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[Fabieter]

Lots of delusional people in here that hopefully get paid for posting claming that every zenimax title is under "threat" of not staying exclusive lmao.

MS did not lie to the EU Regulators as FTC is stating, lets look at MS statement to the European Regulators.

As you see in 108, console exclusivity would happen if it led to an increase of undisclosed number of million users in five year and an increase to xbox shipments above forcast level. Starfield a big AAA game from Bethesda easily fits into this as its projections at the end of the day. The same with Redfall its a new AAA game, so none of this is untrue. It might be a bit deceiving but not a single thing they have said is untrue here. They also have said that it would be a case by case basis and would be available on other platforms, as it is through xcloud.

The FTC really has no leg to stand on, as the previous chairman of the FTC said earlier to CNBC, it goes into the questions like:
are big companies not allowed to acquire game companies anymore
if withholding exclusive content ergo games from other rivals is anti consumer what does it mean for exclusivity in general in the industry?

if the FTC where to win the case then you would not see bigger companies acquiring any type of developers anymore, because it sets the precedence that exclusive content is bad and harmful for consumers.

This is just mostly posturing and optics by the FTC and dems hoping that Microsoft would fold as they need a win in the public eye, if they get concessions they will showcase it as "see we stopped big tech a bit!!!"

It might be true for Starfield but every game from arcane sold like absolut shit and iam one of those which bought everything so no redfall definitely 1000% dont fall under the explanation from Microsoft.

 

[Warablo]

It’s funny my wife’s cousin who is still a young buck and went from Nintendo to PlayStation to PC was over at the house playing around with the PS5 and we talked a bit about games. He didn’t know that MS was the one to introduce paid online gaming, and he also didn’t know MS charged for F2P online gaming when Sony had never.

You must be young.

Why would you think I was young? I never said Sony introduced paid online. Sony followed suit after seeing Microsoft make bank. The whole reason PS+ got started before they tied it to online next gen.

I've been here since 2013.

 

[Snake29]

What kind of sex deprived incel spends 2 paragraphs repeatedly ramming a broomstick up their ass, while fantasizing it was a Sony exec. Only to follow it with that Gif?

I mean hey, if that's the kind of kinky shit you gotta do to get off I guess. Personally, I'd seek help, but you do you.

You like it? It's almost weekend. Maybe you can comfort Phil Spencer a little....

Looks like he needs it. In your wording, it seems you are expert.

 

[Ar¢tos]

AB stays winning and growing? You think AB is struggling or something? MS came to them not the other way.

I thought AB was the one that decided to sell. Didn't know it was a takeover.

 

[Neo_game]

This is fantastic news. Personally I never understood why would a company spend 70 freaking billion $ to purchase another big company. I still can't wrap my head around it. If Microsoft has unlimited amount of money, resources why can't they challenge themselves to make a better game than COD. How about making Bungie great again ? They also have ID Software now. It is as if Microsoft has figured it out that GP can only work if they buy Actitivsion.

 

[OsirisBlack]

Why are you all so naive? It's baffling.

I can’t even wrap my head around it.

I agree with you.

 

[pasterpl]

I thought AB was the one that decided to sell. Didn't know it was a takeover.

It was AB that wanted to sell, and they were open to multiple bids, Ms came to them with the best offer.

 

[hlm666]

How about making Bungie great again ?

errrr not sure that's really an option for MS anymore right?

 

[pasterpl]

AB stays winning and growing? You think AB is struggling or something? MS came to them not the other way.

Again lots of FUD, stop embarrassing yourself with your lies;

https://venturebeat.com/games/activision-blizzard-wanted-to-sell-so-it-approached-microsoft/
https://www.gamesradar.com/activisi...ut-before-selling-to-microsoft-report-claims/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/m...ision-blizzard-before-microsoft/1100-6500900/

 

[Thirty7ven]

It was AB that wanted to sell, and they were open to multiple bids, Ms came to them with the best offer.

This is online narrative bullshit. Phil Spencer went to AB three days after the news scandal and they offered a proposal to buy the company. AB looked for competing offers, MS was the best.

When an offer is made that will be beneficial to shareholders it must be considered and let the shareholders vote for approval.

But what else is new in the world of green fandom, narrative narrative narrative. At one point y’all were spreading bs like AB went to MS asking to be bought “saved”.

 

[Swift_Star]

I thought AB was the one that decided to sell. Didn't know it was a takeover.

They weren’t planning on it, but MS came offering $70Bi. Who refuses that kind of money?

