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

Do you believe the deal will be approved?


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I think "waves" is being generous. It was only actually a couple of people.

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This thread has got to be one of the most impressive, informative and embarrassing in the history of the forum

It takes a special kind of retarded to support, let alone cheer for massive corporations and extreme purchases like this.
They're begging for T2 now lol, these morons are why we can't have nice things in gaming.
 
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Ok mates, quick question: What would the next acquisition have to be to get a new thread as dramatic as this one?


If we are talking drama?......meldowns of epic proportions? ban hammers going off on accounts like, cartel loaded with mossbergs? the likes of which would make this thread look like hippy love fest?........MS buys sony or nintendo. maybe less dramatic would be Take 2 or sega. aside from that....I got nothing.
 
Banned incidentally.

Fair enough, I guess. DeepEnigma DeepEnigma was posting in this thread just last night. Today is a Monday and typically the middle of a work day in the US. You are trying far too hard to look for "meltdowns" and absences for folks who have been part of a really good discussion/debate all along.

Yeah but to be fair to you guys the CMA had been dealing with far smaller deals and nothing like this. Which meant the whole world is watching and after the FTC had failed (the CMA had aligned themselves very closely to them) they had no where to go.

When the EU gave the deal the thumbs up the CMA were furious as it massively diminished their ruling, but the FTC was still there. After they fell and Microsoft clearly caved somewhat (by how much we'll soon find out) it's best for the UK to comply but still look strong as being the last man standing.

Seemed clear that CMA's confidence died with the FTC loss. And I don't disagree with you on the scope of this deal versus priors. This was uncharted territory on a number of levels. For myself, I didn't even know what the CMA was before all this and I certainly know more about M&A than I ever thought I would. lol....quite educational all of this.
 
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So summary?
I got that the judge wants further evidence to grant the delay of *potential* the appeal.
In any case it doesn't seem like CMA is ready for their new verdict and this won't get solved before tomorrow.
Is Microsoft paying the 3b to Activision anyway?
 
Here's what I think is going on (keep in mind, I am NOT a legal expert in any way):

MS presented an informal offer to the CMA sometime last week or maybe earlier that the CMA liked, and now the CMA are willing to go through the review process for that offer when it's presented in a legally-binding document by Microsoft. So long as Microsoft do that, they basically have a guarantee from the CMA that they will approve the deal, and MS's people have probably parlayed with ABK people so that ABK don't walk after the 18th, and the $3 billion is either waived or paid back to MS once the deal is completed, at the current $69 billion price (because I think if ABK ask for significantly more, MS would actually walk).

So basically, Microsoft and ABK I guess kind of "soft-close" in the UK on the 18th while officially closing the deal in the other markets where they can already do so (which includes America and European countries). And then they'll officially close in the UK sometime late August. Until then I guess in the UK, ABK will have to be kept more separate in some way, but I don't know how that would be done.
I get the legal expert disclaimer here (I ain't one either) but to me there's no such thing as a "soft-close", once the money gets deposited into shareholders' accounts, the deal's closed worldwide, cause you literally own the company right after the transaction. That's how I see it, I don't know how it exactly works either lol.
 
The whole thing is crooked.
CMA were in bed with MS long time ago.
The judge is basically going to ruin the head of the CMA if he can't show the reasoning why it is substantially different, and he cooked the CMA's lack of transparency by saying the Head of the CMA's statement is for 3rd parties to read to understand if they wish to appeal the final order and given a proper process to do so, meaning the backdoor discussions are going to land someone in a lot of trouble. Personally this request of evidence from the CMA is going to end the head of the CMA's legal teams career when the deal shows that Microsoft got all of Activision with zero SLC appeasement.

The judge also went on attack of Sony being leveraged to sign a deal by asking Microsoft to evidence how they came to have a change of heart, meaning if the deal is now worse, he's going to see that and rule against adjournment.

The corruption by the CMA has probably got the deal over the line, but not because the judge hasn't made a final decision on adjournment which is easy to get from honest people giving evidence. The judge didn't seem convinced and no wonder after he had to read their 500page report.
 
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You can REALLY tell that the CMA are willing to do pretty much whatever to get this over and done with lmao. Judge was like, now now come on, the working day is already over, relax a little guys!
 
The judge is basically going to ruin the head of the CMA if he can't show the reasoning why it is substantially different, and he cooked the CMA's lack of transparency by saying the Head of the CMA's statement is for 3rd parties to read to understand if they wish to appeal the final order and given a proper process to do so, meaning the backdoor discussions are going to land someone in a lot of trouble. Personally this request of evidence from the CMA is going to end the head of the CMA's league teams career when the deal shows that Microsoft got all of Activision with zero SLC appeasement.

