Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)

Do you believe the deal will be approved?


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Boy do I love Jimbo throwing their own first-party studios under the bus.
If people are gonna leave PlayStation in droves because of slight inferiority of PlayStation version of Call of Duty, shouldn't that glorious slate of first-party games keep those players in ecosystem and force them to not leave PlayStation in droves? :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_tears_of_joy:
Jim cares more about CoD than Naughty Dog, apparently. Or he thinks PlayStation gamers are petty AF and will only follow where CoD is best. Not sure how anyone can like Jimbo after today.
 
It definitely shows a pattern of behavior of buying a publisher and then making their games exclusive, something MS is now swearing they have no incentive to do.
So what if it does? they own bethesda. MS are not obliged to share their toys with all the other kids in the yard. they paid for them. COD is an exception. because its COD. they said bethesda games were a case by case basis, and thats pretty clear: current games available will still get updates and support. Sequels will clearly be exclusive. Why would they pay 7.bn and not make ES6, starfield and fallout 5 exclusive when they will still be supporting fallout 76 and ESO:online on all platforms, with new content long after the release of those exclusives? Id say thats a pretty generous stance, when the words 'case by case basis ' are used. but then again.... People really do backflips over what phil says. Its kinds funny to read them do it. one minute he is just 'talking fluff' as far as some are concerened...but the same people will cling for dear life to that double speak when making their own points.


They havent broken any promises made..certainly none signed in contract. they certainly hacvent pulled any existing games..and thats they key word... existing games. beyong that its sane and reasonable to assume sequels wont be coming to anything that doesnt have gamepass on it. but the idea that future bethesda games will be anything other than x box-gamepass exclusive is wishful thinking. time for people to let go of it. COD is a different story...at this point even nintendo and some random game streaming services have COD for the next 10 years...
 
I'm not surprised. A lot of people did because that was the peak of terrible CoD marketing.

Despite a lot of folks frowning on it because it was too future-y, I think it's probably the best CoD campaign since the OG Modern Warfare 2.
I didnt touch COD IW at all. Not SP or MP.

All I remember seeing is futuristic stuff and soldier floating around in space shootouts and said forget it. Ill wait for next years game.
 
Sony is not going to the CAT. It's almost impossible to win and even if you win, you are just going straight to same CMA. Not to mention fact that merger can be meanwhile closed.
Wait...just one month ago Microsoft fans were saying that going to CAT and leaving the UK were feasible options if CMA blocked, now it's an impossible scenario :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_grinning_sweat:

If Sony can go to CAT they will go to CAT. It's clear that they want to make this as painful as it can be also to create a precedent for the future.
The language they used with CMA is clearly setting the ground for such possibility, they pretty much told CMA that their u-turn is irrational and not based on their own previous evidence.
The merger could be closed if both CMA and EU approve, if MS likes the final conditions regulators will ask and if FTC doesn't decide to do an injunction immediatly.
If an appeal is won after the merger is closed they will be forced to a total divestement.
 
How are Apex Legends numbers compared to COD in recent years?

I wonder if Sony would have gotten upset if MS decided to buy EA instead of Activision?
 
I didnt touch COD IW at all. Not SP or MP.

All I remember seeing is futuristic stuff and soldier floating around in space shootouts and said forget it. Ill wait for next years game.


Legit if you get a chance, do give it a shot. It's .. for the lack of a better comparison, it's the best Killzone campaign ever.
 
Wait...just one month ago Microsoft fans were saying that going to CAT and leaving the UK were feasible options if CMA blocked, now it's an impossible scenario :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_grinning_sweat:

If Sony can go to CAT they will go to CAT. It's clear that they want to make this as painful as it can be also to create a precedent for the future.
The language they used with CMA is clearly setting the ground for such possibility, they pretty much told CMA that their u-turn is irrational and not based on their own previous evidence.
The merger could be closed if both CMA and EU approve, if MS likes the final conditions regulators will ask and if FTC doesn't decide to do an injunction immediatly.
If an appeal is won after the merger is closed they will be forced to a total divestement.
No...data are saying that it is almost impossible to overturn CMA's decision through CAT. And Microsoft was/is well aware of it. Publicly saying that they are gonna challenge that decision is of course in their right but it does not change the facts. Same data that said that if FTC challenges mergers they are 0:7

But if Sony have enough money to burn for lawyers, they can go through CAT.
If you think that linking 10-years old forums on GiantBomb and well known fact that Microsoft made Redfall exclusive post-merger can change things, then cool. I guess.
CAT is long game. Microsoft will close the deal even if they want to wait for FTC.

