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[Bernardougf]

I have to say, watching this thread is making me realise there is no difference between those who work at Xbox, and those who play Xbox. Birds of a feather I guess.

Phil already spoke of the evangelization of the fanbase ... it fucking works*



*it just dont sell too many consoles outside of the converted

 

[GHG]

Aren't you literally proposing a remedy that would leave UK gamers with less choices?

He's literally willing to throw his UK xbros under the bus so he can get COD on gamepass.

 

[NickFire]

Those aren't my words, the CMA sees MS rapid growth in cloud as a danger to UK gamers choice and innovation. Removing that hurdle should remove the concern too, right ? I'm just looking at possible things that can continue their newfound negotiations.

I might be misunderstanding you. I thought you suggested they could just remove Xcloud from the UK market. Which would mean UK gamers have one less choice than everywhere else I think.

 

[Sanepar]

Let's wait. Can be a settled game and CMA trying to save their faces for the turn around.

 

[Bernardougf]

He's literally willing to throw his UK xbros under the bus so he can get COD on gamepass.

Remember.. is not about COD .. Phil once said.

 

[adamsapple]

He's literally willing to throw his UK xbros under the bus so he can get COD on gamepass.

They will only have the CMA to blame for that, if it comes to that.

I might be misunderstanding you. I thought you suggested they could just remove Xcloud from the UK market. Which would mean UK gamers have one less choice than everywhere else I think.

Yeah, if you remove xcloud, the UK gamers will have less options. But if it was the choice between that or divestiture of Activision, which would be the better in your opinion?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Yeah, if you remove xcloud, the UK gamers will have less options. But if it was the choice between that or divestiture of Activision, which would be the better in your opinion?

Divesture and remain 3rd party, they're not a struggling company. That was easy.

 

[Vox Machina]

It's been over a decade since Sony bought Gaikai. Since then the "Cloud Gaming Industry" has "grown" (shrunk?) to an astounding 1-2% of overall gaming market spend. That is quite possibly less (as a percentage) than it was in 2012 when Sony acquired them. I've always been of the opinion that MSFT/Xbox should literally just shut xCloud down globally to appease regulators. It's a shit business to be in. It's unprofitable and fraught with regulatory risk. If regulators feel the need to destroy a poor business model then, well, let them.

 

[jroc74]

CNBC made a correction after they reported yesterday that CMA and MS agreed to a small divestiture.

Oh dear...

And I remember reading some ppl post...what do the CMA consider small....

I guess now we know, lol.

The last 24 hours have been amazing.

 

[NickFire]

Yeah, if you remove xcloud, the UK gamers will have less options. But if it was the choice between that or divestiture of Activision, which would be the better in your opinion?

If I worked for the CMA, then I would, without any shadow of doubt in my mind, reject the proposition that I had to choose at all.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

So MS are spreading misinformation about the CMA? Would that be correct?

It sounds to me like MS is trying to control the prevailing narrative that "the deal is done" without it actually being done.

Basically gaslighting everyone into accepting the deal as good as closed

 

[DeepEnigma]

It's been over a decade since Sony bought Gaikai. Since then the "Cloud Gaming Industry" has "grown" (shrunk?) to an astounding 1-2% of overall gaming market spend. That is quite possibly less (as a percentage) than it was in 2012 when Sony acquired them. I've always been of the opinion that MSFT/Xbox should literally just shut xCloud down globally to appease regulators. It's a shit business to be in. It's unprofitable and fraught with regulatory risk. If regulators feel the need to destroy a poor business model then, well, let them.

Yet MSFT™ has been investing heavily into it and have pushed The Power of the Cloud™ for over 10 years now in all facets of their business and sub model structure. They want to make Windows O/S primarily cloud based. What narrative are you trying to construct here that is devoid of reality?

 

[graywolf323]

The level of stupidity and selective blindness the human being can reach wanting "free" shit will never cease to amaze me. It all come to a cost, nothing is free, people should have learned this by now, but they never do until is to late and the trojan horse is already in their backyard.

