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[ChorizoPicozo]

Microsoft's track record isn't exactly stellar on that front. They did stack ranking for years and I'm not sure if their hands off approach would actually change this practice?

oh. you think i am saying or even suggesting MS will fix this.

I am not. i am talking about disruption and chaos.

 

[gothmog]

If this deal goes through, I really hope the concessions (if any) are fair to MS.

If the deal does not go through, I really hope MS does not walk away from gaming or reduce its effort (you guys don't understand how bad it is with one person leading the charge).

There are going to be ruined relationships regardless once this M&A conundrum passes. I doubt Sony will be in the good grace of ACT/BLZD ever again.

"Won't anyone think of the trillion dollar company?" is a bit of a weird take.

Has Sony ever had a great relationship with ActiBlizz? I know they have a financial relationship but outside of that I'm not sure I have really heard either company talk up the other.

 

[aries_71]

The only question would be who would step up. Google, Apple, Amazon, Tencent?

None. You don't build a business of this nature capable of competing against a colossal brand such as PlayStation out of thin air in less than a decade. You would be stuck with a monopolistic Sony and mobile/cloud gaming. Enjoy that future.

 

[Three]

None. You don't build a business of this nature capable of competing against a colossal brand such as PlayStation out of thin air in less than a decade. You would be stuck with a monopolistic Sony and mobile/cloud gaming. Enjoy that future.

The very idea of MS leaving gaming if this doesn't go through is ridiculous. They have bought 40+ studios since 2018. That's not all suddenly riding on this deal. It's phenomenal how this trillion dollar company is seen as a poor wounded dog but I guess the MS PR is doing its job.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Being one of the higher ups of the biggest conglomerate in the word... But taking to twitter to vent...

Is something I didn't expect or could have predicted. I'm thinking the EC communication with Microsoft has more roadblocks than any of us presumed.

EC: "Apart from ensuring COD's multiplatform existence for 20 years, Microsoft leadership also can't have sex for 6 months."

 

[Heisenberg007]

This thread delivers. It's a fierce battle that's being waged here that continually goes back and forth.

On one side we have the Pro Acquisition Army, whose ranks consist of people who's wish is for MS to sign every 3rd party game for the next decade to a exclusive deal should the acquisition fall through. They are truly students to the scorched earth school of warfare.

On the other, we have the Anti Acquisition Militia. Their ranks primarily consist of Psychological warfare specialists. They tirelessly scan social media for content that they can possibly use for propaganda purposes. They can turn even the most mundane tweet into a surefire sign that victory is imminent.

With so many people's reputations, emotions, and sanity on the line... There's more at stake here than perhaps ever before.

Please continue this series of narration as we move forward. I genuinely enjoyed it

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

The very idea of MS leaving gaming if this doesn't go through is ridiculous. They have bought 40+ studios since 2018. That's not all suddenly riding on this deal. It's phenomenal how this trillion dollar company is seen as a poor wounded dog but I guess the MS PR is doing its job.

Yeah, I think MS have invested far too much to just walk away from the industry if it's blocked. I also think it's too lucrative a market given they've established a foothold and n an industry which others have pointed out has very high barriers to entry.

 

[Varteras]

The very idea of MS leaving gaming if this doesn't go through is ridiculous. They have bought 40+ studios since 2018. That's not all suddenly riding on this deal. It's phenomenal how this trillion dollar company is seen as a poor wounded dog but I guess the MS PR is doing its job.

For sure. Microsoft isn't going anywhere. The form they take in the industry may change over time, but it's far too lucrative for them to abandon. Certainly after all the money they've spent. If Microsoft were to go through some kind of huge shift, it would be no longer selling consoles but continuing to use Game Pass and have it on as many platforms as they can. At that point even Sony might relent and allow Game Pass on their consoles. Xbox would be about software and services. Pretty much like Microsoft in general is. But even something like that I would think would take Xbox's market share having dropped so low that Microsoft doesn't see a path worth taking to go back up. Even though they're selling half or less than their competitors, their revenue doesn't reflect that.

 

[Chiggs]

Sorry if I'm late to the party, but I just got around to reading this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ver-activision-deal-to-head-off-eu-settlement

The US Federal Trade Commission filed its lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp.'s $69 billion takeover of gaming company Activision Blizzard Inc. in December partly to get ahead of its European counterparts and dissuade them from accepting a settlement allowing the deal, according to people familiar with the investigations.

Certainly adds more fuel to the fire that the whole thing is politically & ideologically motivated (Khan wanting to make a statement/leave her mark).

And please, don't accuse me of being pro MS. I would suggest simply looking at my recent comments to persuade you otherwise.

 

[gothmog]

Sorry if I'm late to the party, but I just got around to reading this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ver-activision-deal-to-head-off-eu-settlement



Certainly adds more fuel to the fire that the whole thing is politically & ideologically motivated (Khan wanting to make a statement/leave her mark).