The judge also went on attack of Sony being leveraged to sign a deal by asking Microsoft to evidence how they came to have a change of heart, meaning if the deal is now worse, he's going to see that and rule against adjournment.

The corruption by the CMA has probably got the deal over the line, but not because the judge hasn't made a final decision on adjournment which is easy to get from honest people giving evidence. The judge didn't seem convinced and no wonder after he had to read their 500page report.
Everyone is in cahoots.
The government corruption runs deep.
 
Looks like they are still preparing for a possible case with the CMA just incase.
It's all for the optics at this point. The wet noodles at the CMA aren't gonna block this under any circumstances. They had three choices: (a) say nothing and proceed with their case; (b) tell today's judge they are just giving MS time to submit something new; or (c) tell today's judge they think a deal can be reached even though they couldn't discuss what would be different. And they chose option c.

Anyway, Diablo 4 is already installed, and COD will remain on PS5 going forward thanks to the last minute MS / Sony deal. My lack of faith in principles and game catalogue remain undisturbed for now.
 
The judge also went on attack of Sony being leveraged to sign a deal by asking Microsoft to evidence how they came to have a change of heart, meaning if the deal is now worse, he's going to see that and rule against adjournment.

Which is precisely why Jimbo shouldn't have signed any damn deal.
 
I get the legal expert disclaimer here (I ain't one either) but to me there's no such thing as a "soft-close", once the money gets deposited into shareholders' accounts, the deal's closed worldwide, cause you literally own the company right after the transaction. That's how I see it, I don't know how it exactly works either lol.
Transaction takes time.
 
The judge is basically going to ruin the head of the CMA if he can't show the reasoning why it is substantially different, and he cooked the CMA's lack of transparency by saying the Head of the CMA's statement is for 3rd parties to read to understand if they wish to appeal the final order and given a proper process to do so, meaning the backdoor discussions are going to land someone in a lot of trouble. Personally this request of evidence from the CMA is going to end the head of the CMA's league teams career when the deal shows that Microsoft got all of Activision with zero SLC appeasement.

The judge also went on attack of Sony being leveraged to sign a deal by asking Microsoft to evidence how they came to have a change of heart, meaning if the deal is now worse, he's going to see that and rule against adjournment.

The corruption by the CMA has probably got the deal over the line, but not because the judge hasn't made a final decision on adjournment which is easy to get from honest people giving evidence. The judge didn't seem convinced and no wonder after he had to read their 500page report.
 
The judge is basically going to ruin the head of the CMA if he can't show the reasoning why it is substantially different, and he cooked the CMA's lack of transparency by saying the Head of the CMA's statement is for 3rd parties to read to understand if they wish to appeal the final order and given a proper process to do so, meaning the backdoor discussions are going to land someone in a lot of trouble. Personally this request of evidence from the CMA is going to end the head of the CMA's league teams career when the deal shows that Microsoft got all of Activision with zero SLC appeasement.

The judge also went on attack of Sony being leveraged to sign a deal by asking Microsoft to evidence how they came to have a change of heart, meaning if the deal is now worse, he's going to see that and rule against adjournment.

The corruption by the CMA has probably got the deal over the line, but not because the judge hasn't made a final decision on adjournment which is easy to get from honest people giving evidence. The judge didn't seem convinced and no wonder after he had to read their 500page report.
That's why I assumed that MS offered the same deal that was offered to Sony back in Dec 2022. From the little info we know about it, the agreement Sony signed seems to be materially the same.

Not with the CMA, they've got more chance of finding another 8GBs of RAM and a second GPU in the Series power supplies than it being approved here, prior to the 4-6 week timeline the CMA tweeted today of another probe.
You went hard with this prediction.
 
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Which is precisely why Jimbo shouldn't have signed any damn deal.
But that deal could show that the CMA failed the public by colluding. What he wants in evidence to give the adjournment has about 6 smell tests, and he'll only need one to be off to deny the adjournment.
 
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Fair enough, I guess. DeepEnigma DeepEnigma was posting in this thread just last night. Today is a Monday and typically the middle of a work day in the US. You are trying far too hard to look for "meltdowns" and absences for folks who have been part of a really good discussion/debate all along.



