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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.
G

Godot25

Banned
Considering CMA wanted divestment of whole Call of Duty or Activision side of company, I must say Microsoft ended up in a good shape.
Especially since it seems like that nowadays Xbox don't care that much about xCloud because demand probably isn't there. They lowered investment into service and they had no problems selling cloud rights for COD to Ubisoft.

Good for them.
 
GHG

GHG

Gold Member
Looks like it's finally done.

Ubisoft are a big winner in all of this at the moment. What I'd like to know though is out of all the possible partners they could have selected to offload this to, why them?
 
Kurotri

Kurotri

Member
Oh god, is it over? I feel like I arrived at Mt. Doom and I'm THIS close to dropping the one ring into lava..
Happy Lord Of The Rings GIF
 
3liteDragon

3liteDragon

Member
GHG said:
Looks like it's finally done.

Ubisoft are a big winner in all of this at the moment. What I'd like to know though is out of all the possible partners they could have selected to offload this to, why them?
Click to expand...
That was my first thought after it was announced, why Ubisoft of all studios?
 
Hero of Spielberg

Hero of Spielberg

Member
“It would have been far better, though, if Microsoft had put forward this restructure during our original investigation. This case illustrates the costs, uncertainty and delay that parties can incur if a credible and effective remedy option exists but is not put on the table at the right time.”

Maybe change the way your organisation functions to be more collaborative to finding solutions instead of a black box that goes away for months then comes back with shit numbers and has to be forced to tribunal to actually accept resolutions
 
GHG

GHG

Gold Member
freefornow said:
MicroUbisoft.
After the next buyout.
Click to expand...

There will need to be clauses to prevent that type of thing for the duration of the contract.

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out.

Hero of Spielberg said:
“It would have been far better, though, if Microsoft had put forward this restructure during our original investigation. This case illustrates the costs, uncertainty and delay that parties can incur if a credible and effective remedy option exists but is not put on the table at the right time.”

Maybe change the way your organisation functions to be more collaborative to finding solutions instead of a black box that goes away for months then comes back with shit numbers and has to be forced to tribunal to actually accept resolutions
Click to expand...

Man, be quiet.

They gave them ample opportunity to get this sorted and publically went on record inviting them to put forward alternatives prior to them blocking the original deal. It's all on record.
 
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TrueGrime

TrueGrime

Member
ShaiKhulud1989 said:
Well, CMA still got what they've wanted. A new restructured deal in the end.

And honestly, after reading the internal mails, I kinda tempered my fears. Xbox leadership is not cunning enough to exploit this deal properly anyway, it seems.
Click to expand...

What's there to exploit? LOL.

ABK makes billions a year. The end.
 
Bernoulli

Bernoulli

M2 slut
Godot25 said:
I agree. That's why it was hilarious when CMA blocked the deal on basis of cloud gaming. It was prime example of that :messenger_tears_of_joy:
Click to expand...
it didn't make sense that they dropped the consoles but not the cloud
But with the recent leaks it makes sense because Microsoft is relying on cloud for next gen
 
G

Godot25

Banned
Bernoulli said:
it didn't make sense that they dropped the consoles but not the cloud
But with the recent leaks it makes sense because Microsoft is relying on cloud for next gen
Click to expand...
Yeah. They are relying on cloud streaming in a way that they are actively reducing investments into xCloud, because market just isn't there :messenger_tears_of_joy:

There is a reason why Microsoft didn't have such a big problem to sell streaming rights for ABK stuff to Ubisoft (as oppose to selling whole COD factory or Activision side of company). Mainly because it's clear that cloud gaming will not be the market Microsoft thought it will be few years ago. They saw cloud gaming as a primary growth vector. But now it's clear that it will take plenty of years for cloud gaming to even being relevant.

Xbox's slide about "hybrid console" has nothing to do with game streaming. It's about offloading some of the compute to the cloud server while keeping local hardware...
 
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A

Antony1992

Member
Hi guys, I have always read this topic without posting anything, hiding behind the wall, while also having a look at the corresponding one on Resetera. I must admit that even though I found valuable people here explaining things in detail, I also noticed the lack of critical discussion from other guys, who are just enjoying attacking Microsoft at all costs, whilst this does not happen on Resetera.
I hope this is not common in other topics, and I will have a proper look to find out.
I hope most of you will be able to recover from the latest news :messenger_smiling_with_eyes:
 
Ogbert

Ogbert

Member
Antony1992 said:
Hi guys, I have always read this topic without posting anything, hiding behind the wall, while also having a look at the corresponding one on Resetera. I must admit that even though I found valuable people here explaining things in detail, I also noticed the lack of critical discussion from other guys, who are just enjoying attacking Microsoft at all costs, whilst this does not happen on Resetera.
I hope this is not common in other topics, and I will have a proper look to find out.
I hope most of you will be able to recover from the latest news :messenger_smiling_with_eyes:
Click to expand...
Indeed.

