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

Do you believe the deal will be approved?

  • Yes, will be approved without changes.

    Votes: 221 24.9%

  • Yes, will be approved but with structural changes to ABK.

    Votes: 102 11.5%

  • Yes, will be approved but only with behavioral concessions.

    Votes: 262 29.6%

  • No, will not be approved.

    Votes: 301 34.0%
  • Total voters
    886
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.
MrTired

MrTired

Member
Heisenberg007 said:
By the way, just thought of something.

The CMA's October 18 deadline is for Phase 1. October 18, 2023, is also the date when Microsoft and ABK renegotiated contract expires.

Although very unlikely, if the CMA decides this also requires a Phase 2 investigation, Microsoft and ABK will have to renegotiate again and set an even higher breakup fees 😄
Click to expand...

I think that's it will require a Phase 2 investigation again. I'm mean why wouldn't it require further scrutiny, you never know though.
 
jm89

jm89

Member
Pelta88 said:



Colt woke up to this news like...


giphy.gif
Click to expand...

These guys are mad cause they wanted microsoft to close over the CMA, or the CMA to accept microsofts demand of approving on the basis of those trashy cloud deals and sony signing a contract.

This divestiture for them is MS bending the knee a bit.
 
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Wildebeest

Wildebeest

Member
Banjo64 said:
I am highly sceptical that the BBC are claiming that:

Microsoft have made enough changes to the deal that it is certain to pass.

Their job is to report on the news, not to speculate.
Click to expand...
Ugh. To be specific, the points made were 1. It is a new deal. 2. They contacted the CMA and claimed the CMA said it was "on the face of it, much better". 3. Then they played a clip from a representative, without proper context, restating about how important it was for them that game streaming services were open to competition. It was not the BBC claiming anything other than that they had contacted the CMA and the CMA were very positive about the changes. It was on BBC 6 music. I could have said that it is certain to pass unless there is something very suspect hidden in the deal, but that should go without saying.
 
ReBurn

ReBurn

Gold Member
HundredThousandTrillion said:
15 years to cloud gaming ROI is a drop in the bucket. The technology is still in it's infancy and consumers have yet to fully embrace it. It might take 15 years and an entire generation before we abandon consoles and/or our local GPUs.

Considering the potential payoff in exclusives (with all of the agreements running out) and a hardware-less world in 2038. This deal is still a no brainer.

I know in human years it seems like a really long time. But in corporate years its nothing.
Click to expand...
Cloud streaming technology is not in its infancy. The tech is solid and has been in use by multiple large companies for years.

The cloud streaming business model is what is in it's infancy and that's what CMA is looking to keep free from powerful influences. Probably rightfully so.

Corporate years aren't all that different from human years. Humans make long term financial investments and dump failing ones just like corporations do. Corporations are probably more likely to dump bad investments sooner than humans because humans use them to power their own investment.
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
ReBurn ReBurn

Regarding your reply in the locked thread, yeah I'm pretty much thinking you are right about this. I'm not sure how the CMA can say this remedy doesn't address their concerns. Obviously I'm still against the whole thing, but this is a brilliant move by Microsoft. I never believed in the whole "carve out UK" stuff and this certainly goes well beyond that.
 
sainraja

sainraja

Member
Punished Miku said:
It's kinda nice to see you guys have that glimmer in your eye again.

sparkle-eyes.gif
Click to expand...
And I suppose, you'll be leaving the thread again? (Until, of course, things settle down again) :D
Acting like a child is easy, doing the opposite, it seems... not so much.

Don't worry. You'll be fine. ABK will be under MS — this wouldn't have gone as long as it has, if that wasn't going to happen.
 
DeepEnigma

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Topher said:
ReBurn ReBurn

Regarding your reply in the locked thread, yeah I'm pretty much thinking you are right about this. I'm not sure how the CMA can say this remedy doesn't address their concerns. Obviously I'm still against the whole thing, but this is a brilliant move by Microsoft. I never believed in the whole "carve out UK" stuff and this certainly goes well beyond that.
Click to expand...
I guess it would all come down to how reliant it all is, which I am more than positive it will be, based on MS's complete infrastructure (which the CMA still had issue with). The nitty gritty details is where this will make or break.
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
DeepEnigma said:
I guess it would all come down to how reliant it all is, which I am more than positive it will be, based on MS's complete infrastructure (which the CMA still had issue with). The nitty gritty details is where this will make or break.
Click to expand...

True. There could be some details that the CMA may issue with still. On surface level though, it seems to check all the boxes.
 
ABnormal

ABnormal

Member
The restructure of the deal is a way for MS to bypass CMA block arguments, which are entirely based on cloud streaming (while the real problem is the monopoly of multipatform IPs):

with the restructure, MS can easily say that problem is solved, and there will be no more reasons to block the deal.