Seemed clear that CMA's confidence died with the FTC loss. And I don't disagree with you on the scope of this deal versus priors. This was uncharted territory on a number of levels. For myself, I didn't even know what the CMA was before all this and I certainly know more about M&A than I ever thought I would. lol....quite educational all of this.
WEll, to be clear I lost and won. Lost cuz I was against the deal, but I voted that the deal would go through with behavioral changes. I guess there's still room for structural changes to ABK, but I kinda doubt it at this point.

No meltdowns from me because you learn to roll with the punches. As a good PC player should. Consolidation generally bad, but hey I been a gamepass subscriber since day 1...so yea, kinda played both sides of the fence like a good lil gaming whore.
 
You know what we still may have one more twist in the ending, like the SAW movies 🤣

There are only two ways that happens:

  • The Judge sees what they produce and tells them to get fucked
  • The CMA can't come to a divestment proposal agreement with Microsoft and so the CAT appeal resumes in October.
 
did you not watch until the end?
I did - didn't see any reference to "corruption" that you've obviously inferred.. You still seem to be really concerned here about SLC when it's been really clear over the past week now that this deal was trending a completely different way between MS and CMA on a number of fronts...
 
WEll, to be clear I lost and won. Lost cuz I was against the deal, but I voted that the deal would go through with behavioral changes. I guess there's still room for structural changes to ABK, but I kinda doubt it at this point.

No meltdowns from me because you learn to roll with the punches. As a good PC player should. Consolidation generally bad, but hey I been a gamepass subscriber since day 1...so yea, kinda played both sides of the fence like a good lil gaming whore.

I voted yes with behavioral... so this would end up being a behavioral change and not a structural one? What about the divestment of UK cloud everyone has been talking about? Not super following today busy with work and it's my birthday.

OH WAIT... didn't i at one point ask you guys if you wanted this to go through on my birthday or not? haha whoa..
 
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I don't understand how you guys can be this naive & not understand the game plan here, even after going through all the internal emails.

I think you missed the irony there. They posted as if MS purchasing those companies was a forgone conclusion and that they hoped they would give them autonomy. LOL
 
WEll, to be clear I lost and won. Lost cuz I was against the deal, but I voted that the deal would go through with behavioral changes. I guess there's still room for structural changes to ABK, but I kinda doubt it at this point.

No meltdowns from me because you learn to roll with the punches. As a good PC player should. Consolidation generally bad, but hey I been a gamepass subscriber since day 1...so yea, kinda played both sides of the fence like a good lil gaming whore.

I'm pretty much in the exact same boat as you. Against the deal, voted that it would go through with behavioral changes, game pass subscriber. And I'm a hypocrite because I'll forgive them for all of it if they bring Starcraft back.
 
Can we do ourselves a favour and not post Tweets from the usual shills after the deal closes. Them celebrating this deal will be intolerable and we'll only anger ourselves whilst at the same time time give them more exposure.
 
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That's why I assumed that MS offered the same deal that was offered to Sony back in Dec 2022. From the little info we know about it, the agreement Sony signed seems to be materially the same.
If it is the same deal or worse, that will fail the judge's smell test no matter what words Microsoft use to describe Sony's change of heart, it will show the FTC decision fed the CMA and then that allowed Microsoft to leverage Sony. Judge won't look kindly on that having compromised the CMA, and then the real competition too. Could get people at the CMA disbarred.
 

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled on Monday that the full hearing of Microsoft's appeal, which was due to begin on July 28, should be adjourned.

Judge Marcus Smith said he was willing to adjourn next week's hearing if the CMA provided set out why it considers there has been a material change in circumstances or special reason justifying its adjournment application.

The judge also asked for the CMA to set out any new consultation process "so that everybody is clear as to how it will work".
 
Can we do ourselves a favour and not post Tweets from the usual shills after the deal closes. Them celebrating this deal will be intolerable and we'll only anger ourselves whilst at the same time time give them more exposure.
I'm sure someone can post more Klob studio jerkoff images.
 
That's why I assumed that MS offered the same deal that was offered to Sony back in Dec 2022. From the little info we know about it, the agreement Sony signed seems to be materially the same.


You went hard with this prediction.
But if you checked all my recent days I said the chances of both the CMA and CAT being corrupt was close to zero. Judge was as you would expect. Intelligent and principled.
 
Can we do ourselves a favour and not post Tweets from the usual shills after the deal closes. Them celebrating this deal will be intolerable and we'll only anger ourselves whilst at the same time time give them more exposure.
Who do you think is posting those tweets?
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