But I get it. Sony needs to show their shareholders that they are doing "anything in their power" to block this deal. It's just posturing. There is maybe 5% chance that they will go through CAT. But I doubt they will.

Also. CMA changed decision not willy nilly. They made mistake in their calculations and that's why they changed their decision. Sony is now claiming that 24% of PlayStation users will switch to Xbox if Microsoft will make COD exclusive post merger. Which is an insane claim if you think about it. Because 24% is maybe percentage of all PlayStation owners buying COD every year. And if you think that every COD gamer will ignore everything other PlayStation platform has just to switch consoles, I have bridge to sell to you.

And that's also ignoring their other bullshit about gimping PlayStation version of COD and ignoring fact that Microsoft offered them 10-year contract for COD so however many users would switch now is hardly relevant. And cherry on top is that they again started crying about COD on Game Pass when Microsoft offered them COD on PlayStation Plus day one which they said they don't want.
 
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So what if it does? they own bethesda. MS are not obliged to share their toys with all the other kids in the yard. they paid for them. COD is an exception. because its COD. they said bethesda games were a case by case basis, and thats pretty clear: current games available will still get updates and support. Sequels will clearly be exclusive. Why would they pay 7.bn and not make ES6, starfield and fallout 5 exclusive when they will still be supporting fallout 76 and ESO:eek:nline on all platforms, with new content long after the release of those exclusives? Id say thats a pretty generous stance, when the words 'case by case basis ' are used. but then again.... People really do backflips over what phil says. Its kinds funny to read them do it. one minute he is just 'talking fluff' as far as some are concerened...but the same people will cling for dear life to that double speak when making their own points.


They havent broken any promises made..certainly none signed in contract. they certainly hacvent pulled any existing games..and thats they key word... existing games. beyong that its sane and reasonable to assume sequels wont be coming to anything that doesnt have gamepass on it. but the idea that future bethesda games will be anything other than x box-gamepass exclusive is wishful thinking. time for people to let go of it. COD is a different story...at this point even nintendo and some random game streaming services have COD for the next 10 years...
I'm not totally disagreeing with what you're saying. MS should not be obligated to make games for platforms they don't own. But if their promise to regulators is that they will keep making COD for playstation, or if the regulators themselves are trying to say MS won't do it, then it's worth looking at their pattern of behavior. What has Microsoft done with these studios they've bought and what does it tell us about how Microsoft will handle publishers it buys in the future? Minecraft is a data point, but why not look at their more recent purchases too? And on top of all that the whole thing also requires a huge suspension of disbelief that Microsoft couldn't afford to make COD exclusive. Which is ridiculous.
 
No...data are saying that it is almost impossible to overturn CMA's decision through CAT. And Microsoft was/is well aware of it. Publicly saying that they are gonna challenge that decision is of course in their right but it does not change the facts.

But if Sony have enough money to burn for lawyers, they can go through CAT.
If you think that linking 10-years old forums on GiantBomb and well known fact that Microsoft made Redfall exclusive post-merger can change things, then cool. I guess.
CAT is long game. Microsoft will close the deal even if they want to wait for FTC.

But I get it. Sony needs to show their shareholders that they are doing "anything in their power" to block this deal. It's just posturing. There is maybe 5% chance that they will go through CAT. But I doubt they will.

Also. CMA changed decision not willy nilly. They made mistake in their calculations and that's why they changed their decision. Sony is now claiming that 24% of PlayStation users will switch to Xbox if Microsoft will make COD exclusive post merger. Which is an insane claim if you think about it. Because 24% is maybe percentage of all PlayStation owners buying COD every year. And if you think that every COD gamer will ignore everything other PlayStation platform has just to switch consoles, I have bridge to sell to you.
Data were also saying that CMA reversing their preliminary findings was almost impossible to happen and yet...:messenger_tears_of_joy:
It's funny how the lesson was not learned.

Let's see what happens with for CMA and EU final decisions, what they're going to ask, how the FTC is going to react, if someone will try to appeal. These things are all chapters to be written in this drama.