And please, don't accuse me of being pro MS. I would suggest simply looking at my recent comments to persuade you otherwise.

It has been posted over and over. It's not getting much discussion because it's not really that interesting? Everyone knows that this new level of scrutiny has motivations behind it. I don't know if you can call them political because both the left and the right have been very vocal about concerns regarding the amount of power these tech giants have.

There seems to be an active PR campaign going on the last few days by Microsoft. This could be part of it? Or not?

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Sorry if I'm late to the party, but I just got around to reading this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ver-activision-deal-to-head-off-eu-settlement



Certainly adds more fuel to the fire that the whole thing is politically & ideologically motivated (Khan wanting to make a statement/leave her mark).

And please, don't accuse me of being pro MS. I would suggest simply looking at my recent comments to persuade you otherwise.

Makes sense that the FTC would 'block' the deal. It shows they're willing to go after the big guys. Whether they're willing to follow through and attempt to actually stop it through the courts is another matter. If I've learned anything about politics and govt departments it is that they love minimising risk and covering their arses. Creating the appearance of being tough on big tech may be all they really have the appetite for.

 

[twilo99]

Yo if Starfield was a Sony game PC gamers might have to wait for years before they can play it.. if ever.

 

[gothmog]

Yo if Starfield was a Sony game PC gamers might have to wait for years before they can play it.. if ever.

You mean like that time Sony bought Bungie and stopped releasing Destiny 2 on PC?

 

[aries_71]

Yo if Starfield was a Sony game PC gamers might have to wait for years before they can play it.. if ever.

Apparently that is mostly fine. It's NeoGAF after all.

 

[bitbydeath]

Yo if Starfield was a Sony game PC gamers might have to wait for years before they can play it.. if ever.

That's different to not distributing it to Sony how?

 

[GHG]

Seems like Microsoft didnt like the response from the EC, otherwise their shills wouldnt start this "Sony lied to EU regulators" stunt.

also, lmao what is this response from the "currently lead communications for microsoft":

Honestly the way they've been going about this has been so unprofessional on many levels.

Lulu set the tone and instead of someone putting a muzzle on her they've been doubling down on using twitter as a war ground for this acquisition.

 

[X-Wing]

Xbox is doubling down on having its influencers fight their image war on Twitter, the amount of sheep that actually listens to these corporate chills is baffling. It's also like they chose twitter because they know a good part of the users left on that shitpole is extremely gullible. It's kinda sad.

Accusing PlayStation of lying without presenting any evidence should result in a defamation lawsuit.

The fact that Microsoft is this desperate to get Activision should be a major red flag to any regulator to block the deal.

 

[Pelta88]

The fact that Microsoft is this desperate to get Activision should be a major red flag to any regulator to block the deal.

The fact that they've stated that they need to spend 67 Billion, just "To Compete" points to an absolute failure behind the scenes. Then Microsoft gave us a point by point overview of just how unsuccessful their efforts have been via their findings to regulators.

The Achilles heel of the juggernaut that is Microsoft, is that the most important thing in gaming cannot be purchased. It can't be sourced, stolen, or found at any particular studio/publisher. It has to be built from the ground up. And that key factor is mindshare. But for some strange reason, Microsoft refuse to invest the effort needed to built mindshare by investing in great games.

 

[Ronin_7]

Honestly the way they've been going about this has been so unprofessional on many levels.

Lulu set the tone and instead of someone putting a muzzle on her they've been doubling down on using twitter as a war ground for this acquisition.

Every time PR arrives you know bad news are inbound.

My prediction is that the EC SO is really really painful.

 

[GHG]

Every time PR arrives you know bad news are inbound.

My prediction is that the EC SO is really really painful.

Well considering the articles that have been written since this post it's all gone as expexted:

It's simple.

Make Sony and PlayStation public enemy number one, get gamers and the media to rally behind Microsoft, put public pressure on regulators etc.

Bonus - if it all goes to shit this is part of setting the narrative that it was all Sony's fault if the deal doesn't get approved.

They are so predictable it's painful.

 

[Ar¢tos]

The fact that they've stated that they need to spend 67 Billion, just "To Compete" points to an absolute failure behind the scenes. Then Microsoft gave us a point by point overview of just how unsuccessful their efforts have been via their findings to regulators.

The Achilles heel of the juggernaut that is Microsoft, is that the most important thing is gaming cannot be purchased. It can't be sourced, stolen, or found at any particular studio/publisher. It has to be built from the ground up. And that key factor is mindshare. But for some strange reason Microsoft refuse to invest the effort needed to built mindshare via great games.

The PC approach. When optimizing fails, get better hardware and brute force it.

When you have tons of studios, you are bound to have one or two AAA releases every year one way or another.

