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[DeepEnigma]

Gamepass until 2025
COD is the only game in my library , great to be a consumer

That's an expensive version of CoD.

 

[Rykan]

You know I can't believe MS would let Kotick go - love him or hate him he has a proven track record and has given people content they were prepared to pay for. MS needs that kind of help and he'd be dangerous to let go where he can join a competitor or at least consult for one. I can see him staying and basically taking over the show.

You seen his salary?

 

[Jibran#one]

So when does this finalize and when can I expect cod's and blizzard titles on gp ?

 

[Chukhopops]

This is the CRPG equivalent of getting the seven Dragon Balls.

 

[Gudji]

So when does this finalize and when can I expect cod's and blizzard titles on gp ?

Next monday.

 

[adamsapple]

Soon ™

 

[RickMasters]

So - MS to acquire next publisher before close of 2023 - place your bets

I doubt we'll hear of any more this year.


But future aquisitions I can see them making:

CDPR
IOI
GSC gameworld


Id still like to see the aquire sega, then brand the xboxs as sega consoles in japan. merge xbox japan and sega and give the some autonomy in that region to develop in house xbox exclusives, and secure third japanese content. I wouldnt mind seeing treasure (radian silvergun, ikaruga etc) getting some kind of spotlight, here. . and give us some cool limited edition themed sega consoles for the west. I think that would be damn cool!

 

[Team Andromeda]

So then Phil, SEGA tomorrow?

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I always thought Kotick was going to stay as long as he wants. They already started rehabbing his image.

Bobby Kotick Breaks His Silence: Embattled Activision CEO Addresses Toxic Workforce Claims as Microsoft Deal Hangs in Balance

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has broken his silence on the toxic workforce claims as he attempts to close a massive Microsoft deal.

variety.com

Kickin' it in the Caribbean with celebs, rappers and models at a white dress party is probably a part of that too

(not saying the party was in the Caribbean; I just wanted to use a Pulp Fiction line).

 

[Varteras]

Tom Warren confirmed early on that Bobby is out once the acquisition goes through. Obviously not immediately but when they do their leadership restructuring he won't be a part of it.

 

[Vox Machina]

Wonder if MS knew ahead of time if the FTC injunction failed that CMA was ready to compromise.

Would explain their confidence.

They've known since yesterday, at least.

 

[wolffy66]

Sony getting spent out of business doesn't harm consumers?

No, not directly. The govt doesn't protect individual businesses for this reason. It's about the market, not individual corporations

 

[X-Wing]

Dude relax, this won't change a thing for Sony. They will continue doing just fine. What can't happen is this obsession that Jimbo has with GaaS.

I'm quite chill. It was a reply to an hypothetical scenario in which Sony's shares would massively drop.

 

[Solidus_T]

So this is good for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro right? They'll be treated better than Conker and Banjo right? ...RIGHT?

As funny as this is, there are people (fanboys) who literally think this means MS will bring back their favorite series from whatever studio years ago.

 

[ProtoByte]

Bobby Kotick got up onto the stand and basically outlined the model Microsoft is burning money to support is value destructive, all but saying that it is not sufficient to sustain the industry at its current status quo. I generally respect judges for what they are, but this type of thing is where I lose that respect.

It would be fascinating to hear Kotick's private opinions about this deal.

 

[DrFigs]

Yeah i don't really think people care about Bobby Kotick anymore. And honeslty MS would be out of their minds to replace him with someone from their leadership team.

 

[graywolf323]

They've known since yesterday, at least.

I'd have to imagine longer than that since all sides would have had to get their redactions in and to only give them a single day would be crazy

 

[RickMasters]

I always thought Kotick was going to stay as long as he wants. They already started rehabbing his image.

Bobby Kotick Breaks His Silence: Embattled Activision CEO Addresses Toxic Workforce Claims as Microsoft Deal Hangs in Balance

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has broken his silence on the toxic workforce claims as he attempts to close a massive Microsoft deal.

variety.com

I think he will be useful to Ms at the management level. He built the whole COD machine. he knows about getting games out on time. could actually be good for them if he sticks around for a while.

 

[tmlDan]

Bobby already destroyed Blizzard. He can kick rocks

He's the reason they're so big, from the way he speaks he's really intelligent despite what you may think.

He wants to make money, not appease a niche you enjoy. No mtx and more niche IP's are not gonna be a thing with MS either.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

No, not directly. The govt doesn't protect individual businesses for this reason. It's about the market, not individual corporations

And if Sony customers end up with a lesser quality of choice & options by being forced to turn to a direct competitor who pursued strategies in M&A to push a company like Sony out of the market, then it still negatively impacts customers.