After all, MS is interested to seize and monopolize the market to prevent Sony being part of it. They are much less interested on the cloud gaming part. So they can leave the cloud rights to someone else.
 
sainraja

sainraja

Member
No matter the outcome of this and the future they are all betting on, I am not at all looking forward to a cloud-dominated future for games. Sure, convenience will convince the majority in the end and I will likely cave at some point but anything that delays that, I am all for it. :D
 
graywolf323

graywolf323

Member
unless I’m missing something but where in the cloud deal does it state that all ABK games will be still be multi platform?

or will the only way to play anything on PlayStation besides COD be through the cloud?
 
Pelta88

Pelta88

Member
King Dazzar said:
Jez and Colt really are a pair aren't they. It would be hilarious if Sony went and bought Ubisoft off the back of all this as Heisenberg007 Heisenberg007 suggested.
Click to expand...

Strategically, it'll be far cheaper to go build their own COD competitor. 4 Bespoke studios dedicated to a yearly COD release. Compelling story, Multi that address every complaint COD stans have about COD. Better engine, PS level of visual fidelity...

Sony Purchased Insom for 229 Mil and they have been printing money ever since. But lets take the Bungie purchase price of 3.6 Billion as the benchmark and multiply that number X4 and we get 12.24 Billion to get the ball rolling. 5/6 years from now, they could have a strong competitor doing the same shit.

All for roughly 16% of the 70 Billion purchase price Microsoft is using to purchase activision, only to give the rights away to their games...

Sony doesn't care about COD as an ip. Check Jim Ryans first email about the acquisition email for proof. Initially they laughed and poked fun, saying something like "It would have been better if they bought a fleet of electric cars."

It wasn't until Phil tried to cut them off from the COD "revenue stream" that they had an objection.
 
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Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
graywolf323 said:
unless I’m missing something but where in the cloud deal does it state that all ABK games will be still be multi platform?

or will the only way to play anything on PlayStation besides COD be through the cloud?
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that is covered with the deal MS and Sony made.
 
sainraja

sainraja

Member
graywolf323 said:
unless I’m missing something but where in the cloud deal does it state that all ABK games will be still be multi platform?

or will the only way to play anything on PlayStation besides COD be through the cloud?
Click to expand...
I haven't read through everything but based on what I have read so far, it seems to indicate that.
 
reinking

reinking

Gold Member
Divestment was on the table with the CMA from the start. We will have to see if a temporary divestment solves their concerns. I think it will. They made their point. It is a long term solution for MS to get what they want eventually. I’m not sure why the usual Xbox suspects on twitter are freaking out. Unless they just wanted that “gotcha” moment to brag about.
 
Pelta88

Pelta88

Member
graywolf323 said:
unless I’m missing something but where in the cloud deal does it state that all ABK games will be still be multi platform?

or will the only way to play anything on PlayStation besides COD be through the cloud?
Click to expand...

Even worse... They'll have to buy the rights back to stream on their own system. One analyst put it as "paying twice" for the ip they already own.

Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. The terms of the transaction will allow Ubisoft to commercialise these rights to any other cloud gaming services provider (including to Microsoft itself). Ubisoft will have the ability to license out to third parties the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games under any business model of its choosing, including buy-to-play, multigame subscription services, or any other model that may arise. Ubisoft will also be able, for a fee, to require Microsoft to adapt Activision's titles to operating systems other than Windows, such as Linux, if it decides to use or license out the cloud streaming rights to Activision's titles to a cloud gaming service that runs a non-Windows operating system.
 
graywolf323

graywolf323

Member
Pelta88 said:
Even worse... They'll have to buy the rights back to stream on their own system. One analyst put it as "paying twice" for the ip they already own.

Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. The terms of the transaction will allow Ubisoft to commercialise these rights to any other cloud gaming services provider (including to Microsoft itself). Ubisoft will have the ability to license out to third parties the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games under any business model of its choosing, including buy-to-play, multigame subscription services, or any other model that may arise. Ubisoft will also be able, for a fee, to require Microsoft to adapt Activision's titles to operating systems other than Windows, such as Linux, if it decides to use or license out the cloud streaming rights to Activision's titles to a cloud gaming service that runs a non-Windows operating system.
Click to expand...
yeah but that still reads to me like those games would only be available through the cloud for PlayStation?
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
Pelta88 said:
Even worse... They'll have to buy the rights back to stream on their own system. One analyst put it as "paying twice" for the ip they already own.

Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. The terms of the transaction will allow Ubisoft to commercialise these rights to any other cloud gaming services provider (including to Microsoft itself). Ubisoft will have the ability to license out to third parties the cloud streaming rights to Activision's games under any business model of its choosing, including buy-to-play, multigame subscription services, or any other model that may arise. Ubisoft will also be able, for a fee, to require Microsoft to adapt Activision's titles to operating systems other than Windows, such as Linux, if it decides to use or license out the cloud streaming rights to Activision's titles to a cloud gaming service that runs a non-Windows operating system.
Click to expand...

That was pretty much my take on it in the locked thread.

"So Ubisoft will have permanent rights to stream or license streaming for ABK games released over the next 15 years which means Ubisoft will be able to license these games to other providers......including Microsoft."
 