 

[Thirty7ven]

Again lots of FUD, stop embarrassing yourself with your lies;

https://venturebeat.com/games/activision-blizzard-wanted-to-sell-so-it-approached-microsoft/
https://www.gamesradar.com/activisi...ut-before-selling-to-microsoft-report-claims/
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/m...ision-blizzard-before-microsoft/1100-6500900/

You can’t even read. Let’s go to the source:

Bloomberg

“Activision Sexual Misconduct Fallout Prompted Microsoft to Pursue Deal”

Oh ma gawd, it’s in the title of the article. Cray cray

Let’s go over to The Verge, MS’s buddies ““In the course of a conversation on a different topic between Mr. Spencer and Mr. Kotick, Mr. Spencer raised that Microsoft was interested in discussing strategic opportunities between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft and asked whether it would be possible to have a call with Mr. Nadella the following day,” the document reads. The next day (a Saturday), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was apparently more explicit, indicating that “Microsoft was interested in exploring a strategic combination with Activision Blizzard.”

That kicked off nearly two months of conversations between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard into what would become the acquisition announced on January 18th”


Oh look… but hey keep living in your made up world, it’s all you know.

 

[Snake29]

CEO Bobby Kotick and Activision's board of directors tried to sell the company to other companies including Facebook parent Meta before taking a deal with Microsoft, it's claimed.


Bloomberg(opens in new tab) reports that "Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations. As we now know, these talks didn't bear fruit, so Activision came back to the table with Microsoft, with the two companies apparently working over the 2021 holiday season to draft up the deal.

It could've easily been Meta if they had a better offer.

 

[pasterpl]

This is online narrative bullshit. Phil Spencer went to AB three days after the news scandal and they offered a proposal to buy the company. AB looked for competing offers, MS was the best.

When an offer is made that will be beneficial to shareholders it must be considered and let the shareholders vote for approval.

But what else is new in the world of green fandom, narrative narrative narrative. At one point y’all were spreading bs like AB went to MS asking to be bought “saved”.

Yes, online narrative bullshit. I gave you (in my previous post) 3 links from 3 different publication showing that you are liar making shit up. Should I believe you or Bloomberg report….hmmmm.

CEO Bobby Kotick and Activision's board of directors tried to sell the company to other companies including Facebook parent Meta before taking a deal with Microsoft, it's claimed.


Bloomberg(opens in new tab) reports that "Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations. As we now know, these talks didn't bear fruit, so Activision came back to the table with Microsoft, with the two companies apparently working over the 2021 holiday season to draft up the deal

 

[pasterpl]

You can’t even read. Let’s go to the source:

Bloomberg

“Activision Sexual Misconduct Fallout Prompted Microsoft to Pursue Deal”

Oh ma gawd, it’s in the title of the article. Cray cray

Let’s go over to The Verge, MS’s buddies ““In the course of a conversation on a different topic between Mr. Spencer and Mr. Kotick, Mr. Spencer raised that Microsoft was interested in discussing strategic opportunities between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft and asked whether it would be possible to have a call with Mr. Nadella the following day,” the document reads. The next day (a Saturday), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was apparently more explicit, indicating that “Microsoft was interested in exploring a strategic combination with Activision Blizzard.”

That kicked off nearly two months of conversations between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard into what would become the acquisition announced on January 18th”


Oh look… but hey keep living in your made up world, it’s all you know.

You omitted the piece where they say that

CEO Bobby Kotick and Activision's board of directors tried to sell the company to other companies including Facebook parent Meta before taking a deal with Microsoft, it's claimed.

Kotick and the board weren't sold on Microsoft as the acquirer" and initially pursued deals with at least two other companies, one of them being Meta Platforms, according to sources privy to private conversations. As we now know, these talks didn't bear fruit, so Activision came back to the table with Microsoft, with the two companies apparently working over the 2021 holiday season to draft up the deal.

AB was actively looking for a buyer not other way around, MS just jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t even AB first choice.MS smelled blood in the water and went all in to get the deal done.

 

[Ezekiel_]

You omitted the piece where they say that




AB was actively looking for a buyer not other way around, MS just jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t even AB first choice.MS smelled blood in the water and went all in to get the deal done.

Dude, you're embarrassing yourself here.

MS started the purchasing discussions. They approached ABK with an acquisition proposition. Original price at 90$/share.

ABK then discussed with others to gauge the biggest offer, no one matched. The board wanted 95$/share.

MS accepted that price point.