But these regulatory bodies aren't suited to reviving dead companies and divisions after the fact now are they?

 

[SirKicksalot]

Dr. Lee is utterly BTFO starting on page 40.

 

[GHG]

The bans page is hilarious. Literally what I said about maturity playing out in real time.

 

[demigod]

After all their postings and now buckling, this is a bad look on the CMA.

 

[willothedog]

Begins the gaming consolidation free for all. Sony needs to lock up Japan and parts of Europe.

Sony needs Square-Enix, Capcom, Kodakawa, and CD Project Red

Tencent, Saudi prices will now enter the frey..

isn't CDPR partly state-owned/funded (Polish gov) so that would be doubtful?

 

[Topher]

Microsoft has the second most amount of "fuck you" money in tech. They can force rich countries to do what they want.

People suggested Microsoft should just "leave the UK". They could have said they were doing that and guess what? The UK government would hold emergency meetings and bend over backwards to do anything to make Microsoft happy.

If Microsoft really did leave the UK it would literally cripple the UK government and health service. As fucked up as we are right now I can't begin to imagine the damage of Microsoft leaving. So yeah the government would do everything they could to satisfy Microsoft. All this CMA shit was just posturing.

That's the power of $2.5 trillion.

As others have pointed out, CMA caved when FTC lost. It is not a coincidence that CMA's announcement happened immediately after the judge's ruling.

MS leaving the UK was never going to happen. That's just a bullshit fantasy.

 

[YCoCg]

Soon ™

Guitar Hero LIVE closed down, apart from a few songs it had in base everything else is gone, including all the DLC and "live" multiplayer and activity stuff, plus I don't even think the controllers work on Xbox Series.

edit: Transformers DEVESTATION and TMNT are also gone due to expired license with the studios & Overwatch 1 doesn't "exist" anymore. It's a nice list but some of those games can't be brought back.

 

[Varteras]

Soon ™

A shitload of games I don't play mixed with games I already own. And who the fuck would buy a sub for Overwatch when it's F2P?

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Activision stock has stabilized at $92 for a couple hours. Still time to get in for another $3. Easiest 3% you'll ever make. On an APR basis, making a quick 3% like this is actually a huge amount.

 

[feynoob]

CMA folded and now MS is free to buy whatever they want after this deal. Guess my decision was right to stop using social media.
Well back to my freedom. Have fun everyone.

 

[ProtoByte]

I always thought Kotick was going to stay as long as he wants. They already started rehabbing his image.

Bobby Kotick Breaks His Silence: Embattled Activision CEO Addresses Toxic Workforce Claims as Microsoft Deal Hangs in Balance

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has broken his silence on the toxic workforce claims as he attempts to close a massive Microsoft deal.

variety.com

That article got swept right the fuck under the rug.
Lest we forget that a large reason we're even having this discussion is because of the month long PR storm fueled by Californian government bodies like their Civil Rights Department, which Activision is now suing, and what Kotick himself refers to as a disruptive labor movement, which probably has ties to the Californian state too.

 

[RavenSan]

It isn't just the price increase in a monthly subscription, it's also bad due to certain companies monopolizing other companies and eventually making games exclusive to their platform which weren't exclusive before. You either have to spend way more money to play a certain franchise that you love.... or you don't.

Regardless, it's a number of things. This isn't a good thing.

Fair enough, I can respect that take. I can definitely see the concern for the long term health of gaming. However, personally I tend to look at it a little more 'big picture' -- i.e. FF7R / FF16 being console exclusive to PS, while certainly not equal (one game vs a huge company with many games) the bottom line is MS just bought a bigger slice of the pie than Sony has previously, and folks have sour grapes about it.

It's the GamePass arguments that just hold absolutely no water for me. Unless MS starts locking specific benefits / games / etc to GamePass, then, sure, it's a problem.

 

[GHG]

After all their postings and now buckling, this is a bad look on the CMA.

The same guy that called the judge this weekend has been onto them.

 

[user friendly]

Pyrrhic victory indeed. I wonder if this won't go down as one of the worst deals in history for Microsoft. I almost hope the CMA does allow it because I think Microsoft are going to regret buying this big time. We'll see.

This is my vibe the entire time. Without actually locking COD to XBOX or any other exclusives as a result of this merger, what is this actually bringing short-term or even long for XBOX and XBOX gamers? I feel like COD is on the downturn as well. If MS had a bunch of good games coming out and this merger was in addition to that, I think it would be different. This all feels very empty at this point.

