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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.
mrmustard

mrmustard

Banned
DeepEnigma said:
They don't in the 1st party AAA space, hence they are playing takeaway. Without the Bethesda takeaway, there would be slim to no AAA "first party" games for some time.
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Sure, but to me there is no difference between Indie, AA or AAA. A game must be fun and that's it.
 
Tomeru

Tomeru

Member
NickFire said:
Still silly to argue last level in COD Gets bugged. I mean, it’s COD. The people playing single player are probably me and 10 other guys. :messenger_tears_of_joy:
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Jesus christ, that was an example of a possible situation.

Since when did fellow human beings stopped thinking?
 
D

Darsxx82

Member
adamsapple said:
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It's funny that Sony complains about what they do and we see in every game with a strong marketing contract or even with MLB where the XSeries version is usually the most neglected and in need of patches that, coincidentally, always arrive some time after launch. ... Really here Sony is taking off the mask.

It is a derisory argument, typical of the one that tries to convince people who have no knowledge of what the development of a video game on multiple platforms is like.

Logic says that the base development platforms will always have benefits at a technical level (bugs, fps, etc.). It seems that the "parity" for Sony is that PS5 should be the base platform for COD development and that the PS5 version should be the most polished? LOL
 
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Astray

Astray

Member
Reading the documents, I'm curious as to what Sony means when they mention that Microsoft has a past of not abiding by behavioral remedies?
 
jm89

jm89

Member
Astray said:
Reading the documents, I'm curious as to what Sony means when they mention that Microsoft has a past of not abiding by behavioral remedies?
Click to expand...
These ones
x9DzqSs.png
 
Draugoth

Draugoth

Gold Member
Xbox-Game-Pass-PC-Family_Key-Art-1024x576.jpg


www.videogameschronicle.com

Microsoft insists Game Pass prices ‘will not increase as a result of Activision merger’ | VGC

It says a price rise “would be counter-productive as it would increase subscriber churn rates”…
www.videogameschronicle.com www.videogameschronicle.com

Microsoft has sought to dismiss suggestions that it could raise Xbox Game Pass prices should its $69 billion merger with Activision Blizzard be approved.

Microsoft went on to point out that it had not increased Game Pass prices since introducing popular Bethesda content to the service, following its acquisition of the publisher’s parent company ZeniMax Media, which saw it take ownership of franchises including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom and Dishonored.

Issuing its provisional findings on the proposed deal last month, UK regulator the Competition and Markets Authority raised concerns that Microsoft could choose to increase the price of its Game Pass subscription plans following the addition of popular Activision content.

Prices for subscriptions can easily be revised, and Microsoft may have an incentive to do so once it adds content that is as popular as Activision’s, including CoD

“The integration of Activision and Microsoft will result in a classic elimination of double marginalization effect because Microsoft will be able to acquire these games at (opportunity) cost and will have incentives to distribute them more broadly and increase the output of Game Pass relative to its counterfactual level. In order to increase output Microsoft will need to offer Game Pass at a lower quality-adjusted price.

This is exactly what Microsoft has done when it has added content to Game Pass in the past with, for example, the ZeniMax transaction resulting in additional content but no increase in Game Pass subscription prices. This is especially so given that Game Pass users are price sensitive and an increase in the price of Game Pass would affect all users, including those that do not value or play CoD.

Game Pass subscribers can cancel at any time after a month of play,” Microsoft continued. “As CoD titles are only released once a year, any impact would be short-lived as gamers who exhaust their enthusiasm for the new version of CoD within a few months will churn because of the higher price.
As such any price increase would be counter-productive as it would increase subscriber churn rates. This is entirely at odds with the Provisional Finding’s assessment of Microsoft’s rationale for the Merger.
Click to expand...
 
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AV

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
mrmustard said:
I wonder what they would do with the World of Warcraft subscription. Integrate it into Game Pass?
Click to expand...

Seems almost inevitable. Get WoW players to stay in the ecosystem for other games. Get non-WoW players on Game Pass to try it and eventually buy gold.

Mostly though it's good for the PR line. Instant X million people to add to the total GP count.
 
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Ar¢tos

Ar¢tos

Member
JLB said:
Disgusting misogynist message received from a mod removing a post from here.
This fangirl is out of here. Please permabanme. Bye.
Click to expand...
Shameful account suicide.
1/10

Endless opportunities for drama and big impact with gifs, even flashing eye hurting gifs, and you go like this...


Andodalf said:
Sony says MS will make Cod on PS buggy like Sony did with MLB on xbox
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Is it possible to tell if MLB is buggier on Xbox than Playstation?
I only saw the 3 years ago version (or before? It was on ps+) , and it was, let's say, not perfect.
 
R

reksveks

Member
Three said:
The argument comes down to "fair price" for COD. As long as MS set that so called fair price it's going to be difficult for MGS competitors. MS can raise the price of CoD thereby increasing the "fair price" for MGS competitors licencing and further attracting wouldbe buyers to their MGS service. Unless they come up with a model that predicts sales based on price it's difficult to reasonably set a fair price.
Click to expand...
I don't necessarily agree that there isn't a third party that could come up with a pricing or verify pricing similar to FRAND deals. Obviously the main issue is that Sony just doesn't want to lose that ~$21 per unit sold of COD (it going to be less that $21 cause ABK have a better deal than 30%).
 
