It appeared petty. I don't recall the other 9 regulatory bodies making a Twitter statement after cma made their decision.
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Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)
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NickFire
Member
* time stamped
The video ends on a suggestion of cheaper advertising prices and benefits for consumers.
Take the Blue Pill
adamsapple
- you know it's time.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
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itsjustJEFF
Member
I certainly haven't heard of it happening much, but it may not be something on my radar. But this is also a pretty unique situation and I think it's a lot more nuanced than a lot of ppl are making it out to be. There is a lot of double speak, unavilable details, and straight up slight of hand happening that is lost on most ppl, including myself BTW. I don't blame the CMA for disagreeing. Their loyalty is to their ppl, if they don't believe it's a good deal for them then they block.
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foamdino
Member
So for those who are interested, here's the parliament tv link of the CMA being questioned
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event...GN*MTY4NDI1MjUyMy4zLjEuMTY4NDI1MjY1OS40LjAuMA..
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event...GN*MTY4NDI1MjUyMy4zLjEuMTY4NDI1MjY1OS40LjAuMA..
His reaction says a thousand words. They are definitely gonna try to work around it.
That wasn't a "yeah that would be difficult" look. It was more "lol yeah for sure"
From the hearing today, it sounded more like they just default to block and go from there.
itsjustJEFF
Member
I don't think the UK had any choice but to send out a response. They are the outlier... EVERYONE is looking at them. I can guarantee you that a lot of ppl who have an interest in this was wanting and expecting a response. In fact, they would probably be asked straight up about their response to the EU approving. So no matter what, they would have had to make a statement.
Bojanglez
The Amiga Brotherhood
And probably having to also pay them Windows licensing fees
Banjo64
cumsessed
Why is it only Microsoft ‘fans’ that have 50 posts since 2014 who come out of the woodwork only to shill for Microsoft?
Ben, is that you?
NickFire
Member
Are they really the outlier though?
By my count it is 2 opposed, 1 in favor. If the deal is conditioned on approval outside of US, UK, or EU, I reserve the right to change my opinion.
itsjustJEFF
Member
They're defaulting to "block" because nothing has changed their minds on their conclusions, especially not the EU's assessment. Unless their concerns can be addressed, they will continue to block.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
You're lucky, at least you don't have someone with a 3 year account with 0 posts after you
Banjo64
cumsessed
You're lucky, at least you don't have someone with a 3 year account with 0 posts after you
itsjustJEFF
Member
I believe they're the only ones in their region, aka Europe, that seems to be straight up against it. From what others have said or "reported" it seems like the others are more open to the approving the deal.
Astray
Member
A lot of people have brought up the question of what pulling out of the UK would do for Microsoft, but not a lot talked about Activision.
If you are curious about that part of the equation then this piece is for you.
www.tweaktown.com
If you are curious about that part of the equation then this piece is for you.
Pulling out of UK would significantly harm Activision
Activision's recent 2022 annual report indicates it would be significantly harmed if it decided to pull out of the UK as a result of CMA merger ruling.
www.tweaktown.com
That's because there was not a PR campaign by a trillion dollar company to appeal their decision, or slander the nation and authority's rationality. If they faced some pushback and lobbying I'm sure other regulators would have been defending their decision more publicly too. The CMA are a lot more open to the public in their process but they and the FTC are the only ones facing this PR and lobbying backlash from a massive conglomerate.
Seemed more like I'm not saying a word but I want that threat to linger in your mind.
MasterCornholio
Member
You're lucky, at least you don't have someone with a 3 year account with 0 posts after you
Ogbert
Member
It’s certainly a unique scenario. I’ve not known a regulatory investigation to have such public interest.
I have to say, the CMA position always has, and continues to, surprise me. I simply do not understand why they are so invested in the cloud point. And that’s not really anything to do with MS or Sony, rather why a UK regulatory body is being so aggressive.
It’s very unusual for a regulatory body to be so defensive of a nascent market. It’s far easier to let the big fellas have at it and then fine the winner. This approach often works out for the consumer. Economies of scale allow Amazon to undercut the hell out of everyone. Where the outrage for Amazon delivering us everything? Consumers love a monopoly when it makes things cheaper.
So CMA appear to be taking a strict competition approach and protecting other businesses (principally Sony and Nintendo) as opposed to consumers. Which is why I would expect the licensing arrangement to be sufficient.
It may well be that MS behaved like total and utter bellends and irritated everyone at the CMA. Would explain the speed and directness of the CMA’s response.
Make no mistake though, this does put some pressure on the CMA. Nothing huge and it doesn’t mean they will change their position, but eyebrows will be raised.
Cma needs to stay in their lane. Reeks of insecurity.
PropellerEar
Member
Are you building your reaction score?You're lucky, at least you don't have someone with a 3 year account with 0 posts after you
With one of the alts that didn't get merged to your current account.
MasterCornholio
Member
Thats up to the CAT to decide.
LoveCake
Member
The EU is just kicking the can down the road, when it will be too late to do anything to regulate MS, Xbox, GamePass and the Cloud, consolidation is a bad thing in any industry and I fail to see the EU's point that that the "Activision Blizzard acquisition is good for competition".
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Their test (EU) has always been about levying fines. This has been their modus operandi for the past 20+ years now.
Look at all the shit they are investigating now. It won't stifle these companies, it won't help stall their anti-competitive practices, it will only enrich the EU through levies.
Create the problem, provide the solution (enrichment).
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X-Wing
Member
Everyone’s saying MS will pull out of the UK but couldn’t they just not put COD on gamepass/xcloud out there? Why is everyone going straight to pulling the entirety of Xbox out of the UK instead of just 1 game in the cloud. Is something preventing that which I’m missing or?
