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

Do you believe the deal will be approved?


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I dunno i do feel like some people on this forum are gonna need safe spaces if the FTC shenanigans don't play out how they want and the CMA is the only potential block left standing in the way... i imagine it's going to get fairly heated in here as we get down to the wire. Lots of temp/perm bans and stuff.
the majority of people in here posting are pretty calm, its just the trolls who come in and post once and then call others names that will get banned when the decision gets made, they'll either start trolling harder or have breakdowns
 
When the CMA and FTC bend over and let big dick Phil Spencer have his way with them.


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True but those issues aren't permanent yet.. we aren't quite at the season finale just yet. yet. yet. yet. Sorry i'm sick and tired haha

They are permanent unless Microsoft wins the appeal. But they have to get past the 18th first for that to happen.

Edit: Actually your right. Based on the CMAs decision the block would last for 10 years. My bad. Either way its temporary.
 
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Searching the internet for answers to shit about this case is exhausting. Does anyone know the timeline for the CAT appeal? I might have spoken out of place saying that the CAT appeal will be done before the merger time-to-close.
 
Searching the internet for answers to shit about this case is exhausting. Does anyone know the timeline for the CAT appeal? I might have spoken out of place saying that the CAT appeal will be done before the merger time-to-close.

I think the appeal starts the 24th of July. The decision should arrive a lot later than that though given how slow the process can be.
 
Personally, I think the FTC convinced no one that their arguments have any merit to secure an injunction. Instead of producing facts it just seems like they are trying to corner MS into saying something that they can further use as ammo, but I think MS has done a decent job of not putting themselves in a trap they can't talk their way out of.

Funnily enough, if the FTC got their way initially, yesterday would've been the end of the trial and I still think they would've lost still in incredible fashion. :messenger_tears_of_joy: Still, who knows what the fuck will happen. Most people thought the CMA wouldn't have blocked and the EU to follow the CMA's lead. The whole fucking merger has been chalked full of surprises.

I think swearing to bring Call of Duty to PlayStation under oath was a brilliant move for Microsoft after thinking about it since yesterday. That seemed to have left an impression with the judge. The FTC trying to push that further into commitments elsewhere did NOT go over well with the judge. FTC got outclassed.

And then Google guy....everyone listening was like.....

Oh My God Omg GIF by FaZe Clan
 
I think swearing to bring Call of Duty to PlayStation under oath was a brilliant move for Microsoft after thinking about it since yesterday. That seemed to have left an impression with the judge. The FTC trying to push that further into commitments elsewhere did NOT go over well with the judge. FTC got outclassed.

And then Google guy....everyone listening was like.....

Oh My God Omg GIF by FaZe Clan
I think you're overestimating how important them getting cut off is. Judges and arbitrators cut off people regularly as going off topic is pretty easy to do. Especially in complex cases like this.
 
I think you're overestimating how important them getting cut off is. Judges and arbitrators cut off people regularly as going off topic is pretty easy to do. Especially in complex cases like this.

Perhaps. Just saying what my gut says.

Not like I'm a member of the Godot and Gone Law Firm or anything.

Trying Not To Laugh Rooster Teeth GIF by Achievement Hunter
 
With the level of maturity already on display, when the inevitable happens it's clear the green rats will once again be getting themselves banned en masse.

Would I qualify as a green rat since I own an Xbox and am for the deal? I guess I'm not emotionally invested in it like others are. If the deal fails, who gives a shit? We go back to the status quo. If it passes, cool. I might get more games on GP rather than having to fork over full-price for 1st party games to a company that's giving me the option not to.

My only point of contention is that people see this as a huge industry shifting and/or industry damaging move. At this point, I just roll my eyes hearing the crystal ball takes like I haven't been hearing them for nearly a decade. We've been hearing that Microsoft is destroying the industry with their moves since they decided to go with EA Access and their own subscription-based model. Those were interesting times on GAF back in, what, 2014 when EA Access landed on consoles? The industry was literally supposed to implode since then. Will the changes be significant? Probably. There would be single-player games that will become exclusive to Xbox and PC, but I think multi-player offerings will stay multiplat simply because that microtransaction money generated by all platforms is too much to ignore.

No fucking way CoD becomes exclusive. Period. Xbox isn't trying to sell consoles as hard as Sony, but if they can sell you on GPU for three, four or more months then I think they consider it a win. Either way, if this acquisition is making your blood boil on either side of the aisle you should probably just ask for a personal ban and take a breather, lol.
 
For mediocre attorneys, they sure had a trained public speaker in PR, stumbling and stuttering complete with memory loss like he was either glitching, or was suffering from early onset dementia.
 
Well anyways, I think the FTC had a losing case from the start. When the judge is having to cut you off while questioning a client, it's not a good look. IMO, the FTC's case is more political than anything. Big Tech Bad. But I have enjoyed the tidbits of information that we have gotten such as that Indiana Jones is coming to Game Pass day and date.
 
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They had their recent defeats this was known to me as well but it would have been interesting to have actual statistics with all the cases they handled (within a reasonable time frame to make a statistic like 5 years) and calculate the overall success rate.
I'm sure the data is out there but I'm not charting a graph. Suffice it to say our nation's trade commission very often get publicly embarrassed in Federal court
 
Would I qualify as a green rat since I own an Xbox and am for the deal? I guess I'm not emotionally invested in it like others are. If the deal fails, who gives a shit? We go back to the status quo. If it passes, cool. I might get more games on GP rather than having to fork over full-price for 1st party games to a company that's giving me the option not to.