Resetera provides the sort of nuance that you only get from a bunch of faux Communists with blue hair sucking off a corporate behemoth.
 
xHunter

xHunter

Member
Antony1992 said:
Hi guys, I have always read this topic without posting anything, hiding behind the wall, while also having a look at the corresponding one on Resetera. I must admit that even though I found valuable people here explaining things in detail, I also noticed the lack of critical discussion from other guys, who are just enjoying attacking Microsoft at all costs, whilst this does not happen on Resetera.
I hope this is not common in other topics, and I will have a proper look to find out.
I hope most of you will be able to recover from the latest news :messenger_smiling_with_eyes:
Click to expand...
The thread on era is a big circle jerk of people that have invested in the abk stock and then controlled by ghost who threadbans anyone who slightly voices his concern.
But its funny to see you back here posting after being dormant for 2 years. Wonder how long though.
 
A

Antony1992

Member
xHunter said:
The thread on era is a big circle jerk of people that have invested in the abk stock and then controlled by ghost who threadbans anyone who slightly voices his concern.
But its funny to see you back here posting after being dormant for 2 years. Wonder how long though.
Click to expand...
I see, so here are people who have invested in Sony stocks. All clear.
Anyway, 2 years go by quickly.
 
E

Elios83

Member
Well it now looks like it's done.
In the end CMA was able to get a new restructured deal where Microsoft had to give up on their cloud ambitions using Activision's contents for a long time.

In general I think that with all the long term contracts they were forced to sign with Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft and other cloud providers, the original anticompetitiveness of the deal has been substantially quenched imo.
They will still be able to boost Gamepass with Activision games but the price tag to do that has been huge (and there was also a big price to pay in terms on executives, internal company's culture and business strategies being exposed to the public).
 
Bernoulli

Bernoulli

M2 slut
Chef Cooking GIF

A Antony1992

Antony1992 said:
The amount of incredible games which will be available this gen on Xbox is awesome. If they will also acquire Sega, in maximum 10 years no one will buy a PS anymore 😂
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
When MS will announce TES 6, Fallout 5, Doom, Starfield etc to be Xbox exclusives, how much fun neogaf will be. Can't wait for it.
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
So there are no circumstances where Ps5 has some advantages over SX this time, like in Hitman 3 (it was just one small area) ? So you are telling me that now Ps5 fanboys can only accept defeat without excuses?
Oh, damn.
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
What a tough day for Sony fans. Control ray Tracing comparison where they lost brutally and then this news. 😏
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
Sony has been liying since last year about everything. So it is normal.
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
Xbox plus gamepass are the right choice this time. As soon as all exclusives from MS studios will be released, there will be very few reasons to own a PS5, which can be bought at the end of the generation saving money for the console, and also for its esclusives worth to play.
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
Phil is right, but PS fans are too proud to admitt it 😀
Click to expand...
Antony1992 said:
Sony already played her cards.GoW and GT7 cross gens. What a shame.
Click to expand...
 
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Heisenberg007

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Elios83 said:
Well it now looks like it's done.
In the end CMA was able to get a new restructured deal where Microsoft had to give up on their cloud ambitions using Activision's contents for a long time.

In general I think that with all the long term contracts they were forced to sign with Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft and other cloud providers, the original anticompetitiveness of the deal has been substantially quenched imo.
They will still be able to boost Gamepass with Activision games but the price tag to do that has been huge (and there was also a big price to pay in terms on executives, internal company's culture and business strategies being exposed to the public).
Click to expand...
It has. Even subscription services and xCloud rights are up for bidding by Ubisoft. Sony/Amazon can get it just as easily as Microsoft can.

At this point, it could be a win-win deal for most -- except for the gaming industry that will continue to be consolidated and be worse.
 
GHG

GHG

Gold Member
Banjo64 said:
UG3xcRt.png


I don’t consider this a structural change though.
Click to expand...

Would you say it's more behavioural?

My view is that it's somewhere in between but it's more towards a structural change considering the fact that they are offloading a significant business area to a different company.

Bernoulli said:
Chef Cooking GIF
A Antony1992
Click to expand...

Yeh I took one look at that abomination of a post history and decided not to waste my time. He won't be here for long.
 
Last edited:
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