Ogbert
Member
Thanks for that. Interesting. So, in short (reading between the lines).
The UK thinks 10 years isn’t long enough to develop a CoD competitor. The EU thinks it is.
Sanepar
Member
They are protecting the audience. Consumers. Biggest player base is on playstation how the hell will be good to force part of a install base to move to other platform to play games already available on both?
Explain to me how this bring benefits to playstation consumers on the long term?
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
No.
They can't own ABK if the CMA doesn't budge. Hell, both companies can't even purchase heavy amounts of shares in one another.
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I wonder when cma will bring up their mathematical errors.
I applaud it. It's more that MS and insecure people will and have used the EC decision to slander the CMA so they publicly clarified why they've taken a different view. The CMA and FTC (Lina especially) will face constant scrutiny by MS's PR machine and lobbying power. If MS screw over the UK market rest assured that they would try and launch a campaign to blame the CMA for abandoning the UK while pretending all they wanted was the best for everyone. The CMA need to make it be known that their goal is preserving competition and not silently give in to the PR campaign of the merging parties. Make their own statements where they can. It's not like MS, Activision and their cronies aren't with far less professional posts.
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Ogbert
Member
Easily circumvented.
They would spin off MS UK, a separate entity, and offer MS services independent of their parent company. ABK games would be removed from cloud services.
An enormous headache and would take years, but it could be done. Obviously the assumption is that MS would choose not to do this.
A UK regulator can’t dictate terms outside its borders.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
UK further restricts Microsoft and Activision merge
The UK competition regulator bans Microsoft and Activision from "acquiring an interest" in each other.
www.bbc.com
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LordCBH
Member
UK further restricts Microsoft and Activision merge
The UK competition regulator bans Microsoft and Activision from "acquiring an interest" in each other.
These people are allergic to reading.
Ogbert
Member
That’s not protecting consumers. That’s protecting Sony’s share of the consumers.
You’re arguing for less competition.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
On the flip side, this is what the EU had to say today
MasterCornholio
Member
On the flip side, this is what the EU had to say today
So this is what they are going to present in the appeal?
IFireflyl
Gold Member
It isn't saying that at all. It specifically says if they have a license, then the game can be streamed via ANY streaming service that operates in the EU. There is nothing in the EC's remedy that says that the type of license and the type of streaming service must match. That's why I'm telling you that what you're saying might have been their intention, but that's not what they said.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
The consumers are the ones who have chosen.
Microsoft Activision should be able to comment all they want. They are the parties involved. Cma making comments on ec decisions is weird.
Ogbert
Member
That is an interim provision which reminds MS and ABK that they can’t be cute and have the purchased entity pretend to buy the purchaser.
The scenario I am talking about (which you will note I said ‘could take years’) is where they set up a wholly new UK subsidiary that offers MS’ services on unique, UK domestic terms.
It’s unlikely, but entirely possible.
Seriously, stop being such a fanboy. A couple of lawyers at a domestic regulator do not get to determine the entire international strategy of MS, or Sony, or Amazon or anyone outside their borders.
HundredThousandTrillion
Member
When I posted this at at 9:20pm last night I was mostly joking.
But I'm glad that Satya is now openly threatening (ok, more of a wink) to do as much.
Exit the UK.
The CMA is not the world's police. They are one regulatory group amongst a sea of many. This move would set precedent and show that they are fairly toothless without the backing of the EU. The UK is not essential in a post console world.
BLOCK THEM SATYA. DO IT. Force UK citizens to play endless hours of AAA PS5 single player games like I do.
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X-Wing
Member
Regulators commenting on each other decisions and explaining why they reach different conclusions is common.
It wouldn't be the first time cma made mathematical errors.On the flip side, this is what the EU had to say today
Can you show me the comments made by the 9 other regulatory bodies on the cma decision. Id like to check them out. Maybe they did stated cma is incorrect.
HundredThousandTrillion
Member
It's a game of chicken at this point. If the CMA doesn't back down and Microsoft exits from the UK. It's going to set a precedent that's going to have long lasting impacts to the UK and it's citizens. The CMA is going to look pretty foolish.
I know M$ has a healthy console market in the UK (#2 for XBOX I believe) but I'm sure Microsoft has already done the math and at the end of the day that's pretty meaningless.
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DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Goes against MS's PR that past 10 years (and as recent as last year), but WTF do we know, it only came from their own mouths of their plans. Remember the "3 billion gamers?"On the flip side, this is what the EU had to say today
Xbox Wants To Get to 3 Billion Players With or Without Consoles, Says Publishing Head
Xbox wants to gain a massive amount of market share in the future: 3 billion players and they plan to bring their games to people with or without Xbox consoles.
www.techtimes.com
Oh and this,
Welcoming the Incredible Teams and Legendary Franchises of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming - Xbox Wire
Creators of Call of Duty, Warcraft, Candy Crush, Tony Hawk, Diablo, Overwatch, Spyro, Hearthstone, Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot, StarCraft and more join Team Xbox As a team, we are on a mission to extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We all know that gaming is the...news.xbox.com
All this “cloud gaming isnt important”looks funny now.
Stardust_Dragon
Banned
The CMA already dropped the console SLC component prior to the final decision on April 26th, so why are you mentioning Sony and Nintendo here when that's not the issue being cited by the CMA, but rather protecting the nascent cloud gaming market from being monopolized by Microsoft in the future?
The UK government would get involved and call a special session if Microsoft was bold to carry out this move. It would be as shocking as Ms buying Activision blizzard.. Haha
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