ChuckeRearmed
Member
What fire? They literally were invited.
They should continue to acquire while their market position is not great.
Last edited:
Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)
- Status
feynoob
Banned
I did it. Thank you for your consideration.
splattered
Member
I honestly wish they would chill on acquisitions after this and focus on what they got.. maybe the only except would be buy the Square IPs off of embracer but not take on more actual studios haha
Jimmyisback
Banned
Im really looking forward to new acquisitions of devs and more publishers after activision is aquired. Hopefully they have been working behind the scenes.
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
If the day early announcement is true, that probably tells us something, but sadly not until after the announcement. If it is a day early and the deal is approved that probably means Rishi knew and didn't want to look complicit in the anti-competitive decision, and if it is blocked, he probably didn't want the risk of hosting Microsoft with other visitors at a state event on a day when they were getting bad news from the CMA and probably gearing up to complain to the CAT.
ChuckeRearmed
Member
The next week is gonna be interesting.
The point is that Microsoft is not leaving gaming anymore. They won't cancel Xbox no matter who bad games launch or sell. And I also want to buy Asus ROG Ally if the price and battery is right
To add to my Steam Deck
I would say it is better to acquire now not only because they have money, but because their market position (and in recent hearing regarding FTC it was literally mentioned that Sony owns 2/3 of the market) allows them to make bigger moves as who's gonna believe the market leader at this point? Especially considering that now the regulatory environment is becoming better for them - before 2023 it was kinda worse due to "big tech bad", but now it seems like there is no appetite in that and regulators began to look into foreclosure by market leaders - and that's where Microsoft benefits being not a market leader. With the support from cloud services and dropped console SLC (if it was dropped for COD, nothing else comes close) they should pursue more.
The point is that Microsoft is not leaving gaming anymore. They won't cancel Xbox no matter who bad games launch or sell. And I also want to buy Asus ROG Ally if the price and battery is right
To add to my Steam Deck
Last edited:
X-Wing
Member
There is nothing wrong with that reply.
But yes, she could have stated the obvious. That Microsoft is the biggest company of the two and they are only making sure that such a massive corporation as Microsoft won't abuse its dominant position in the tech industry to screw over smaller companies on other areas.
demigod
Member
It's like these senators and congressmen don't know what the point of the FTC is. Oh wait they do, they just have to work that microsoft money.
Jimmyisback
Banned
Keeps on dodging.
Varteras
Member
Neither party gives a flying fuck about being bipartisan. If Republicans were worried about a balanced governing body then the Supreme Court wouldn't be 6 out of 9 Republican justices. The SC isn't even supposed to be bipartisan. It's supposed to be non-partisan. Yet, here we are. You can bet that any chance either party has to make anything all of their members, they'll take it. Khan is responsible for any firings under her but if the remaining Republicans quit, that's on them. Even if they didn't like the situation, they still left the FTC purely in the hands of Democrats. It also doesn't have ultimate authority on matters it covers, as courts can overrule them, and chairs are assigned by the President. Meaning if the next President is Republican, Khan is almost assuredly out.
None of these questions in those clips have any substance. They are "gotcha" questions designed purely to make Khan look Un-American while painting themselves as Patriots trying to protect American interests. As I pointed out, Duncan complains about the European DMA being bad for American companies, when in reality it is the only way other American companies, like Microsoft, have a chance to compete in the mobile market. Either he doesn't know that, and is thus ignorant, or he knows and doesn't care because that doesn't sound as good to his constituents as "she hurtin Murican companies". These politicians aren't out to set things right. They're out to do as much damage as they can to Biden's decisions. Because that's how both of these parties operate.
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
They both were, but when you strip everything away and there's nothing you can raise above my question - like I did with the one you quoted - as it cuts to the root of the problem, greed.
Hypothetical question for you, what market cap for a company - with all that wealth coming from elsewhere in a closed system - would you consider too big?
Answering my own question, I'm not that thrilled about companies being worth more than $100b, so the idea of companies being worth trillions and trying to get even bigger by swallowing up billion to hundred billion companies I find very distasteful with the world as it is.
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
You made the assumption I was suggesting Xbox buyers switched to cube, but I only choose the 40m because I think that at the time was the limit for second place with that market size. Xbox IMO stopped PlayStation and PC gamers picking up a cube for its unbelievable first party roster because with Xbox out spending PlayStation massively on marketing, there was no bandwidth remaining for Gamecube to market to gamers with a no gimmicks home console that overlapped technical capabilities with both PlayStation and Xbox.
