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[GHG]

It's a silly threat about UK investment.

It's like she doesn't realise every time she tweets she makes things worse. How does she think threats like that will go down in the UK?

The most shocking thing about all of this is that nobody put a muzzle on her and she's still free to be retarded on twitter.

 

[Astray]

I said it a while back. Spencer's ass is on the line. Gamepass hasn't moved the needle. Xbox's first party still isn't cutting it. Despite the billions they've poured into the division just to still be last in a number of metrics. He's been in charge for almost a decade. They just lost the single greatest chance they had to suddenly change things.

This and the Bethesda deal always felt like a hail mary pass tbh. If you had a plan for this generation then you would have bought them before launching your next gen consoles, not after.

 

[Banjo64]

I have to say the level of absolute smug condescending bull shit we’ve had to endure on here ever since the CMA published their addendum last month makes this extra delicious.

 

[FunkMiller]

This and the Bethesda deal always felt like a hail mary pass tbh. If you had a plan for this generation then you would have bought them before launching your next gen consoles, not after.

You have to wonder how different the landscape would be if a fraction of that 69bn had been funnelled into games production at XBox’s existing development studios. We’re now two and half years into this generation. Those games would be coming soon.

 

[Astray]

Was cloud gaming something sony was concerned about?

Ironically enough no. IIRC, they were cited as a key player in the cloud streaming market in the CMA initial findings (along with Amazon Luna and Facebook gaming), but MSFT didn't reach a deal with those 3 on cloud streaming (Sony was a given because Sony, but ignoring FB gaming and Amazon were Microsoft's own calls that cannot be Sony-influenced).

Now the FTC has enough material to go after the deal in US courts without Sony's help too. Judge ruling on Meta/Within (which FTC lost) was that emerging markets were fair game for the FTC to try and block deals on.

 

[GHG]

This and the Bethesda deal always felt like a hail mary pass tbh. If you had a plan for this generation then you would have bought them before launching your next gen consoles, not after.

Yep, they launched new consoles without any first party games and then tried to fix it after the fact. Uphill battle from day one.

It's a result of years of poor management, poor decisions and in some cases outright negligence.

 

[Heisenberg007]

So I asked ChatGPT to write a poem, a haiku, and a rap song on this. This is what it shared. I think it's pretty good.

POEM:

Microsoft and Activision
A merger that sparked great ambition
But CMA said, "Hold your horses!"
Blocked by regulators' forces

Aaron Greenberg, feeling fine
Dreamed of gaming worlds to combine
Phil Spencer, with grand schemes in mind
Had plans to level up and grind

Lulu Cheng Meservey, on the case
Investigating with great pace
CMA stepped in, said "Not today!"
And the deal was halted, come what may

Now gamers wait with bated breath
What's next for Microsoft? What's left?
Will they try again, a different way?
Or leave it be, just for today?

Haiku:

CMA's call,
Microsoft and Activision stall,
Gamer's dreams appall.


Rap Song:

(Verse 1)
Yo, listen up, here's the news of the day,
Microsoft and Activision in dismay,
Thought they'd merge, make a gaming craze,
But CMA blocked them with their regulatory maze.

(Chorus)
Aaron Greenberg, Phil Spencer, feeling the heat,
Lulu Cheng Meservey, investigating the beat,
CMA said, "Hold up, not so fast!"
Put a halt to the deal, made it a thing of the past.

(Verse 2)
Greenberg had plans, Spencer had dreams,
But CMA said, "Not as easy as it seems,
We're here to regulate, keep things in check,
No merging giants, without a thorough check."

(Chorus)
Aaron Greenberg, Phil Spencer, feeling the heat,
Lulu Cheng Meservey, investigating the beat,
CMA said, "Hold up, not so fast!"
Put a halt to the deal, made it a thing of the past.

(Bridge)
Now gamers wait, with curious eyes,
What's next for Microsoft, what's the surprise?
Will they try again, find a different way?
Or accept the decision, and call it a day?

(Chorus)
Aaron Greenberg, Phil Spencer, feeling the heat,
Lulu Cheng Meservey, investigating the beat,
CMA said, "Hold up, not so fast!"
Put a halt to the deal, made it a thing of the past.

(Outro)
So here's the tale of Microsoft's big plan,
Blocked by CMA, ain't that a span?
But hey, don't fret, there's still much to see,
In the world of gaming, it's always a spree!