My only point of contention is that people see this as a huge industry shifting and/or industry damaging move. At this point, I just roll my eyes hearing the crystal ball takes like I haven't been hearing them for nearly a decade. We've been hearing that Microsoft is destroying the industry with their moves since they decided to go with EA Access and their own subscription-based model. Those were interesting times on GAF back in, what, 2014 when EA Access landed on consoles? The industry was literally supposed to implode since then. Will the changes be significant? Probably. There would be single-player games that will become exclusive to Xbox and PC, but I think multi-player offerings will stay multiplat simply because that microtransaction money generated by all platforms is too much to ignore.

No fucking way CoD becomes exclusive. Period. Xbox isn't trying to sell consoles as hard as Sony, but if they can sell you on GPU for three, four or more months then I think they consider it a win. Either way, if this acquisition is making your blood boil on either side of the aisle you should probably just ask for a personal ban and take a breather, lol.

don't care idk GIF by Cartoon Hangover
 
I'm sure the data is out there but I'm not charting a graph. Suffice it to say our nation's trade commission very often get publicly embarrassed in Federal court
It's been massively neutered instead of empowered by CorpoPolitical interests over the decades. Especially 8-10 years ago or so.
 
It's been massively neutered instead of empowered by CorpoPolitical interests over the decades. Especially 8-10 years ago or so.

How do you fix this? Make the FTC an entity like the CMA where cases like this live and die on their word where the check and balance of an appeal really means nothing?
 
How do you fix this? Make the FTC an entity like the CMA where cases like this live and die on their word where the check and balance of an appeal really means nothing?
The most despised industries in the US are also the most heavily regulated. Healthcare, energy, transportation, banking, aviation.

If there is a "fix" it's not more or stronger regulation, it would be the impossible. Remove lobbyists and enact terms limits to help cut the influence of these corporations over government.
 
Would I qualify as a green rat since I own an Xbox and am for the deal? I guess I'm not emotionally invested in it like others are. If the deal fails, who gives a shit? We go back to the status quo. If it passes, cool. I might get more games on GP rather than having to fork over full-price for 1st party games to a company that's giving me the option not to.

My only point of contention is that people see this as a huge industry shifting and/or industry damaging move. At this point, I just roll my eyes hearing the crystal ball takes like I haven't been hearing them for nearly a decade. We've been hearing that Microsoft is destroying the industry with their moves since they decided to go with EA Access and their own subscription-based model. Those were interesting times on GAF back in, what, 2014 when EA Access landed on consoles? The industry was literally supposed to implode since then. Will the changes be significant? Probably. There would be single-player games that will become exclusive to Xbox and PC, but I think multi-player offerings will stay multiplat simply because that microtransaction money generated by all platforms is too much to ignore.

No fucking way CoD becomes exclusive. Period. Xbox isn't trying to sell consoles as hard as Sony, but if they can sell you on GPU for three, four or more months then I think they consider it a win. Either way, if this acquisition is making your blood boil on either side of the aisle you should probably just ask for a personal ban and take a breather, lol.

Console ownership really means nothing. I own an Xbox but I also tend to favor PlayStation and I don't shy away from that. Either way, I agree with you that none of our lives are going to be impacted by this. It isn't that important. The emotionally invested really need to follow the "touch grass" brand of advice.

You are right though. The industry isn't going to implode because of any of this. Doesn't mean it's a good thing either and I really just don't think it is. Too much consolidation seems to take these gaming corporations to new levels of shittyness. That's how I see this with going with my "crystal ball".

Having said that, I think there are perfectly fine reasons to be for/against this acquisition. You seem pretty level-headed so good to have you talking from the pro-acquisition side of things. You might have noticed, we've had our share of crazies lately.

How do you fix this? Make the FTC an entity like the CMA where cases like this live and die on their word where the check and balance of an appeal really means nothing?

Those are two extremes, aren't they? I don't see a way to fix the FTC myself, not in this age of corporate "campaign finance" where we document thousands of dollars being handed over to politicians and pretend it is all okay because it is out in the open. It's still just bribery.
 
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How do you fix this? Make the FTC an entity like the CMA where cases like this live and die on their word where the check and balance of an appeal really means nothing?

The FTC would have to do a lot more work and be extremely transparent. At least that's what I believe the CMA does before making a decision.
 
A well loaded question of opinionated extremes.
the joker applause GIF

Cool.

The most despised industries in the US are also the most heavily regulated. Healthcare, energy, transportation, banking, aviation.

If there is a "fix" it's not more or stronger regulation, it would be the impossible. Remove lobbyists and enact terms limits to help cut the influence of these corporations over government.

Agree on all fronts here. Less regulation AND term limits for a lot of these political entities would be a great start. However, I'm still for these trillion dollar companies like Microsoft getting microscoped, simply because a company of MS' size shouldn't be able to do as it pleases without someone on the outside looking in.
 
The most despised industries in the US are also the most heavily regulated. Healthcare, energy, transportation, banking, aviation.

If there is a "fix" it's not more or stronger regulation, it would be the impossible. Remove lobbyists and enact terms limits to help cut the influence of these corporations over government.

Dark money is a legal way of bribing politicians and you can even do it under anonymity.
 
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