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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
roxya said:
It has not been approved. Bad title.
Click to expand...
Look. This deal was a roller-coaster of unexpected outcomes, but if CMA agreed that this re-structured deal covers their complaints, it's basically done deal.
They will now question 3rd parties and then make final decision. And there is like 1% chance that some 3rd party will complain about this deal when even Sony caved in.
 
R

roxya

Member
Godot25 said:
Look. This deal was a roller-coaster of unexpected outcomes, but if CMA agreed that this re-structured deal covers their complaints, it's basically done deal.
They will now question 3rd parties and then make final decision. And there is like 1% chance that some 3rd party will complain about this deal when even Sony caved in.
Click to expand...
It is likely to be approved but saying it is already approved is jumping the gun.
 
Killjoy-NL

Killjoy-NL

Member
Godot25 said:
Look. This deal was a roller-coaster of unexpected outcomes, but if CMA agreed that this re-structured deal covers their complaints, it's basically done deal.
They will now question 3rd parties and then make final decision. And there is like 1% chance that some 3rd party will complain about this deal when even Sony caved in.
Click to expand...
Honestly, what does Activision have, outside of COD, that could really have some impact on Playstation?
 
Gaelyon

Gaelyon

Member
Unless the Guillemot brothers really don't want it, Ubisoft should be the next purchase from MS.

I really don't like at all MS way of force step in with dozens of billions into a giant Netflix like cloud entity of mediocrity.
 
Barakov

Barakov

Gold Member
Bored Over It GIF
 
dotnotbot

dotnotbot

Member
Godot25 said:
Microsoft can't
Under this modified deal they are forbidden from buying Ubisoft for 10 years. They also can't buy shares of Ubisoft for that period.
Click to expand...

This might explain why they chose Ubisoft. From all the big publishers left on the table it's the least appealing one for them.
 
Slicker than your average

Slicker than your average

Banned
Who gives a fuck about steaming anyway?

Ultimately this is a bad for the industry. Phil has said he they won't stop and is keen to buy Nintendo..

When does it stop and who's next? EA, ubisoft, take 2? Buying studios is one thing but whole publishers until you own the entire industry. Classic MS way, can't compete so buy everyone out.

Oh and they are utter useless at managing their studios and games.

Who benefits from this other than game pass fanatics? Xbox gamers were always getting these games no matter what anyway. It would be cheaper for Xbox to buy the games off the 3rd parties and put them on game pass .
 
O

Ozriel

M$FT
Dick Jones said:
Keep buying studios to disguise shit management and give fake bumps in the percentage increases of financial reports. It seems to be working for some.
Click to expand...

Eh. Paying for content exclusivity is a strategy all the console makers (except perhaps Nintendo) are using at the moment.
but I agree an Embracer pursuit doesn’t make sense.

GHG said:
Yeh that "and" suggests it's not just for cloud streaming but that it essentially gives Ubisoft publishing rights for activision's games.
Click to expand...

The ‘and’ suggests Ubisoft themselves can stream directly to consumers.

Mephisto40 said:
Going to make zero difference to anything now considering the only game Activision make on console with any sort of pull is call of duty, which is going to stay multi platform
Click to expand...

Internal emails show MS has been chasing mobile for a while, they’ve never given a shit about COD exclusivity.
Make a BIG difference to GamePass value.
 
dotnotbot

dotnotbot

Member
So it means EA or Take2 are their next target. Both with a great mobile potential and live service games with massive revenue streams and yearly releases perfect for sub service.
 
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Mr Reasonable

Mr Reasonable

Completely Unreasonable
Slicker than your average said:
Who benefits from this other than game pass fanatics? Xbox gamers were always getting these games no matter what anyway. It would be cheaper for Xbox to buy the games off the 3rd parties and put them on game pass .
Click to expand...

I personally think as an addition to Gamepass this acquisition is pretty underwhelming.

All signs point to this not being about Gamepass or Playstation. Even Jim Ryan said so, saying this is "a bigger play" and I'm inclined to believe him.

You're right that Gamepass could benefit significantly from this money being used to outright buy games (Ryan estimated that $5bn would buy a few years of COD exclusivity, iirc). For that reason, I'm inclined to believe that Microsoft aren't driven by wanting to bolster Gamepass, they know how many games they could buy up for the same money and the effect that it would have their competition, if that was the idea, they could have bought up COD, various EA Sports, Ass Creed, etc. Etc. For maybe a generation and spent less.
 
RavenSan

RavenSan

Off-Site Inflammatory Member
Eotheod said:
They are beautiful. So many people putting too much emotion into companies that give no shit about them as an individual.
Click to expand...

Mate it's wild right now. In my experience some folks love to think of MS as an oil baron twirling their mustache while they put the entire concept of gaming on the railroad tracks. I had someone argue with me when I said the whole FTC leak was unfortunate. You know, because corporations have these kinds of discussions and ideas floated all the time, and often they're left to die on the vine, or otherwise not ever actioned. Any business I've ever worked with or for has had these kinds of discussions about competitors, or discussing potential ROI on certain concepts that aren't in the benefit of the consumer. But because MS got these private communications leaked, they're the big bad, and the 'Good Boys' of gaming would never do that in their private inter-company communications / meetings. I feel like I need to remind them that businesses exist to make money. Thought experiments and offhand comments and emails like the ones leaked happen all the time. But because I pointed that out, I'm an MS fanboy who's ready to slob their knob harder than a coked out hooker on new years. Then I remind myself that this is a gaming forum, and I shouldn't expect every random member to understand how a corporation works.
 
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