [AKA PC]

I don't think FTC is interested in risking another one with videogames
 
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Ass of Can Whooping said:
*Will make availlable

We've already repeated this constantly but no one wants to address this simple point. Do you honestly, seriously believe Microsoft is going to go down the route of intentially misleading regulators?
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Misleading regulators ? No. Of course not.

Why else do you think that statement is this vague without a definite commitment of future game development on those other consoles ?

If they wanted t reassure regulators that new CoD games will keep coming on PS5, Switch 2, they would have outright said that we will develop new games for other platforms too.
 
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Ass of Can Whooping said:
I don't know how we can explain this to you more clearly. Using "They did it so why can't we" is not a good defense
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If FTC can't recognize Disney deal as a monopoly, Then they can't recognize MS Activision deal as a monopoly.

Not to mention both aren't even close. MS doesn't even have the global market. That is Sony and Nintendo. They don't even have 10% of the market.

Unlike Disney, which has tons of power in the entertainment industry.

By that motion, FTC can't describe MS owning Activision as a monopoly, when they themselves allowed Disney to have big control in the entertainment industry.
 
MisterXDTV said:
Microsoft has had a monopoly for over 35 years: it's called Windows [AKA PC]

I don't think FTC is interested in risking another one with videogames
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Windows is open platform. As long as it's open, they don't consider it a monopoly, even though we think it's a monopoly.

The problem starts, when they use their platform to gain big advantage, and minimize the competition like the did in 1990s.
 
Reads like that every game currently in development no matter the platform will release.

After that though. The ink will be long dry. We will see
 
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
Pretty much, though I suspect part of this also means Sony won't be pulling anymore exclusivity deals like SFV and KOTOR remake; IP that either had initial legacy on Xbox or were clearly multiplat for a long time, or multiplat with playerbase majority for prior entries on Xbox platforms (i.e 360 with SFIV).

Because if the point is to mitigate fans of established IP with known multi-console history from feeling miffed due to those games being locked away to a specific console going forward, that initiative should be industry-wide among all the platform holders IMHO, not just one.
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Serious? I think Sony is still going to Sony, they've never tried to play the nice guy, I doubt they start now.
 
assurdum said:
In what way they mislead them? If Sony not want Gamepass on ps5, it's not a MS fault. Where is their infraction?
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They have said, very clearly, that they will continue to make COD available on PS beyond the contractual agreements.

There's no "If Sony lets us put GP on their console". It's they will be on PS regardless.
 
Me: "Hey, MS, could you put Starfield on PS5?"

MS: "You can have COD."

Me: "What about Elder Scrolls 6?"

MS: "How about COD?"

Me: "At least release the next Fallou..."

MS: "YOU'RE GETTING THE NEXT CALL OF DUTY! WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH A LITTLE BITCH?!"

Me: "Maybe because COD's shit?"

MS: "Hmm. Fair point."
 
I doubt MS is bending the knee cause of Bungie, lmao. If anything they determined putting these games on PS this generation where they are in the lead makes more sense money-wise than trying to pump Game Pass numbers. This may change if Sony ever falls behind. This is good news for my friends who are PS only. CoD and D4 are pretty important to them.
 
Ass of Can Whooping said:
They have said, very clearly, that they will continue to make COD available on PS beyond the contractual agreements.

There's no "If Sony lets us put GP on their console". It's they will be on PS regardless.
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They haven't said clearly in what way such games will be available on different platforms. Pay attention.
 
Ass of Can Whooping said:
They've made a definitive commitment. Their entire pitch was them making definitive commitments
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I don't read anything they said in that article, or the two three key lines for this topic, as definitive statement or a commitment of new CoD games to be developed after the perceived contract expires, just the commitment of keeping them available and maintain them.

I guess we've been going around on circles on this, I'll respectfully bow out of this topic now. Hopefully we get a concrete answer sooner rather than having to wait till next year.
 
How does everyone think there is a monopoly here?
Neither company has the largest market share.. together they still don't form the largest market share...

FTC is not going to stop this or even try. Please stop
 
assurdum said:
They haven't said clearly in what way such games will be available on different platforms. Pay attention.
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To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision. And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love*. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo's successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.






* Via Games Pass
 
kingfey said:
What reason would they block the deal then? Unless it's monopoly grounds, FTC has no arguments here.
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I'm not saying the FTC is going to try and make an argument at all. But saying this is about monopolies is just false. This is about preventing too much concentration in the market. That is not the same as a monopoly.
 
adamsapple said:
I don't read anything they said in that article, or the two three key lines for this topic, as definitive statement or a commitment of new CoD games to be developed after the perceived contract expires, just the commitment of keeping them available and maintain them.

I guess we've been going around on circles on this, I'll respectfully bow out of this topic now. Hopefully we get a concrete answer sooner rather than having to wait till next year.
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Why do you keep doubling down on the "keeping them available" when you've been told repeatedly they're saying they will "make them available"

Not putting future CODs on the platform does the exact opposite of that
 
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adamsapple said:
I don't read anything they said in that article, or the two three key lines for this topic, as definitive statement or a commitment of new CoD games to be developed after the perceived contract expires, just the commitment of keeping them available and maintain them.