 

[adamsapple]

CMA folded and now MS is free to buy whatever they want after this deal. Guess my decision was right to stop using social media.
Well back to my freedom. Have fun everyone.

holy shit, this news resurrected fey !

 

[Vox Machina]

I can provide the source via DM, if necessary. Dunno if the site is a banned source (I'm aware of the history).

 

[jhjfss]

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Activision stock has stabilized at $92 for a couple hours. Still time to get in for another $3. Easiest 3% you'll ever make. On an APR basis, making a quick 3% like this is actually a huge amount.

I love this game of legalized, sanctioned gambling

 

[LordCBH]

The bans page is hilarious. Literally what I said about maturity playing out in real time.

There's a bans page?

 

[PaintTinJr]

It certainly won't be the former, as that would be a regulatory body knowingly acting in bad faith. And it simply can't be a scheduling or resource issue. There are a sufficient number of lawyers in the Square Mile to work on one of the largest antitrust cases in history.

Occam's Razor - it's invariably the least dramatic reason at work. The market definition was too broad and I think the CMA have realised that their initial position was overreach. That their statement cites 'public interest' suggests a body that is looking to negotiate a resolution.

I mean, for MS to fuck it up from here would be truly spectacular.

For the biggest case the CMA would ever defend against the worst company you would ever choose to defend against, they've been told by the CAT they can't have counsel that are well versed in the case, because of scheduling.

Why is that not a good reason to try and buy more time, when OFCOM are contacting them about emerging issue in cloud competition universally in the UK? And why would the CMA not be able to act in the same manner that their opponents have - in bad faith - by using all tools at their disposal.

I'm still of the opinion this deal only closes with structural remedies that takes away what Microsoft really want, or the deal fails on the 18th.

 

[Corndog]

That's a studio. CD Projekt is the publisher.

And they are apparently the biggest publisher in Europe and own Witcher and Cyberpunk rights. They have the GOG Store. Loads of development studios.

Would be a good buy!

I don't believe they want to be bought.

Wonder if MS knew ahead of time if the FTC injunction failed that CMA was ready to compromise.

Would explain their confidence.

Maybe they have been negotiating for a while.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

No, not directly. The govt doesn't protect individual businesses for this reason. It's about the market, not individual corporations

Right, that's so naive of you

They just protect megacorps like MS so they can gobble up everyone in existence and there's no competition at all

 

[Sanepar]

CMA folded and now MS is free to buy whatever they want after this deal. Guess my decision was right to stop using social media.
Well back to my freedom. Have fun everyone.

One more move and sony is out: ea or t2 only need one. To crash ps europe market ea is the best bet.

 

[wolffy66]

Yes, and harming competitors in the market, harms the choice of which group?..... C'mon... you're almost there...

You're not a Playstation consumer. You're a consumer in the gaming market that has bought a PS5 or whatever. The govts wants to protect the market, not select corporations. Govt isn't supposed to pick winners.

 

[Vox Machina]

There's a bans page?

Link is in the page footer

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

There's a bans page?

Scroll down to the bottom and look at the lower right hand corner

 

[Varteras]

I can provide the source via DM, if necessary. Dunno if the site is a banned source (I'm aware of the history).

I don't care what he claims. Bobby is a snake and a smart one at that. He's also way more suited to run Xbox than Phil ever was. Satya would honestly be allowing their best chance at making Xbox competitive to walk.

 

[TheDreadLord]

This is my vibe the entire time. Without actually locking COD to XBOX or any other exclusives as a result of this merger, what is this actually bringing short-term or even long for XBOX and XBOX gamers? I feel like COD is on the downturn as well. If MS had a bunch of good games coming out and this merger was in addition to that, I think it would be different. This all feels very empty at this point.

COD has never made so much money as it is doing now.

 

[IntentionalPun]

probably, given redactions were already made it seems likely the judge alerted them last week meaning she made this decision in roughly a week even with there being a holiday last week, it's insane how quick she did this since this is only the 7th business day after closing arguments? someone else said these decisions usually take months and she maybe took a week for the biggest one ever

The problem is that the deal has been out there for a long time, with a 7/18 deadline set.

And the FTC has known that for 18 months, and it is not in the best interest of courts to let regulators sort of "weaponize" stalling tactics.

 

[OverHeat]

Scroll down to the bottom and look at the lower right hand corner

That's a lot of bans!

 

[LordCBH]

Scroll down to the bottom and look at the lower right hand corner

Ah. I see it now. It was covered by the page navigation arrows on mobile lol