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[graywolf323]

I'll give you this much, you seem about as real as Colbert did on the Colbert Report

 

[Vox Machina]

You have missed out on pretty much everything. This was revealed IN THE HEARING for the PI.

No it wasn't. The only thing that even comes close is an email from Phil stating that he want's to find ways to use their IPs and that originally he thought Minecraft Dungeons should be exclusive. Clearly his mind changed and it wasn't. As to why that was the case there could be a number of different reasons.

But no, this so called "Notch agreement" was not revealed in the PI hearing. If it was you could link it to me.

 

[Negotiator101]

What's the CMA discussions likely to do? Isn't this unprecedented as far as the CMA is concerned to open up discussions after rendering their verdict?

 

[Punished Miku]

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.

My prediction all along has been that Activision will do what they currently do. King will do what they currently do, but also help start building MS mobile. Blizzard will likely be treated as their own thing, similar to Bethesda now and will not have as much oversight from Activision. Instead of pursuing shooters, I wouldn't be surprised to see them make more niche content occasionally if they wanted.

Also this means we probably get a bunch of games added to Xbox backwards compatibility at some point.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

So you support consolidation if it protects Sony. Or are you opposed in principle?

I'm a man with a brain who is willing to adapt to the current rules if need be. I'm not going to sit around while my world burn overs principals if no one else follow that same principle.

You speak in first person concerning the events taking place in this case. Is your name by any chance Sony?

 

[adamsapple]

What's the CMA discussions likely to do? Isn't this unprecedented as far as the CMA is concerned to open up discussions after rendering their verdict?

Yes, but this is also an unprecedented kind of an acquisition in scope.

 

[graywolf323]

No it wasn't. The only thing that even comes close is an email from Phil stating that he want's to find ways to use their IPs and that originally he thought Minecraft Dungeons should be exclusive. Clearly his mind changed and it wasn't. As to why that was the case there could be a number of different reasons.

But no, this so called "Notch agreement" was not revealed in the PI hearing. If it was you could link it to me.

point 19 in this thread, so drop the Minecraft narrative BS already

Ctrl+Alt+Deceive: All The Dirt, Info, Lies, and LOLs We Found During FTC vs. Microsoft

Here are all the dirt, information, lies, and LOLs we found during the FTC hearing case. Notes: That was a lot of work; I'd appreciate your support. Please keep it civil. This thread is very important because I wanted to compile all the information in one place for posterity and preservation...

www.neogaf.com

 

[HundredThousandTrillion]

Judge says Microsoft-Activision deal can proceed, Activision Blizzard stock soars 11%

Microsoft won a court fight against the FTC, paving the way for its Activision Blizzard deal to move forward.

finance.yahoo.com

They might try to appeal in the next days but IMO as you say the whole PI was an orchestrated plan and last ditch effort with the CMA to block the deal. CMA had already decided and told the parts that if the FTC lost they would consider to settle.
Now it's more about what the CMA will ask Microsoft to concede to save face and allow to merger to close.
I expect something a bit stronger than what they gave to EU but the deal will close.

If the UK was a state in the U.S. it would be in the bottom 5 in terms of GDP. Somewhere down there with Mississippi. They lost a lot of bargaining power when they left the EU.

I wouldn't underestimate Microsoft's appetite to play hard ball or to pull out of the UK completely if the CMA is being demonstrably unreasonable. Especially when all of these other governing bodies approved. What does the CMA do then besides look toothless?

What's the downside? The UK may be a big hardware market for XBOX. but they've told you all you've needed to know about their feelings re: hardware in the last few weeks.

 

[wolffy66]

For the fools who LOL'd at my last post pointing out that the FTC may opt to continue opposing the deal, here's a CNBC article outlining the process of what's actually happened and what might happen next.

As the title of the article states, today's decision moves the deal closer, but suggesting its done is quite a leap legally speaking.

I'd stress that people might want to consider the politics as to why the FTC under Lina Khan might decide to press onward. This is a symbolic bloody nose in their stated aim to rein in big-tech.

I could see it. They still have some options

 

[willothedog]

What's the CMA discussions likely to do? Isn't this unprecedented as far as the CMA is concerned to open up discussions after rendering their verdict?

They want to come to a deal before CAT shuts them down to save face.