I guess we've been going around on circles on this, I'll respectfully bow out of this topic now. Hopefully we get a concrete answer sooner rather than having to wait till next year.
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And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love.
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They don't remove games already on the platform, what do you think this part means?
 
Mr Moose said:
To be clear, Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision. And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love*. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo's successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.






* Via Games Pass
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You are joking but this message smell a lot of blink blink blink Gamepass with COD in every platform you want than COD for all platforms.
 
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GHG said:
Dealing with the FTC is serious, especially if it goes to court. Using childish Neogaf style defence arguments wont fly.

Oh and give me a break about Microsoft suing the FTC. They will appeal the decision if it goes against them and that's about it.
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I don't know about the whole MS suing the FTC part, but most legal defense is backed with precedence.

So it's not a reach to bring up a case where a big company (with bigger market share), acquires an even bigger slice of the pie - no(?). Granted the defense won't rest on its' laurels on this one point alone.
 
Yoboman said:
Certain tying arrangements are illegal in the United States under both the Sherman Antitrust Act,[2] and Section 3 of the Clayton Act.[3] A tying arrangement is defined as "an agreement by a party to sell one product but only on the condition that the buyer also purchases a different (or tied) product, or at least agrees he will not purchase the product from any other supplier."[4] Tying may be the action of several companies as well as the work of just one firm. Success on a tying claim typically requires proof of four elements: (1) two separate products or services are involved; (2) the purchase of the tying product is conditioned on the additional purchase of the tied product; (3) the seller has sufficient market power in the market for the tying product; (4) a not insubstantial amount of interstate commerce in the tied product market is affected.[5
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The difference is that Microsoft has no obligations to release the games on other platform. That's the point. They committed to make them available after the contracts expire, but availability means not removing something from the platform. But you cannot remove something that you haven't released.

Not to mention what Microsoft is trying to achieve with their support of Open App Store is entirely different topic too.

Menzies said:
So it's not a reach to bring up a case where a big company (with bigger market share), acquires an even bigger slice of the pie - no(?). Granted the defense won't rest on its' laurels on this one point alone.
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Except in that case the size of the company does not matter and Microsoft's market share is not that big in the first place in a huge gaming market. That's what Satya mentioned. Deal is big and will be scrutinized (but I don't believe that it will be scrutinized for long though) but that's it.
 
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Topher said:
Not how it works. This doesn't have to be about whether the deal is a "monopoly" at all.
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If anyone here has been up-to-date with Hoeg Law's full coverage of this deal so far, you know that he even says based on their guidelines, they're not looking at whether or not MS will become a monopoly after the deal. They're looking into whether or not the deal "harms" competition, that's literally in the updated FTC guidelines.
 
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assurdum said:
You are joking but this message smell a lot of blink blink blink Gamepass for everyone in every platform you want than COD in all platforms.
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Before the acquisition

Regulators: Will COD be exclusive to Xbox?

MS: We will continue to make COD available on PS beyond contractual agreements

After acquisition

Regulators: I thought you said COD wouldn't be exclusive to Xbox?

MS: Only if Sony let us put gamepass on PS. Sorry we forgot to mention that. Oops 🤭




Come the fuck on
 
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3liteDragon said:
If anyone watched all of Hoeg Law's videos so far, he even says based on their guidelines, they're not looking at whether or not MS will become a monopoly after the deal. They're looking into whether or not the deal "harms" competition, that's literally in the updated FTC guidelines.
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And those guidelines are summarized here:

www.mofo.com

New FTC Policy Restricts Future Acquisitions for Some Merging Parties | Morrison Foerster

On October 25, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted a new policy requiring merging parties that enter into settlements to resolve competition concerns.
www.mofo.com www.mofo.com

Key takeway:
  • The FTC under Chair Khan's leadership is more skeptical of mergers and likely comfortable disincentivizing M&A activity, or at least erring on the side of over-enforcement. The deterrent effect that the new policy may have on mergers is likely perceived as an upside from the standpoint of this Commission, not a downside."
Concern said:
Thank God Relief GIF by Wiz Khalifa


Yayyy I guess call of duty is "good" again lol
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Grumpy Cat No GIF by Internet Cat Video Festival
 
FTC seems to have a mandate ATM, to prevent these Sillicon Valley cabrons of using their absurdly and obscenely profitable monopolies (MS, Google, Meta) to strangle and corner other markets via anti competitive measure by way of financial doping.

70B is serious cash, and maybe MS wasn't ready for widespread reaction to the deal, and maybe they expected too much from all the media brain washing they invested in so much for the last two to three years or so. Everything went so smooth with Bethesda, and even some of the media came out straight away with "This is good" for the AB deal, but it wasn't enough.
 
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