The Cube first party line has remained highly relevant to new players since the cube on subsequent systems - Even Twilight Princess was a Gamecube title - showing the desire by gamers for what Nintendo was offering back then, but with no way to get their message through. Shelf space was a huge thing back then with devs laughably finding their own games in stores on weekend and moving them to more prominent positions to help sales.
Xbox being the big new splash completely wiped out Nintendo presence in many smaller stores in the UK - from my experience of looking in shops - back then. When I purchased an additional cube while spending xmas at the in-laws to leave there, I had to ask at the counter in a big Woolworths if they even stocked it - despite PlayStation & xbox on shelves - for them to then lift one out from under the counter, and they had no additional pads to sell me, and only one memory card.
Absent of Xbox, more PlayStation 2 gamers would have bought a prominently displayed Cube with its killer gaming lineup IMO. The Wii was still a home console, but one for blue waters and technology that was a generation behind the PS3/360. The WiiU was equally trying to sell with old performance with an interesting twist in blue waters. IMO the cube was their last red waters console
"Lots of people are buying Wii U remakes and ports on Switch, so it shows that if not for something, Wii U would have sold gangbusters"
X-Wing
Member
That's a smart post but I don't think a lot of people will understand what you mean with blue and red water. It is also impossible to know if the people who bought an Xbox would have gone for a Gamecube if the Xbox didn't exist... It would have maybe given more visibility to Gamecube, but it is impossible to say what the impact would have been.
Last edited:
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
It didn't sell because the name meant the wider public didn't even know it existed and the hardware undermined many of its features like watching iplayer/netflix off TV, and it failed as a blue waters home console product, not competing with PS4/X1. It was transformed into a blue waters handheld hybrid that addressed most of the hardware's failings and it got a name change too.
How is that comparative to the cube library still being the main use on dolphin emu for years and still being a big draw as the hardocre pad option for all subsequent Smash Bros Mele games, and games from the library 20years on being highly desired,?
Last edited:
The proposed MS remedies are for the EC (including the 10 years one), not Sony, so had this *cod cloud only* situation happen, MS will have to answer the EC
ChuckeRearmed
Member
It is about ability to download the games you acquired - though it does not make sense for EC to ask for download option as there is not a single cloud only game.
Unknown Soldier
Member
That seems to be the plan. This is their one opportunity to take control of most of the West while regulators sleep at the wheel. At this point I would think they want to really solidify their holdings with at least one of EA, Take 2, or Ubisoft and then also acquire an important 3rd party developer like Rockstar or CDPR. Once they are in a position to deny Madden + FIFA, GTA, and/or Assassin's Creed to PlayStation they will be in a strong position to destroy Sony which has been a goal for decades.
Varteras
Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Yeah, they've already started denying people MS Office '21. Anything is possible.
Last edited:
Hero of Spielberg
Member
It may be distasteful to you, but it is a product of capitalism. Business need growth. Capitalism has served you and pretty much everyone else the West very well despite the size of some companies. Trying to enforce some sort of market cap would be an exercise in futility and who knows what sort of unexpected negatives would come out as a result.
A more fruitful area to combat wealth distribution is through taxation. That seems to be thwarted by lobbyist, which is then a failure of govt. We all know there's a few of them about.
Last edited:
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
ChorizoPicozo
Member
explain, please?
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
ChorizoPicozo
Member
but literally, I am holding a massive dump right now....in fact i am starting to feel the chills.
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
Would it be considered more "Momentous" to approve but with divestment of AB - effectively blocking? Or to approve without Remedies?
Edit:
I think saying Yes to King, but no to AB would be the bigger momentous outcome, but it being a $70b merger means even a full green light approval is momentous IMO
Last edited:
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
The fact that "with remedies" is highlighted leads me to believe this is going to the path of approval but with some notable remedies in place.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
"notable"?
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Notable like MS putting their 10 year and beyond claim on paper so there's no uncertainty ala Zenimax.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
interesting.
I wonder if the Xbox community is going to feel this like a W or an L. (and vice versa)
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Considering they (MS) have been hammering it in on all media fronts, it should be entirely expected and anything other than this should be the surprising part.