 

[Salty Pickle]

The deal will be multi-nuked if the EU and/or the US goes the same way as the CMA.

 

[ulantan]

I have to say the level of absolute smug condescending bull shit we’ve had to endure on here ever since the CMA published their addendum last month makes this extra delicious.

It was so worth it

 

[Astray]

You have to wonder how different the landscape would be if a fraction of that 69bn had been funnelled into games production at XBox’s existing development studios. We’re now two and half years into this generation. Those games would be coming soon.

This is what I've been saying all along, 69bn of pure waste that don't result in the creation of new imaginative IP and stories for us to enjoy. Just pure waffle about 150m gamers and shit.

Activision could literally publish COD on Switch tomorrow and make a deal with Nvidia etc and the cited positive effects of this merger would have been met.

 

[DJ12]

I hope no one requests a ban off this. Easy way out at this point.

 

[jm89]

Was cloud gaming something sony was concerned about?

CMA was, and in the end that is what matters.

And sony are a cloud competitor, so their input is vital.

 

[Three]

Didn’t the CMA see their latest earnings report?

Where cloud and subscription services were up?

They dropped the console SLC already but the earnings report only shows the CMA knows what's up.

 

[Darsxx82]

Good thing i didnt vote yet

Also, Bob already responded

For someone like me who was already bored and tired of this process and its twists and turns, the news that they are going to appeal and continue insisting seems to me the worst decision.

It also seems to me clearly the worst decision for Xbox users who have seen how MS has bet too much on the ABK Acquisition and has forgotten part of its duties with its users. I expect a different response to your users than "let's appeal". shouldn't take a step to the side and ask whether or not there are better , inmediate and more accessible options than ABK.

They are going to resign from an entire generation all for ABK and that only makes things more difficult for some new future generation and the spirit of its users.

 

[Gone]

This is actually hilarious..
Like what the fuck does Gamepass have to do with cloud gaming and then they're back to Gamepass price increase..

 

[feynoob]

SenjutsuSage is like:

Guy invested a lot of money on this purchase.

 

[laynelane]

It's like she doesn't realise every time she tweets she makes things worse. How does she think threats like that will go down in the UK?

The most shocking thing about all of this is that nobody put a muzzle on her and she's still free to be retarded on twitter.

Between her tweets and Kotick's "Death Valley" comment, I doubt they're making any friends in the UK. I don't get why anyone would think this sort of behaviour will have a beneficial impact, but then again one is a union buster and one is a sleazebag - not the nicest or most reasonable of folks so maybe it's too much to expect professionalism when things don't go their way.

 

[Heisenberg007]

The deal will be multi-nuked if the EU and/or the US goes the same way as the CMA.

There is more incentive to do that now than ever before.

 

[Vroadstar]

I have to say the level of absolute smug condescending bull shit we’ve had to endure on here ever since the CMA published their addendum last month makes this extra delicious.

 

[Astray]

Like what the fuck does Gamepass have to do with cloud gaming and then they're back to Gamepass price increase..

You can only go on MSFT's cloud gaming service by subbing to game pass, and this deal would lock up their advantage in that space, so they would have the incentive to raise prices on cloud consumers.

Another thing is that they can also enforce that services like Boosteroid etc use Azure to access ABK games, so that's another monopoly they can get going from the infancy of the market.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

STOP I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE POPCORN I'M GOING TO POP

 

[feynoob]

This is actually hilarious..
Like what the fuck does Gamepass have to do with cloud gaming and then they're back to Gamepass price increase..

Because cloud gaming is the future at this trajectory with current technology.

MS will have a lot of power if they own activision with their cloud gaming.

 

[FrankWza]

CMA was, and in the end that is what matters.

And sony are a cloud competitor, so their input is vital.

But now looking at the cloud reasoning I guess it makes sense. I mean, you can make arguments either way. Bottom line is that nobody knows anything really.

It's like she doesn't realise every time she tweets she makes things worse. How does she think threats like that will go down in the UK?

The most shocking thing about all of this is that nobody put a muzzle on her and she's still free to be retarded on twitter.

Yeah she needs to stop tweeting angry

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

For someone like me who was already bored and tired of this process and its twists and turns, the news that they are going to appeal and continue insisting seems to me the worst decision.

It also seems to me clearly the worst decision for Xbox users who have seen how MS has bet too much on the ABK Acquisition and has forgotten part of its duties with its users. I expect a different response to your users than "let's appeal". shouldn't take a step to the side and ask whether or not there are better , inmediate and more accessible options than ABK.