 

[adamsapple]

Read Xbox chief Phil Spencer’s memo to Microsoft employees about the FTC win

Microsoft now needs to secure a remedy with UK regulators.

www.theverge.com

Today a US District Court judge issued a decision denying the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction, which would have temporarily blocked our acquisition of Activision Blizzard from closing in the United States. We're grateful that, upon a review of the evidence and witness testimony, the Court rejected the FTC's claims that our acquisition would harm consumers. The evidence showed the deal is good for the industry and that the FTC's claims about console switching, multi-game subscription services, and the cloud do not reflect the realities of the gaming market.

After today's decision, we are turning our focus to the UK. As you may be aware, a few months ago, the UK Competition and Markets Authority recommended that the deal be prohibited. We disagree with the CMA's concerns and have challenged its decision on appeal. At the same time, however, we are considering how the transaction might be modified to address the CMA's concerns in a way that is acceptable to the CMA. In order to prioritize work on potential options, Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that pausing the appeal now would be in the public interest, and both we and the CMA have made a joint submission to the Competition Appeal Tribunal to this effect.

From the beginning, the Gaming Leadership Team and I have believed that this acquisition will meaningfully benefit players and the gaming industry. Since we announced our intent, our actions have demonstrated our commitment to bringing more games to more people on more devices. This includes numerous signed agreements to make Activision Blizzard's games, Xbox first party games and Game Pass all available to more players than they are today. I'm proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice throughout the process. This deal has already been cleared to move forward in 38 countries, and we will continue to work toward timely resolution in other jurisdictions.

Thank you to everyone who has devoted their time and dedication in support of our acquisition. We embarked on this deal with a clear vision for meeting players where they are, and with today's decision by the Court, we take an important step forward in bringing this vision to life.

Phil

 

[Salty Popsicle]

If the UK was a state in the U.S. it would be in the bottom 5 in terms of GDP.

I wouldn't underestimate Microsoft's appetite to play hard ball or to pull out of the UK if the CMA is being unreasonable. The UK may be a big hardware market for XBOX. but theyve told you all you've needed to know about their feelings re: hardware in the last few weeks.

UK needs Microsoft more than Microsoft needs UK.

 

[Kataploom]

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.

I don't think the same both of you regarding the importance of this acquisition, but I can see MS getting ABK just to make Kotick on board with them and help boost Xbox position.

 

[Flintty]

FML my Gamepass just lapsed and I didn't upgrade a new gold sub before the price increase

I was not prepared.

 

[wolffy66]

COD is absolutely not on a downturn. MWII sold over 11 million copies in its first week, mostly on PS4/5 just last year. The "bad" one, Vanguard, still topped charts until the release of MWII. It sells more than passion projects on its name alone.

You're right but it's just my opinion that it can't just keep suckering people forever. But I've been thinking that for years now.

 

[Negotiator101]

Yes, but this is also an unprecedented kind of an acquisition in scope.

This was something I thought about months ago, the CMA never had to regulate over such a massive global acquisition such as this. Wonder what's going to happen?

 

[tpieman2029]

It's weird that there was at one point, back in the e3 glory days. A kind of big 6 3rd party publishers: Take2, ea, Bethesda, square, Activision and ubisoft. Publishers so large they could carry their own shows with ease and had the large amount of studios to back that up.

Msoft now owns 2 of the 6.

 

[Ansphn]

You speak in first person concerning the events taking place in this case. Is your name by any chance Sony?

My name is not Sony but is it not obvious I love PlayStation and hate Xbox? How long have you been here? I never pretended to like this current Xbox leadership. My Xbox days are long gone since I sold my Series X. PlayStation has provided quality while Xbox wants to take that away. If Sony has to start buying up shit to protect itself as a company so it can continue to bring me that quality. I support that 100 percent.

 

[splattered]

Ybarra may not have been lying... perhaps MS struck a concessions deal with the CMA for something limiting Activision games from hitting Gamepass for a certain amount of time post launch or something? It's hard to imagine what Microsoft could comfortably come up with that would make the CMA happy and allow this to go through. Maybe in the end it really WAS all the pressure and them being the only ones against the merger etc?

 

[wolffy66]

Nothing can compete with COD besides GTA. Sony has to take a different strategy and buy up publishers that their base supports. They can't buy COD or GTA. Either buy those publishers or someone else will. Like I said, the flood gates are open. Amazon, Tencent, Microsoft, Saudi princes, Google, Meta, Apple are eyeing the tasty morsels across the gaming industry. Sony needs to take their share or the food will be gone and they are left to starve.

Sony is still the leader. They don't NEED to do anything other than keep making good games.

 

[sainraja]

You're a bit late for that man.