It's straight from MS docs they filed to the FTC SEC

 

[Thirty7ven]

You omitted the piece where they say that




AB was actively looking for a buyer not other way around, MS just jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t even AB first choice.MS smelled blood in the water and went all in to get the deal done.

Damn you really don’t know how to read. MS offered and they went looking for other offers and then CAME BACK to MS.

 

[analog_future]

Damn you really don’t know how to read. MS offered and they went looking for other offers and then CAME BACK to MS.

So in what world do you think they aren’t going to look for other offers again if the deal falls through?

 

[Thirty7ven]

So in what world do you think they aren’t going to look for other offers again if the deal falls through?

In what world is anybody arguing that AB cannot be sold?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Microsoft had a monopoly in PC operating systems 90%market share. They are attempting to do the same thing in video games. They are literally trying to buy the competition out and own the market. It’s not difficult to see. If Sony or Nintendo attempted the same bull shit I’d still be against it.

That's how I see it as well. As you consolidate the industry and force everyone out absorbing the race to the bottom in game value. Only the trilly can afford to survive when the dust settles due to their PC OS monopoly.

Then when you stand at the top and have to turn much more profit, value starts to erode as does quality and investment.

The mere fact that they're convicting some people that games are not worth buying, says it all.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

It hasn't stopped Sony from buying publishers and developers. Hopefully this does go through. We need more competition.

What publishers has Sony bought?? Put the money where your mouth is. And dont come with Psygnosis (in the early PS days) ore Bungie cous Bungie is a gamestudio not a publisher.

 

[Kvally]

What publishers has Sony bought?? Put the money where your mouth is. And dont come with Bungie cous Bungie is a gamestudio not a publisher.

Bungie was a publisher up until Sony acquired them.

 

[Snake29]

Bungie was a publisher up until Sony acquired them.

For their own game yes. They still have a publishing studio in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Yes Microsoft needs to shut their mouth more and deliver from their already established studios. We don't need a big corp acting like "We just buy up all major established multiplatform IP's, so that PS doesn't have them anymore. Maybe then we can compete instead the need to create our own games".

Like Steve Jobs said:

 

[Unknown?]

That's how I see it as well. As you consolidate the industry and force everyone out absorbing the race to the bottom in game value. Only the trilly can afford to survive when the dust settles. Due to their PC OS monopoly.

Then when you stand at the top and have to turn much more profit, value starts to erode as does quality and investment.

The mere fact that they're convicting some people that games are not worth buying, says it all.

Gotdam, I'm glad I left Windows. It's such a crap OS. I have to use it for work computers and it is insufferable. /ramble

 

[Kvally]

For their own game yes. They still have a publishing studio in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Yes! I actually fly between Oslo and Amsterdam often. But I never nerd out and look for game publisher/developer buildings

 

[DeepEnigma]

Nah. Let them compete the way they compete. Microsoft wasn't going to move the needle trying to battle Sony with their own playbook

The, "we fail at the level playing field, so we will have daddy who went unfettered with the windows monopoly buy up the industry one by one."

The literal spoiled rich kid who sucks at sports, but dad pays for him to bat cleanup and start at quarterback excuse.

 

[Ezekiel_]

So in what world do you think they aren’t going to look for other offers again if the deal falls through?

In a world where it appears every regulatory body of the world's most influential countries are saying it'll hurt competition, and ultimately consumers.

If ABK is really desperate to sell, I imagine they'll have to do it piece meal and divest : sell independently IPs and studios.

 

[Unknown?]

In a world where it appears every regulatory body of the world's most influential countries are saying it'll hurt competition, and ultimately consumers.

If ABK is really desperate to sell, I imagine they'll have to do it piece meal and divest : sell independently IPs and studios.

That'd be best, sell in pieces.

 

[Kvally]

Gotdam, I'm glad I left Windows. It's such a crap OS. I have to use it for work computers and it is insufferable. /ramble

Once you leave windows, you never go back! While I do enjoy Mac OS, I am partial to Mint and Ubuntu.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Gotdam, I'm glad I left Windows. It's such a crap OS. I have to use it for work computers and it is insufferable. /ramble

I do like Windows 11 spending some time with it. I even keep it looking like iOS with the centered taskbar

 

[Snake29]

Yes! I actually fly between Oslo and Amsterdam often. But I never nerd out and look for game publisher/developer buildings

Most studios or publishing studios are in buildings with more companies inside it. Like PUBG also has a development studio in Amsterdam. There are a lot of publishing studios in Amsterdam from some major 3rd parties.