 

[DenchDeckard]

So who is Amber Heard in this case.?

Just trying tomadd something a little light hearted lol

Who threw the wine bottle at who?

 

[Elios83]

When Microsoft starts crying publicly through their usual friends in the press the bad news is around the corner and will come out soon.
They probably didn't like what EU told them and it has triggered this kind of reaction/defense/accusation.

 

[feynoob]

Sorry if I'm late to the party, but I just got around to reading this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ver-activision-deal-to-head-off-eu-settlement



Certainly adds more fuel to the fire that the whole thing is politically & ideologically motivated (Khan wanting to make a statement/leave her mark).

And please, don't accuse me of being pro MS. I would suggest simply looking at my recent comments to persuade you otherwise.

It is. Khan is against big tech and doesn't care about following the normal procedure.

They know they will lose with their case, but it's a win for them, as long as they can cause a doubt for CMA, EU and other regulators.

 

[GHG]

So who is Amber Heard in this case.?

Just trying tomadd something a little light hearted lol

Who threw the wine bottle at who?

The wine bottle wasn't thrown, Phil sat on it:

 

[feynoob]

The wine bottle wasn't thrown, Phil sat on it:

Now you made remember (man+jar).

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Hope this deal fizzles.
It's a real danger to gaming.
I don't want to be forced to a subscription and be captive of a giant with too much power with huge pricing power.

I'm for merit and right now except the money from the cash cow monopoly that is MS office, I see no merit.

I practice them on the business side, it's awful, I don't want them in my living room. Plain and simple.

I trust my EU regulator to block it. No concession, just block it. Fuck MS. I'm not Sony fan, I 'm just against those giant monopolies such as Google or Microsoft.

 

[DenchDeckard]

The wine bottle wasn't thrown, Phil sat on it:

Hahaha, he lost spin the bottle.

What's funny is, I can't help but look at this meme pic now and you think of all the shit he went through for this pic and the VGAs and now look at it with the image of Phil thinking.

"Wait till you mutha fuckas see what we are about to shadow drop in January"



Also, a wine bottle in his ass.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Every time PR arrives you know bad news are inbound.

My prediction is that the EC SO is really really painful.

When Microsoft starts crying publicly through their usual friends in the press the bad news is around the corner and will come out soon.
They probably didn't like what EU told them and it has triggered this kind of reaction/defense/accusation.

I have already predicted, and dare I say accurately predicted, the roadblocks that EU regulators have put forth in the Statement of Objections. This is why MS is so mad:

EC: "Apart from ensuring COD's multiplatform existence for 20 years, Microsoft leadership also can't have sex for 6 months."

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

It seems that one way or another we are close to the end.

I am yet hopeful this will not be allowed to pass.

 

[The_Mike]

If this deal goes through, I really hope the concessions (if any) are fair to MS.

If the deal does not go through, I really hope MS does not walk away from gaming or reduce its effort (you guys don't understand how bad it is with one person leading the charge).

There are going to be ruined relationships regardless once this M&A conundrum passes. I doubt Sony will be in the good grace of ACT/BLZD ever again.

The guys who hopes the deal doesn't get through and withdraw from the console market are the same clowns who cheered for Sony upping game prices because they would gladly pay extra for quality.

Which still is the minority in here, so be careful with generalising.
Those people are stupid, but far from the majority.

So much concern for Phil and company.

His post was literally 100 percent the opposite of what you made out of it.

Yet you manage to show your concern about your beloved company.

 

[Edmund]

Was talking about Jez doing another "Sony is bad" article. Plus, i think Destin made a video about the same topic. If remember correctly they also did the same thing before the FTC sued, so its more like what i think is happening right now.

Is there a Sony Playstation version of Jez Corden/Destin Legarie/Ryan McCaffrey/Tom Warren aka Professional journalists but Xbox Fanboys?

 

[feynoob]

Is there a Sony Playstation version of Jez Corden/Destin Legarie/Ryan McCaffrey/Tom Warren aka Professional journalists but Xbox Fanboys?

There is, but nobody is paying attention to them. People are busy playing Sony games, it's why these Xbox guys get attention.

 

[X-Wing]

What's interesting here is that Tassi is usually pro-Microsoft.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Is there a Sony Playstation version of Jez Corden/Destin Legarie/Ryan McCaffrey/Tom Warren aka Professional journalists but Xbox Fanboys?

No. Because the money goes into PlayStation Studios and game development.

 

[X-Wing]

No. Because the money goes into PlayStation Studios and game development.

 

[Edmund]

There is, but nobody is paying attention to them. People are busy playing Sony games, it's why these Xbox guys get attention.

