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FTC Seeks to Block Microsoft Corp’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
- Thread starter kyliethicc
- Start date
GHG
Member
Tal Shiar Agent
Banned
Lmao did the geniuses at MS think that different regulatory bodies do not talk to each other?
MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
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gothmog
Gold Member
Being allowed to blow off some steam and make fun of each other and ourselves makes it easier to have a discussion. We have a common ground here. And honestly, there are a lot of people that have a much more dynamic perspective on the world than just the console wars.
I love my Series X and GamePass. I just don't think this deal is right for the industry and to be honest Microsoft. They are way better at hardware, user experience, and services than Sony but choose to focus on their weakest point via acquisition. I honestly thought that ZeniMax would get some people in house to help right their studio management woes, but the drought continues. Why would I want yet another huge publisher caught in that management hell over there?
bentanchorbolt
Banned
This was part of it, yes -- but the bigger issue was the lack of quality studios making games, games either seeing massive delays, not being of high quality when released, or being outright cancelled. Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves kept getting delayed over and over and over, and when they came out they were largely disappointing even though SoT today is an absolute banger of a game. They have massive games like Scalebound and Fable Legends which also kept getting delayed, and eventually cancelled. So you end up with an Xbox that looks like the Gears/Forza/Halo box, primarily because MS did not invest in gaming properly after the 360. The put far too much emphasis on the Kinect and entertainment aspect of the box and it showed.
Imagine if Fable Legends and Scalebound both released for Xbox, and they were good. And Crackdown 3 and SoT released on time and they were good. Would have made that era of Xbox a lot more palatable.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
But Starfield is an implausible circumstance. Sony gamers, the same ones where Bethesda sold the most games to last gen, are not interested in Fallout/Skyrim in space.Lmao did the geniuses at MS think that different regulatory bodies do not talk to each other?
MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
Totes honest !!
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GhostOfTsu
Banned
This thread is really missing the damage control team Ozriel, Darkmage, Adamsapple and Senjustsu. Are they waiting for their talking points from HQ?
Hendricks was not the one I was expecting to have a complete meltdown (not that he's better than them)
Varteras
Member
SenjutsuSage is currently writing his dissertation. Give him a minute.
GHG
Member
Hendricks is just a lost boy, he wears his heart on his sleeve bless him.
As for the others, 100% awaiting instruction.
Can't wait to see what narrative they align on.
Banjo64
cumsessed
does seem to be a pattern of silence in the immediate aftermath of bad Xbox news from them - I just thought they were spending 100 hours blowing down buildings with friends in Crackdown 3
I remember them also locking down Tomb Raider a while back too
Chiggs
Gold Member
Oh, good catch. DoJ still got its ass handed to it. Twice actually...since they appealed the verdict.
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MisterXDTV
Member
Yeah, I waited a full year to get it on PS4
{insert code here}
Member
Ezekiel_
Banned
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
If you were a conspiracy theorist.. by now you might think MS tanked xbox on purpose so they would have the excuse to buy up the industry lol. It makes no sense how bad they failed coming off the 360 days.
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Ezekiel_
Banned
If you want some crazy takes on Gaf, go in the OT thread for the merger acquisition.
People bringing up Psygnosis, something about Sega, and... Sony's Walkman...
Yeah, it got weird
bitbydeath
Member
Sounds like this is going to be bigger than just the Activision deal, wouldn’t want to be Phil right now.Lmao did the geniuses at MS think that different regulatory bodies do not talk to each other?
MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
Ezekiel_
Banned
They were sending themselves memos :Lmao did the geniuses at MS think that different regulatory bodies do not talk to each other?
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MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
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Daniel_Mallorca1985
Member
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Killer8
Member
Looks like MS isn't going to take this sitting down:
Kloshill is going to have to go back and edit all those Activision games out of his Xbox propaganda he makes for free lmfao.
bitbydeath
Member
That was announced by MS two days ago.
Gudji
Member
This kind of rejection was already priced in. Regulators like FTC and CMA only raise complaints. Complaints need to be addressed in court where the facts aren't as clear. There's still a pretty high chance of the deal going through. Nobody tries to spend 70 Billion without considering all of the angles. Unless you're Elon musk
drganon
Member
Someone might need to do a wellness check.