Where were you when the CMA decision came out?

Lol, more of them will be coming back now.

 

[Ansphn]

Sony is still the leader. They don't NEED to do anything other than keep making good games.

You're not looking at the bigger picture.

 

[64gigabyteram]

It's very bad but what choice does Sony have? Sit around and eventually die or control what you can? The big boys are jousting for positions in gaming. Microsoft made their move, Tencent will soon, Saudi princes have been making small moves but the flood gates are open now. Look for Google, Amazon and Apple to make their moves. Sony has the most pull in Japan besides Nintendo so both companies need to at least lock up their home turf.And so the gaming arms race has begun. The victor tell their truth and that truth becomes absolute truth.

cmon man, bethesda acquisition didnt doom sony, this will not either.

 

[Elysium44]

If the UK was a state in the U.S. it would be in the bottom 5 in terms of GDP. Somewhere down there with Mississippi. They lost a lot of bargaining power when they left the EU.

I wouldn't underestimate Microsoft's appetite to play hard ball or to pull out of the UK completely if the CMA is being demonstrably unreasonable. Especially when all of these other governing bodies approved. What does the CMA do then besides look toothless?

What's the downside? The UK may be a big hardware market for XBOX. but they've told you all you've needed to know about their feelings re: hardware in the last few weeks.

Mississippi has 3 million people and a GDP of $138 billion.

List of U.S. states and territories by GDP - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

UK is 67 million and a GDP of $3.1 trillion. It would be second only to California.

 

[Ansphn]

cmon man, bethesda acquisition didnt doom sony, this will not either.

I didn't say Sony was doomed. I'm saying Sony has to make some moves to protect it's interest. They need to get a big piece of the pie in this consolation war Microsoft has started. The big boys are about to enter the frey. Sony as a smaller company, needs to lock down Japan and some in Europe and South Korea.

 

[DeepEnigma]

If the UK was a state in the U.S. it would be in the bottom 5 in terms of GDP. Somewhere down there with Mississippi. They lost a lot of bargaining power when they left the EU.

Mississippi has 3 million people and a GDP of $138 billion.

List of U.S. states and territories by GDP - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

UK is 67 million and a GDP of $3.1 trillion. It would be second only to California.

UK has the 6th largest GDP in the world. What is with all these bullshit artists popping up?

 

[splattered]

My name is not Sony but is it not obvious I love PlayStation and hate Xbox? How long have you been here? I never pretended to like this current Xbox leadership. My Xbox days are long gone since I sold my Series X. PlayStation has provided quality while Xbox wants to take that away. If Sony has to start buying up shit to protect itself as a company so I can continue to bring me that quality. I support that 100 percent.

That makes zero sense

 

[tmlDan]

 

[Vox Machina]

point 19 in this thread, so drop the Minecraft narrative BS already

Ctrl+Alt+Deceive: All The Dirt, Info, Lies, and LOLs We Found During FTC vs. Microsoft

Here are all the dirt, information, lies, and LOLs we found during the FTC hearing case. Notes: That was a lot of work; I'd appreciate your support. Please keep it civil. This thread is very important because I wanted to compile all the information in one place for posterity and preservation...

www.neogaf.com

Yes, exactly. That's exactly what I referenced in my post. The author of that posts read on the email is entirely conjecture, btw. The email itself doesn't support that read.

 

[Roronoa Zoro]

The fall of lucasfilm at least gives me hope that any franchise can burn out. Hopefully MS bought them right as they downturn on their major franchises and hit fatigue so they will be discouraged from doing this in the future

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[PaintTinJr]

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.

Microsoft's strategy was never about the actual games. They want ATVI because it is such a huge chunk of PlayStation's income that by controlling it, they can damage the competition to a point where gaming is in a huge crater and only Microsoft is left financially surviving with a platform to hoover up the 30% off every game store transaction for A-AAA games - that isn't Nintendo on a handheld.

 

[Not_A-Cop_Maybe]

Yea that's all that matters to MS execs and share holders. The rest of us here who are gamers actually care about the quality of games being released.

IMO thats not really fair tbh.

Plenty of MS games have been superb in quality and acclaim.
Forza, gears, and even Halo has had good quality titles, imo.

Halo Infinite, regardless of your feelings is a good game with some QOL issues and suffered greatly due to covid, that has been steadily getting better. Redfall, was a game in devlopment well before MS purchased the studios, and seriously should have either been delayed or outright cancelled. I cant speak to redfall, i havent played it.