I'm kinda wondering because the above 4 are paid professional journalists but act like shills and do blatant fanboy posts and articles.
My ranking of the 4 Horsemen of Xbox from least obnoxious to most obnoxious -

Tom Warren (Least obnoxious and some semblance of professionalism)
Destin Legarie (Obnoxious but bakes chocolate cookies. I love chocolate cookies)
Ryan McCaffrey
Jez Corden (Most obnoxious and outright console warring)

 

[Heisenberg007]

I'm kinda wondering because the above 4 are paid professional journalists but act like shills and do blatant fanboy posts and articles.
My ranking of the 4 Horsemen of Xbox from least obnoxious to most obnoxious -

Tom Warren (Least obnoxious and some semblance of professionalism)
Destin Legarie (Obnoxious but bakes chocolate cookies. I love chocolate cookies)
Ryan McCaffrey
Jez Corden (Most obnoxious and outright console warring)

Oh there are many more.

- Jeff Grubb
- Brad Sams
- Matty P
- Parris

 

[Badlucktroll]

Makes sense that the FTC would 'block' the deal. It shows they're willing to go after the big guys. Whether they're willing to follow through and attempt to actually stop it through the courts is another matter. If I've learned anything about politics and govt departments it is that they love minimising risk and covering their arses. Creating the appearance of being tough on big tech may be all they really have the appetite for.

Microsoft usually claims bias against them, acts oblivious to what it would do, and says their activities are for the greater good when antitrust issues come up.

 

[feynoob]

Matty P

He is Bethesda fan like me. Not an Xbox fan.
Please don't lump Bethesda fans with Xbox fans.

 

[Varteras]

Oh there are many more.

- Jeff Grubb
- Brad Sams
- Matty P
- Parris

Funny thing about MattyP is that on the Defining Duke podcast he comes off as pretty level-headed. Then he gets on Twitter and becomes a fanboy dipshit.

 

[demigod]

The guys who hopes the deal doesn't get through and withdraw from the console market are the same clowns who cheered for Sony upping game prices because they would gladly pay extra for quality.

Which still is the minority in here, so be careful with generalising.
Those people are stupid, but far from the majority.

His post was literally 100 percent the opposite of what you made out of it.

Yet you manage to show your concern about your beloved company.

You realize ms was the first to raise the prices from $50 to $60 right? Sony actually lowered their first party game prices from $50 to $40 during the ps2 days.

I don't think folks are cheering at the $70 price tag, we just have to accept it. Just like food has gotten more expensive. Now why is it that nobody is complaining that Redfall has a deluxe edition upgrade for an outrageous price of $30?

 

[demigod]

There is, but nobody is paying attention to them. People are busy playing Sony games, it's why these Xbox guys get attention.

Don't make shit up, there aren't any that repeatedly say stupid shit like those clowns.

 

[Heisenberg007]

There is, but nobody is paying attention to them. People are busy playing Sony games, it's why these Xbox guys get attention.

Who are these Sony fanboy journalists? I haven't heard any names.

 

[X-Wing]

Sony raised console and game prices anticipating higher costs and recession, that allowed them to not have to fire 10 thousand people. Microsoft wanted good will and that cost 10 thousand people their jobs.

 

[Banjo64]

Lead comms for MS engaging in petty public discourse like this - bad look for the company.

 

[Edmund]

Who are these Sony fanboy journalists? I haven't heard any names.

That's what I'm wondering. Why aren't Xbox journalists acting in a professional manner?

Why are professional journalists allowed to do blatant shilling and console warring.

Hence my question about the equivalent of Jez Corden/Destin Legarie/Ryan McCaffrey and Tom Warren for the playstation camp. There are none.

Aren't Ryan and Destin hired by IGN? How does IGN even allow this level of shilling?

 

[feynoob]

Don't make shit up, there aren't any that repeatedly say stupid shit like those clowns.

Who are these Sony fanboy journalists? I haven't heard any names.

They are people that nobody pays attention to them.
You won't hear about them, because nobody is giving attention to them, like these guys here.

Not to mention some of the guys here usually cover windows products like Tom.

 

[Banjo64]

Seems like Microsoft didnt like the response from the EC, otherwise their shills wouldnt start this "Sony lied to EU regulators" stunt.

also, lmao what is this response from the "currently lead communications for microsoft":

Oh it got worse. Someone like this wouldn't have even had a low level admin job 10 years ago.

 

[The_Mike]

You realize ms was the first to raise the prices from $50 to $60 right? Sony actually lowered their first party game prices from $50 to $40 during the ps2 days.

I don't think folks are cheering at the $70 price tag, we just have to accept it. Just like food has gotten more expensive. Now why is it that nobody is complaining that Redfall has a deluxe edition upgrade for an outrageous price of $30?

I was a dedicated PC gamer up to previous gen, so I don't really know much about it. I'm also aware that it was Ms that implemented sub for online gaming.

Also, it wasn't about who raised prices when, but more about those clowns in here who said they wouldn't mind paying extra for quality.

Which I did say, was thankfully in minority.