ZehDon
Member
The past data doesn't really work in their favour, which is part of their issue. Existing Bethesda games remain multiplatform, with newly funded and developed titles being exclusive - which of course they are. Previous purchases like Minecraft remain multiplatform, because the purpose of that purchase wasn't exclusivity. Microsoft literally signed a deal with Nintendo to bring COD to a whole new platform and offered Sony ten years of continued access. If ten years of legally binding access isn't enough, then what is? The idea that Microsoft are crossing their fingers behind their back when making pinky promises doesn't really work when we're talking legally binding agreements. Could Microsoft buy out those agreements? Sure - but then Sony and/or Nintendo would be paid the agreed amount to break those agreements, which is still a win for both of those companies. The claim that Microsoft will cut off access to Activision's content the day it closes and re-neg on its agreements doesn't track with Microsoft's history, especially under Nadella. They didn't pull Ghost Wire or Death Loop from being timed Sony exclusives - why would they re-neg on ten years of Sony and Nintendo paying them royalties?
The "force multiplier" doesn't really add up, either. The "emerging market" of streaming games is littered with the corpses of companies who tried and failed without Microsoft lifting a finger. On Live, Gaiki - who were purchased by Sony, Stadia. Those companies failed entirely on their own - in Stadia's case, basically from day one - because streaming games is a niche market. Geforce Now and PS Now are doing fine relatively, and neither of them have Activision's content anyway. Microsoft buying ABK doesn't really impact that emerging market to a degree demanding government intervention, because the market is still proving itself. It's not the FTC's job to look into a crystal ball and shape markets that don't fully exist yet because the FTC's current head doesn't like the past handling of Facebook, Apple, and Google's rise to prominence. This isn't a social media company buy a newspaper, this is a tech company who makes video games buying a big game to help it compete in one aspect of the market that's been dominated by one company for over twenty years, as well as establish foot holds in others, like Mobile. Microsoft can't use ABK to "force multiply" itself to become the Facebook of video games, video game streaming, or mobile - ABK, even under Micrsoft, simply doesn't have that kind of reach.
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bender
What time is it?
They were sending themselves memos :
I should start watermarking my trolls. lol
bentanchorbolt
Banned
It makes perfect sense. MS hired people that were good at their jobs and they saw a lot of success. Those folks didn't stick around, so they promoted dorks like Don Mattrick who probably said all the right things in meetings, and....
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Fucking Sony causing my utilities, groceries, toiletries, clothes, gasoline, insurance, vehicles, etc etc etc to all go up.
Ghost of Caelid
Banned
Oxymoron spotted.
But utalizing the same tactics you used to become a company larger than many countries is smart competition. You don’t do what your competitor has been dominating you at , you change the playing field to suit your strengths.
Buggy Loop
Member
At this point, I almost wish this deals fails and they then have a $70B war chest to fuck around with smaller interesting devs or just pump up their studios to bigger projects. Fuck around and find out I guess. I would say that letting them waste that much money on Call of Doody is the lesser problem on their hands.
drganon
Member
Sony's burned our crops down and delivered a plague on us.
Bo_Hazem
Banned
Where's my mother fucking gold?! I posted this in the big thread
I wonder if we will get some juicy info over the next year or so, will be interesting hearing/seeing things we would never know about otherwise.
Don't ever let this distract you. It's coming home.
Swift_Star
Banned
They’ll distribute bans if it isn’t. But the desperation is palpable.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Lmao did the geniuses at MS think that different regulatory bodies do not talk to each other?
MS told the EU during the Zenimax acquisition that they'd only make Zenimax games exclusive under implausible (their words) circumstances.
They lied. 100% chance CMA kills this deal now too.
You should probably read point 108. The answer is within it.
Varteras
Member
Remember when Microsoft convinced tens of millions of people to pay for online gaming and everyone else followed suit, when they weren't even close to being market leader? Good times. And then they tried to double the price during a pandemic. That was magical. Looking forward to what they do with more marketshare.
DeaDPo0L84
Member
Are you 5?
jigglet
Banned
It was their only window of opportunity. Cause no one's going to give enough of a shit once the dust settles. No one has bought a Nintendo console since the early 90's.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Swift_Star
Banned
It isn’t. Not when you steal all the time. Which is what MS do.
bender
What time is it?
To be fair, the Games with Gold offerings are worth 2-3x what Microsoft is charging currently for a Gold subscription.
bentanchorbolt
Banned
It makes sense. This is the fastest selling Xbox of all-time.
Banjo64
cumsessed
I hope the briefing went well comrade. I think I was missed off the mailing list this time, it’s probably because Philkun is ashamed of me for playing Stray recently.
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