They are going to resign from an entire generation all for ABK and that only makes things more difficult for some new futuro generación and the spirit of its users.

As someone who mainly plays on Xbox and sues my PS5 mainly for their exclusives I can say I just wanted it to be over one way or another

This appeal just drags this shit out and even though I wanted to see ABK games on Gamepass I just wish it would end

 

[Three]

This is actually hilarious..
Like what the fuck does Gamepass have to do with cloud gaming and then they're back to Gamepass price increase..

Gamepass Ultimate is MS' cloud gaming subscription, so everything.

 

[Interfectum]

 

[Kurotri]

Alright that's it, I'm throwing my Xbox out the window (after Starfield)

 

[Varteras]

 

[MisterXDTV]

Gamepass Ultimate is MS' cloud gaming subscription, so everything.

Exactly, cloud gaming is directly connected with GPU

 

[Pelta88]

On era, 96% of the vote was certain that the deal would be approved.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

They're appealing it of course, but still. Very surprised. I don't think CMA wins an appeal on this specific matter, but that's me. As I always said, I'd be a big boy about the whole thing.

The Appeal does thur the CMA.

The Sages / The Oracles / The Seers / The Three-Eyed Ravens of our generation. These 86 Kings and Queens stood where no one dared to stand.

I still think they make some kind of deal for everything but Activision.

Lina Khan gonna swoop in for the death blow.

Gengher Khan.

 

[Gone]

You can only go on MSFT's cloud gaming service by subbing to game pass, and this deal would lock up their advantage in that space, so they would have the incentive to raise prices on cloud consumers.

Another thing is that they can also enforce that services like Boosteroid etc use Azure to access ABK games, so that's another monopoly they can get going from the infancy of the market.

And now you can't get any Activision game on any cloud gaming service whatsoever. A win for the consumers.

Also, someone will have to be the market leader, who stopped anyone else from becoming one in the cloud gaming space or the subscription services? And now they're getting punished for it? How does that make any sense.

 

[Varteras]

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Topher]

On era, 96% of the vote was certain that the deal would be approved.

Would not be surprised if the majority of that 2.4% are already banned.

 

[Varteras]

 

[FunkMiller]

The CMA aren’t going to budge.

And trying to unpick the UK market would be prohibitively expensive even for Microsoft. And that’s if the EU and US don’t follow suit… which they probably will.

This deal is dead.

 

[Calverz]

So what happens if it goes through in US and or EU? What happens then?

 

[dotnotbot]

It doesn't make any sense even in the cloud market.

Nobody stopped Sony or anyone from entering that market.

The market is already there without Activision games.

Right now, Microsoft is the biggest by far in the cloud market gaming space. The rest doesn't really treat it seriously yet but it's hard to prove that they could be more conpetitive if they wanted.

 

[Yoboman]

 

[Topher]

So what happens if it goes through in US and or EU? What happens then?

If it is blocked by CMA then the deal is dead regardless

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Astray]

And now you can't get any Activision game on any cloud gaming service whatsoever. A win for the consumers.

Really? ABK can immediately open negotiations with Nvidia, Amazon etc just fine.

I don't see why this merger bring blocked stops them from this. Apparently they even said in their filings that they have interest in doing this.

 

[Varteras]

CMA all like

 

[Draugoth]

Pushed to 2024

 

[OmegaSupreme]

She singing.

 

[freefornow]

I'm here if you need me Lulu!

 

[jm89]

SenjutsuSage

 

[Gone]

Really? ABK can immediately open negotiations with Nvidia, Amazon etc just fine.

I don't see why this merger bring blocked stops them from this. Apparently they even said in their filings that they have interest in doing this.

Or they won't like they have been doing for the past years

 

[Topher]

This is interesting.....

"When appealing the CMA’s substantive decision in a merger case, a judicial review standard applies, meaning the applicant must show that the CMA acted irrationally, illegally or with procedural impropriety. The CAT will not engage with the merits of the CMA’s decision or conduct a wholesale review of the parties’ evidence. In practice this means that applicants face a high threshold when seeking to overturn a merger decision, which is reflected in the statistics: the CMA has won 67% of all merger appeals since 2010."

Appealing a decision by the CMA in a merger review – The In-House Lawyer

www.inhouselawyer.co.uk