AV

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
Wonder if they'll finally close off the loopholes for getting it at an 85% discount.
 
mrmustard

mrmustard

Banned
AV said:
Seems almost inevitable. Get WoW players to stay in the ecosystem for other games. Get non-WoW players on Game Pass to try it and eventually buy gold.

Mostly though it's good for the PR line. Instant X million people to add to the total GP count.
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If i was Microsoft i would make it Game Pass Ultimate only.
 
Heisenberg007

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Phew! Finished both documents: Microsoft's and Sony's responses to CMA's notice of remedy.

This seems like it's in the bag for Sony. They made an excellent response to the CMA and used really good points. I don't see how CMA would disagree with any of it.

On the other hand, Microsoft is still only focusing on the 10-year deals when the CMA has explicitly mentioned that it does not count because (1) it's timed, (2) they don't trust Microsoft, and (3) their suggested behavioral remedies had to be in line with divestment, at least in effect.

Microsoft's responses didn't have any of these. In my opinion, this document by Microsoft will not convince CMA.
 
R

reksveks

Member
To resolve the Cloud Gaming SLC, Microsoft will commit to license Activision games, including CoD and WoW, [] to cloud gaming providers with a B2P or BYOG offering for a period of 10 years.

A summary of the key elements of the proposed licensing remedy is provided below:

(a) Scope: The remedy will apply to the Activision titles for PC and associated content listed in the Appendix below, including all past, current and future releases of such titles available on PC (the "PC Games").

(b) Term: The remedy will apply for a period of 10 years.

(c) Consumer License: Microsoft will unilaterally grant a license to any consumer who has purchased or obtained a free license to play a PC Game from an authorized third-party PC digital storefront ("Eligible Game") to stream the game using a generally-recognised PC consumer cloud gaming provider to a device they own (the "Consumer License"). Microsoft will grant the Consumer License by publishing it on Microsoft's website. The Consumer License will be granted for the Term.

(d) Eligible Provider License: Microsoft will grant a license to stream Eligible Games to PC cloud gaming providers with a B2P or BYOG business model (the "Eligible Provider License"). To qualify as an eligible provider, a PC cloud gaming provider must be a generally-recognised consumer PC cloud gaming provider that meets the following criteria ("Eligible Provider"): (i) [];76 and (ii) it must comply with applicable data protection legislation and commonly used security standards aimed at protecting gamers and games to ensure necessary and sufficient protection of all consumers accounts used to stream Eligible Games.

(e) Pricing: The Consumer License and the Eligible Provider License will be [].

(f) Release date parity: The remedy will provide Eligible Providers release date parity with buy-to-play on PC. The Licenses will be granted for Eligible Games [].

(g) Authorized PC Digital Storefront. An Authorized PC Digital Storefront is any third-party PC digital storefront to which Microsoft decides to distribute Eligible Games post-Transaction. Microsoft commits to distribute Eligible Games post-Transaction to at least one third-party PC digital storefront for the Term.

(h) Licenses will be subject to the following limitations with regard to Eligible

Games:

• The Provider will be responsible to adjust its service, to the extent necessary, to allow for consumers to stream Eligible Games. Microsoft does not expect that any technical adaptations will be needed to be made to Eligible Games to enable streaming on the Providers' service.

• It will be the Provider's sole responsibility to secure potential third-party IP rights necessary to stream Eligible Games (e.g., music, voice talent). This is in line with market practice, as cloud game streaming providers currently need to separately obtain a license for third-party IP rights to stream games. [].

4.6 Microsoft's remedy will include the following mechanisms for monitoring compliance and dispute resolution:

(a) Monitoring Trustee: A monitoring trustee will be appointed to monitor Microsoft's compliance with the remedy and to report to the CMA on a periodic basis. The identity of the monitoring trustee will be agreed with the CMA. The monitoring trustee will be remunerated by Microsoft.

(b) Dispute Resolution Mechanism: A fast-track dispute resolution to an independent adjudicator. The identity of the adjudicator will be agreed with the CMA. The adjudicator will be remunerated by Microsoft.
Click to expand...

The most interesting bit of today, though it doesn't resolve all of the issues, still got MGS cloud services and some windows cost issues.
 
AV

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
mrmustard said:
If i was Microsoft i would make it Game Pass Ultimate only.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'd say so. They can still charge per new expansion since WoW players are gonna buy it anyway, but make everything else in the base game part of a subscription (including access to Classic).
 
AV

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
splattered said:
If that's what it takes for them to be able to maintain current pricing stucture then by all means, close the loopholes
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I've still got another year on mine, sorta praying I can make it that far and get another dirt cheap 3 years. Should last me 'til I have kids.
 
Q

quest

Not Banned from OT
jm89 said:
The point is they company itself is capable of violating there commitments even knowing full well there will be repercussions. Regulators aren't silly to fall for oh look we have new managerment.
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Great if something from 10 plus years ago can be used. Then Sony should not be able to release anything on PC of fear of another root kit by them. Its only fair same rules for both.

en.m.wikipedia.org

Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
DarkMage619

DarkMage619

$MSFT
jm89 said:
The point is they company itself is capable of violating there commitments even knowing full well there will be repercussions. Regulators aren't silly to fall for oh look we have new managerment.
Click to expand...
Are there any examples of MS violating any video game related agreements? Why would you not be able to trust a formal contract from MS? This has nothing to do with trusting their word. The conspiracy theories are wild.
 
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