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
Possible, but the word "momentous" usually gets used with the word "occasion" to mean something special, and 10year deals on paper are very ordinary IMO.
I'm still thinking that at least the A of AB is stillneeding divestment as the remedy, and the momentous part is whether Microsoft still take Blizzard and King, or cancel,
PaintTinJr
Gold Member
You can't hammer a UK regulator with the media. They've got the info from all concerned and made their decision independently of that. Either they agree or disagree based on the info,
DarkMage619
$MSFT
It would certainly be momentous to block a vertical merger from the last place competitor at the behest of a market leader. It just wouldn't be logical or follow previous precedents. I don't think the CMA wants that notoriety.
There has never been a good argument how consumers would be harmed and the loudest complaints have come from the company that sold 600% more consoles than last year and have a borderline monopoly in the console market especially since they pushed to exclude Nintendo. There is no divesture argument that makes any sense when there is no console SLC.
feynoob
Banned
ChorizoPicozo
Member
just don't eat too much or you gonna
feynoob
Banned
I am gonna keep it moderate. Though, cant promise it very well.just don't eat too much or you gonna
ChuckeRearmed
Member
West? They are going after Japan. Considering how many people in denial of a Japanese acquisition, the meltdowns will be glorious.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Japan is already a small minority of the market that PS and Xbox compete in. Going after Japan would accomplish nothing for MS in their war against Sony. MS has already largely decided to cede Japan by making nice with Nintendo, who are the ones that actually dominate Japan. Letting Nintendo have Japan while they try to crush Sony in the West is a strategic move, and in the end if Nintendo controls Japan and MS controls the West that's a perfectly good outcome for MS because Japan is such a small console market now. The Japanese people are all playing mobile games.
Last edited:
drganon
Member
You're talking to a guy who is jerking off while fantasizing about Microsoft buying every 3rd party publisher. Logic need not apply.
Last edited:
While you're talking to a guy who's pushing an illogical theory that Microsoft is going to destroy Sony and buy everyone.
Logic obviously doesn't apply here
ChuckeRearmed
Member
Newsflash - people are playing Japanese content outside Japan too. And certain japanese companies are quite strong on mobile too. You can dread it, run from it - a japanese acquisition will arrive
Not sure who are you talking about considering I don't expect Microsoft to buy every 3rd party publisher. Projection I guess?
Last edited:
drganon
Member
You're begging in every other thread for Microsoft to buy more. Yeah,I'm talking about you.
drganon
Member
So they're both dumb then. Point still stands.
Regarding the Capitol Forum tweet, some people are arguing that behavioural remedies from the CMA could be seen as momentous from a regulator that doesn't like behavioural remedies. I am not sure they are referring to that but who know.
I wonder if that tweet is rehashing the equityreport article or has a different source.
I wonder if that tweet is rehashing the equityreport article or has a different source.
ChuckeRearmed
Member
I don't need to beg for that as Microsoft will buy more anyway. The question is rather - who makes sense for them to buy.
I believe both tweet and report has same or similar sources. It is not like there are many people who will leak that stuff. But ABK deal will certainly change the regulatory world.
Last edited:
If it was a rehash or the same source, there is the other thing about the CMA trying to make it more difficult for third parties (Sony being the most likely) to appeal that we would need to try and contextualise.
Trust uninformed gamers to think all the FTC's political woes have to do with Microsoft.
Just cause this is my general antitrust related dumping thread.
Google are copying their policy from other markets to the UK in order to head off anti-trust investigation. The main policy point is to offer devs the ability to use their own billing process at a rate of 27% of the revenue.
Both Apple and Google are going to have been dragged kicking and screaming to meaningfully change policies.
CMA have asked for feedback: https://www.gov.uk/government/consu...ernative-billing-systems-for-in-app-purchases
Google are copying their policy from other markets to the UK in order to head off anti-trust investigation. The main policy point is to offer devs the ability to use their own billing process at a rate of 27% of the revenue.
Both Apple and Google are going to have been dragged kicking and screaming to meaningfully change policies.
CMA have asked for feedback: https://www.gov.uk/government/consu...ernative-billing-systems-for-in-app-purchases
drganon
Member
You can play semantics if you want, you're still begging. Its pretty pathetic either way.
- Status