 

[Kvally]

I do like Windows 11 spending some time with it. I even keep it looking like iOS with the centered taskbar

Seems like people that have Windows 11 have moved their taskbar back to the left. I haven't used it myself.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Seems like people that have Windows 11 have moved their taskbar back to the left. I haven't used it myself.

I tried it to the left, but since I use both Mac and Win11, I moved it back to center. Makes the left weather/news widget better too for me personally.

 

[Unknown?]

Once you leave windows, you never go back! While I do enjoy Mac OS, I am partial to Mint and Ubuntu.

I use Mint, Whonix, and Tails. Mint is a great everyday driver and haven't come across any deficiencies even for gaming so far. I also use coreboot which is light and quick! Much better than proprietary bios.

Windows is just so bloated. Maybe if they made it like XP just modern under the hood it would be decent.

 

[Kacho]

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)

Merry Christmas, bud

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

Bungie was a publisher up until Sony acquired them.

If thats true, where are al does other games.from Bungie, cous a publisher as more studios under theyr belt. By the way...Bungie is a gamestudio publishing theyr own game.
And Bungie is still bringing theyr game to al platforms even if they owned by Sony. So whats your point?

 

[Kvally]

I tried it to the left, but since I use both Mac and Win11, I moved it back to center. Makes the left weather/news widget better too for me personally.

I use Mac at work. In fact, it's the new iMac. However, I do a lot of work through the Microsoft Remote Desktop app to log into a Windows server to use Sage Accounting as Sage doesn't support Mac . But they are going to a cloud solution via browser, so I might switch over to that and then no longer have to connect to Windows.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Bungie was a publisher up until Sony acquired them.

A self publisher for their sole IP on the market. Not one of the "big 4" the FTC outlined.

 

[Swift_Star]

You omitted the piece where they say that




AB was actively looking for a buyer not other way around, MS just jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t even AB first choice.MS smelled blood in the water and went all in to get the deal done.

Why, do tell me, why do you always feel the need to lie and deny facts? Why?

 

[ReBurn]

They weren’t planning on it, but MS came offering $70Bi. Who refuses that kind of money?

So is this wrong?

Activision Blizzard wanted to sell, so it approached Microsoft

Activision Blizzard had no obvious vector for growth after tapping out Call of Duty and failing to maintain World of Warcraft.

venturebeat.com

 

[Kvally]

A self publisher for their sole IP on the market. Not one of the "big 4" the FTC outlined.

I am aware, but I was saying they are a publisher. They have a publishing studio in Amsterdam too. It's for publishing games as well as marketing.

https://investinholland.com/news/bungie-announces-first-international-office-in-amsterdam/

 

[tommib]

Will I be able to play the Quake reboot on my PS5?

 

[BbMajor7th]

Put me down as fine with mega-corps not being allowed to buy up and control more and more of our shared culture. Now, if we could take a look at Disney that'd also be great.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Will I be able to play the Quake reboot on my PS5?

 

[Unknown?]

Put me down as fine with mega-corps not being allowed to buy up and control more and more of our shared culture. Now, if we could take a look at Disney that'd also be great.

Heck yeah, strip them from Star Wars and Marvel.

 

[Jaybe]

I use Mac at work. In fact, it's the new iMac. However, I do a lot of work through the Microsoft Remote Desktop app to log into a Windows server to use Sage Accounting as Sage doesn't support Mac .

 

[Pelta88]

It's chilling to think that if this deal sinks, XBOX's need for meaningless PR wins is what actually sinks the deal.

As a collective, we as gamers have been telling Phil and the XBOX exec team to just shut the fuck up and deliver some great ip. From what I'm reading, their refusal to stay away from any and every podcast and talk to anyone willing to put a mic in their face has given the EU/CMA/FTC regulators their most damming evidence.

Jim and Sony PlayStation's comparative silence seems to be a truly strategic move.

 

[poppabk]

In a world where it appears every regulatory body of the world's most influential countries are saying it'll hurt competition, and ultimately consumers.

If ABK is really desperate to sell, I imagine they'll have to do it piece meal and divest : sell independently IPs and studios.

I think they'd rather tough it out than do that. I'd imagine a big part of MS's interest is that Activision have a management structure that allows them to routinely put out AAA games in a timely manner something that MS struggles with.

 

[BbMajor7th]

Heck yeah, strip them from Star Wars and Marvel.

I'm not cool with a single corporate entities having huge controlling stakes in mainstream culture. It leads to stagnation, homogeneity (even among competitors) and a general narrowing of audience interest and appetite.

 

[Kvally]