J

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
"Ubisoft will also add Activision Blizzard games to its Ubisoft Plus Multi Access subscription, which is available across PC, Xbox, Amazon Luna, and on PlayStation via Ubisoft Plus Classics."

www.theverge.com

Microsoft to sell off Activision cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft in bid for UK approval

A big change to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

The full Ubi+ was already planned to come to Playstation in the future.

And some ppl were asking if Sony contesting the merger was a bad move...

Plz.
 
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Heisenberg007

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
jroc74 said:
"Ubisoft will also add Activision Blizzard games to its Ubisoft Plus Multi Access subscription, which is available across PC, Xbox, Amazon Luna, and on PlayStation via Ubisoft Plus Classics."

www.theverge.com

Microsoft to sell off Activision cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft in bid for UK approval

A big change to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

The full Ubi+ was already planned to come to Playstation in the future.

And some ppl were asking if Sony contesting the merger was a bad move...

Plz.
Click to expand...
And this will include all existing and new ABK games for the next 15 years. This means that ABK games cannot go exclusive now?
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
graywolf323

graywolf323

Member
Heisenberg007 said:
And this will include all existing and new ABK games for the next 15 years. This means that ABK games cannot go exclusive now?
Click to expand...
at least not on cloud platforms, however on disc/digital?

it could very well be that if Spyro 4 is real that you’ll be able to play it through PS+ streaming but there won’t be a way to purchase it while you will be able to buy it on Xbox (though most probably won’t since it’d be on Game Pass and they can download it that way)

Topher said:
Of course

Mean Girls Halloween GIF
Click to expand...
it’s okay to have a blonde moment, it helps that you’re cute 😜

adamsapple said:
Click to expand...

explains why she’s been teasing on Twitter, she’s clearly going to replace Phil at some point
 
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A

Aguero9320

Member
Amidst all this celebrating from deal opponents, I must be missing something... Didn't Microsoft just effectively (assuming it passes) get Gamepass on Playstation? Albeit a streaming only version (for now), just with Ubisoft as a middle man?

I have a funny feeling historical review of what's happening here will paint a very different picture.
 
Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Heisenberg007 said:
Eh, not really. I still say this will get approved. And honestly, the CMA has taken the zing out of this acquisition. I really do not care about this acquisition as I believe this will have 0 impact on anyone -- except expediting the decay of the industry, which I do care about.
Click to expand...
I'm just joking with you. I also think the impact is going to be a whole lot less than people expect to the point that its barely noticable. Call of Duty marketing rights change, Xbox division revenue boost (which I think is good considering how badly they're getting clobbered), and a small bump for Gamepass considering CoD is staying multiplat. Xbox still finishes 3rd place this gen. The Bethesda deal was a lot more consequential for hardcore gaming enthusiasts.
 
D

Darsxx82

Member
graywolf323 said:
unless I’m missing something but where in the cloud deal does it state that all ABK games will be still be multi platform?

or will the only way to play anything on PlayStation besides COD be through the cloud
Click to expand...

MS would only be legally required to offer PS COD natively for 10 years.

The rest of ABK games will only come to PS via cloud/streaming if Sony agrees with Ubisoft.

Emphasize "legally required." Because it does not prevent MS from deciding, of its own accord, to make specific (case by case) or all ABK games multiplatafform natively on PS5/6, Switch/2.

The MS itself emphasizes the distinction in its statement today.


" Since our initial announcement with Activision Blizzard in January last year, we have endeavored to earn regulatory approval for the transaction, addressing concerns when raised, including by entering into binding legal commitments to bring Call of Duty to rival consoles and Activision Blizzard games to rival cloud streaming platforms"

blogs.microsoft.com

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard Restructure Proposed Acquisition

In January 2022, Microsoft announced the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc., to advance our goal to bring more creative and innovative games to players everywhere and on any device. Today, we are taking another important step regarding this transaction.
blogs.microsoft.com blogs.microsoft.com
 
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J

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Heisenberg007 said:
And this will include all existing and new ABK games for the next 15 years. This means that ABK games cannot go exclusive now?
Click to expand...
Thats the 3.5 billion dollar question.

Its really not clear yet, for me at least. But I think we will get the full picture soon.
 
Pelta88

Pelta88

Member
Matt Booty 2020: We're in a unique position to go Spend Playstation out of business


Matt Booty 2023: We're in a unique position where we pay Ubisoft to license the games we purchased for 70 Billion... From ubisoft. While also ensuring Activision's portfolio remains multiplat.


Pure, not from concentrate, and 100% organic incompetence. And yes, you're a sycophant if you suggest otherwise.
 
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M

MisterXDTV

Member
Aguero9320 said:
Amidst all this celebrating from deal opponents, I must be missing something... Didn't Microsoft just effectively (assuming it passes) get Gamepass on Playstation? Albeit a streaming only version (for now), just with Ubisoft as a middle man?

I have a funny feeling historical review of what's happening here will paint a very different picture.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about?

Playstation will have "Ubisoft Gamepass/cloud service" not Microsoft's

They won't even have to make a deal with Microsoft to make all ABK games available via streaming
 
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