Personally I believe that at this point Sony is mostly interested in dragging this thing as long as possible and make it as painful as it can be for MS. It's basically legal deterrence for the future.
 
Surprised you didn't support your accusation with evidence. If true though the jokes on him. The PlayStation community is far bigger and he'd have a much bigger pool to allegedly grift from.

In this thread people are so entrenched in their arguments to the point that calling out a fraud becomes problematic.

I didn't refer to what Postup posted because I know him as a gaming fraud. He came up on podcasts making rap songs about getting youtube money. He does not game. I don't need proof because this is something he has admitted numerous times, literally live on air/podcasts. He is here to push a narrative and again, admitted on podcasts, make money off the XBOX community.

When Post first appeared on podcasts his first claim was that he was an "insider." His source: Github. And he has evolved into making claims that he can make money off the XBOX audience. This isn't about COD or any regulator. It's about someone who claims to be a gamer but doesn't have a gaming score or trophy to speak of. I'm simply calling out a fraud for being a fraud. Nothing less or more.
 
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I'm not totally disagreeing with what you're saying. MS should not be obligated to make games for platforms they don't own. But if their promise to regulators is that they will keep making COD for playstation, or if the regulators themselves are trying to say MS won't do it, then it's worth looking at their pattern of behavior. What has Microsoft done with these studios they've bought and what does it tell us about how Microsoft will handle publishers it buys in the future? Minecraft is a data point, but why not look at their more recent purchases too? And on top of all that the whole thing also requires a huge suspension of disbelief that Microsoft couldn't afford to make COD exclusive. Which is ridiculous.
"but why not look at their more recent purchases too?"

Well sure...why not?...their recent purchases involve them still supporting two MMOs on a rival platform....even rleasesing two AAA gomes on the rival platform before even relaseing them on xbox post aquisition. id say thats a good an indication as any that MS honour existing deals.... but lets be honest.... 10 year deals are not the norm either. COD is the exception to many rules here, down to its presence and success. and even then, MS are offering ten year contracts to all. Maybe this is really about sony not being able to claim to be the 'home of COD' anymore....but there are some who would say its 'coming back home' as far as marketing rights go.


For all we know something may come and replace COD as the biggest thing in gaming...hell the next big thing might not even be a shooter! 10 years atleast guarantees that while COD is hot it will still be everywhere. and from the sound of things even more places. and with thac all said...poeple should expect aquisitions to involve IP going exclusive. Ive never seen sony or nintendo buy a multiformat dev and publish anything on other platforms. people might use MLB as an example but that because MLB forced them to do so. And sure the argument could be made that MS are doing this to appease regulators, but all the same....they are gonna profit hugely from it. so there is plenty of incentive to keep it everywhere. but the other IP owned by ABK? thats all fare game for exclusives. They dont need COD as an exclusive to grow gamepass, when they will be the permier platform for it amd they have all the other ABK games as potential exclusives aswell as being able to drop all of ABKs catalog on GPU. either way they get a lot for 70Bn even without making COD exclusive....I mean...make a shit tonne more money or lose out by making COD exclusive...when you can make all the other stuff exclusive and still make multiformat money off COD.... and overwatch?
 
I wonder how all these arguments about COD hold with the CMA when this quote is out there...

I think Sony's been pretty up front about wanting to block this deal to regulators. Their suggested remedies to the CMA were: block this deal or spinoff COD.
 
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I wonder how all these arguments about COD hold with the CMA when this quote is out there...

true detective mel GIF
 
Redfall is not even in the same stratosphere as COD. Equating them because they are both FPSs is laughable. COD is different because of how huge it is. COD is bigger than all Bethesda games combined. They would lose Billions taking it from PS and the IP would quickly lose relevance. The argument just doesn't make sense.
it doesn't matter

it proves that the games was being made on PS5 and microsoft cancelled it
 
Data were also saying that CMA reversing their preliminary findings was almost impossible to happen and yet...:messenger_tears_of_joy:
It's funny how the lesson was not learned.

Let's see what happens with for CMA and EU final decisions, what they're going to ask, how the FTC is going to react, if someone will try to appeal. These things are all chapters to be written in this drama.