Regardless of all that. the bottom line for all these companies, Sony included is money. Always has been. always will.

I think this purchase of Activision, is for MS to make a good chunk of change in the mobile sector as the King side of things dwarfs the rest of the business for revenue.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I didn't say Sony was doomed. I'm saying Sony has to make some moves to protect it's interest. They need to get a big piece of the pie in this consolation war Microsoft has started. The big boys are about to enter the frey. Sony as a smaller company, needs to lock down Japan and some in Europe and South Korea.

Sony is already going to spin-off their financial arm to fund purchases

So yeah, acquisitions are coming.

Better or worse, Sony isn't going to wait while MS buys Bethesda and Activision.

Bungie was small potatoes in comparison

 

[tmlDan]

they're rich, they would never do this.

thats what people tell me

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

The year is 2030: Microsoft owns 4 of the big publishers and Sony owns the other 2.

99% of all games still get ported to pc.

 

[HundredThousandTrillion]

https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/11/...er-ftc-activision-blizzard-internal-memo[/URL

.....
We disagree with the CMA's concerns and have challenged its decision on appeal. At the same time, however, we are considering how the transaction might be modified to address the CMA's concerns in a way that is acceptable to the CMA. In order to prioritize work on potential options, Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that pausing the appeal now would be in the public interest, and both we and the CMA have made a joint submission to the Competition Appeal Tribunal to this effect.
....
Phil

Wow.

Game over.

 

[DeepEnigma]

they're rich, they would never do this.

thats what people tell me

All that warchest can't seem to save those 18monthers.

But it can be used to corner an industry.

 

[Elios83]

Microsoft-Activision deal moves closer as judge denies FTC injunction request

The U.S. government can now bring the judge's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

www.cnbc.com

Microsoft and the CMA have agreed on a small divestiture to address the regulator's concerns, CNBC's David Faber reported.

If this is true CMA is not considering anything, they have already internally settled with the condition that FTC would lose the PI.
So we might have quick developments in the next days.

 

[sainraja]

Nah, it's a done deal. The UK will find a way to as Brad just put it "creatively" come to a solution. This has all just been a side show while various entities take their pound of flesh. Move on and accept the new normal.

Yeah, that's what I have been thinking this whole time. I was leaving some room to be surprised but yeah... it's basically been a sideshow, as you said.

 

[Ansphn]

That makes zero sense

How does it not make any sense?

I use to love Xbox during the 360 days and even bought the Xbox and Series X. Then I had enough of the lies, lies and more lies and went full PlayStation and will be getting a PC.

 

[Loxus]

Sony is still the leader. They don't NEED to do anything other than keep making good games.

Yes they do.
They need to secure a big developer before Microsoft acquires another one.

Activision on it's own may not be enough but EA and Take-Two under Microsoft would cause them to potentially lose their market lead.

 

[Artistic]

What's the bigger picture?

You're not looking at the bigger picture.

 

[Stooky]

just waiting for lay offs ….. ahem consolidation to start.

 

[Jibran#one]

Come on Microsoft end my 2 years of pain with my series X
Announce cod 2023 day 1 on gp and checkmate everybody

 

[Negotiator101]

UK needs Microsoft more than Microsoft needs UK.

Does it?

 

[Goblinlinguitic]

That's an expensive version of CoD.

Next Monday the library will expand// scroll scroll scroll down

 

[Historia]

How does it not make any sense?

I use to love Xbox during the 360 days and even bought the Xbox and Series X. Then I had enough of the lies, lies and more lies and went full PlayStation and will be getting a PC.

You are using same script as those green rats though

 

[Artistic]

Yes they do.
They need to secure a big developer before Microsoft acquires another one.

Activision on it's own may not be enough but EA and Take-Two under Microsoft would cause them to potentially lose their market lead.

I don't think MS should buy up the industry as well.

 

[ToadMan]

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

I think I agree with this now. One decent size move - EA for sure, T2 likely but not as certain - is probably a knock out blow for PS as a first party at least - it may even relegate Nintendo to a pure mobile or third party publisher.

It's difficult to see how it could be avoided - this precedent makes anything and everyone open for sale.

I think the next generation of hardware releases has just gotten very far away. Sony as a minimum will be very wary of putting the time and effort into new custom hardware when there is a real chance it will flop because major 3P IPs aren't available on it.

Nintendo and whatever comes after Switch is probably close to release already - they almost need to rush that out now before everyone is locked up behind MS's walls.