Personally I believe that at this point Sony is mostly interested in dragging this thing as long as possible and make it as painful as it can be for MS. It's basically legal deterrence for the future.
Well. It's not like Microsoft will gain something immediately by purchase since they can't put COD on Game Pass since Sony has marketing rights. So I don't think they can't play long game. They have 3 billion stake in this deal going through...
 
I wonder how all these arguments about COD hold with the CMA when this quote is out there...

this is from lulu saying that jim said that
no proof that it is real so it can't be used

unlike this where Harvey Smith confirms Cancellation of PS5 Version of redfall

 
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I think if Sony does appeal, that in theory may happen after the deal closes. Obviously what FTC and Sony would do in a case that the CMA and EC approves the deal, may make MS hold off from closing.

if the CMA and the EU approve the deal they will close it before the FTC is done
 
Who would spend the cost of a console plus $180 a year for COD when they could keep their console and spend $70?
99 percentage of the people who plays cod is for the multiplayer.

No one gives a shit about that cod when the next one comes.

Besides, let's not act like there's only cod on gamepass if and when it gets dropped on the service.
 
this is from lulu saying that jim said that
no proof that it is real so it can't be used

unlike this where Harvey Smith confirms Cancellation of PS5 Version of redfall

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Bobby Kotick confirmed it in an open letter to Activision employees and it's published online for the public to see.
https://activisionblizzard.substack.com/p/microsoft-deal-update-march

"Sony has even admitted that they aren't actually concerned about a Call of Duty agreement—they would just like to prevent our merger from happening. This is obviously disappointing behavior from a partner for almost thirty years, but we will not allow Sony's behavior to affect our long term relationship."

Redfall is a new IP. Microsoft never said new IP would be multiplatform. Only existing games with established communities.
 
I don't believe that Microsoft buying a publisher and making their games exclusive is proof that Microsoft might buy a publisher and make their games exclusive? I swear I really do. It's true that there are important differences between COD and Redfall and other reasons why MS would withhold one and not the other, but the argument seems pretty straightforward to Me
I don't believe that you're not capable of understanding the difference between different genre and scenarios
 
alright lets wrap this up

Lets Go Nba GIF by Storyful




on a side note... really enjoying the duel sense with RE4. The speaker alone for radio transmissions is such a small but awesome touch.
 
he clearly said the game was being made on PS5

that's the difference
And?

Don't you think Deathloop and GhostWire were developed for Xbox when Sony came with a bag of money and then Xbox version of those games mysteriously disappeared for a year?

There was no obligation (contractual) from Microsoft's side to release Redfall on PlayStation. It's their studio, their property. They did not broke any agreement, not even verbal.
 
There was another case where a third party (Eventim) did appeal and ask the regulators (it was the precursor to the CMA) to look at it again. Live Nation and Ticketmaster, but it got approved the second time as well.
 
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getting good 🔥 if redfall causes a change it will become history :messenger_tears_of_joy:

The response also leaps upon last month's drama which erupted from comments made by creative director Harvey Smith, who revealed that Microsoft had canned plans for a PlayStation 5 version of Redfall after buying Bethesda. These comments, Sony has now said, were an indication of how Microsoft could also treat Call of Duty, if and when the deal goes through.

"Just last week, two days before the Addendum was published, on 22nd March, video game trade publication IGN published fresh evidence in the form of an interview with Redfall's creative director, Harvey Smith, that provides additional insight into Microsoft's strategy," Sony wrote.

"Like Call of Duty, Redfall is a first-person shooter game that features both single player and cooperative multiplayer modes. In his interview with IGN, Mr. Smith explained that Redfall was originally planned to be released on all platforms, including PlayStation, but once Microsoft acquired Bethesda, there was a 'huge sea change ... [Microsoft] said, "No PlayStation 5. Now we're gonna do Game Pass, Xbox, and PC".'"

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I Hope Friendship GIF by Hallmark Channel


Hate to break it to you, but the CMA already know about Redfall and don't really care.

You know what's hilarious...

This guy doesn't actually game. He's said online that he's hoping to make money off dumb XBOX guys via his youtube podcast and superchat/donation features. I feel almost bad that a guy with zero gamerscore can literally get quoted on gaming forums despite never actually gaming. Postup is a gaming fraud at max levels.

We've been quoting the FOSS Patents guy and Pachter in this thread. Not sure any of them are known for their gaming exploits.

When did you start drawing the line?
 
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