TANSTAAFL

some people just refuse to learn that lesson though

I've been reading this a lot. New script.

mostly from new users too strangely enough

 

[adamsapple]

If I worked for the CMA, then I would, without any shadow of doubt in my mind, reject the proposition that I had to choose at all.

Of course, the CMA isn't being presented a multiple choice question, MS has, reportedly, already offered them a "small and discrete divestiture", we don't now what it is and what the CMA's response to it is yet.

It sounds to me like MS is trying to control the prevailing narrative that "the deal is done" without it actually being done.

Basically gaslighting everyone into accepting the deal as good as closed

whelp ... and thus a new narrative about a narrative takes shape.

 

[Topher]

Of course, the CMA isn't being presented a multiple choice question, MS has, reportedly, already offered them a "small and discrete divestiture", we don't now what it is and what the CMA's response to it is yet.

Sounds to me like the opening of a typical negotiation. Offer as little as possible and try to get the other side to meet somewhere in the middle.

 

[Bojanglez]

CMA reopens investigations and accept the xcloud divestment... BUT after reading the emails, intentions and lies, returns with the console SLC and demands divestment there also for COD ... what a mind fuck would this be lol


Or they just approve this shit and be done with it ...

Is it even possible for Xbox to 'divest' of xcloud? It seems like it's too engrained into MS's wider infrastructure and to be sold, and simply switching it off in the UK would surely then mean that it is a behavioural remedy, as MS could at any time spin it back up (possibly branded as something else)?

 

[Negotiator101]

Not comical at all. It's strategy.

Only comical if you're emotionally invested in brands. This is how these things play out, we as gamers are just not privy nor pay attention to this in the business world. But now we do/are.

An appeal was already well underway and the CMA was steadfast in its decision, then the FTC case falls apart and all of a sudden they're open to further negotiations. Sounds like a huge change of direction from the CMA and I'm just wondering why? They could have just stayed the course with the CAT right? I'm thinking something else is going on for this to happen.

 

[Fabieter]

Man it's crazy what MS pulled off. They did say if their is one company to overcome a CMA block it's Microsoft. So many people thought the CMA was unmoveable after the block. Now their back to the table? Crazy.

Power and money brings you everything and I mean that literally.

 

[Banjo64]

Of course, like I said yesterday. Removing xcloud from the UK markets game pass seems like the easiest option to remedy CMA's biggest original concern.

Can you please explain how allowing Microsoft to own ABK and removing xCloud from Game Pass in the UK market would be seen as a viable proposition from the CMA's POV? How does that alleviate their concerns?

 

[Embearded]

50 more pages and i'll be convinced to buy GP subscription even though i don't have an xbox or a good PC.

 

[DeepEnigma]

An appeal was already well underway and the CMA was steadfast in its decision, then the FTC case falls apart and all of a sudden they're open to further negotiations. Sounds like a huge change of direction from the CMA and I'm just wondering why? They could have just stayed the course with the CAT right? I'm thinking something else is going on for this to happen.

Have you seen the most recent update? Seems there was PR in the media channels shaping a worldview.

 

[adamsapple]

Can you please explain how allowing Microsoft to own ABK and removing Game Pass from the UK market would be seen as a viable proposition from the CMA's POV? How does that alleviate their concerns?

I didn't say remove game pass, i said possibly remove xcloud from the UKs game pass.

 

[poppabk]

Is that a regulatory body's concern or responsibility if their contract is about to expire? Especially when the CMA had shared their findings and reports months ago, including the concessions they wanted?

Microsoft rejected those concessions and just ignored them at that time.

The contract isn't about to expire, in fact I'm not sure it has an end date. What is about to expire is the period where Activision would have to pay $2 billion to walk away and what is about to start is the period where MS have to pay Activision $3 billion if either of them decide to walk away.

 

[Astray]

 

[DeepEnigma]

I didn't say remove game pass, i said possibly remove xcloud from the UKs game pass.

The most minimal effort for the brand. Makes them look powerful and stronk!

 

[Topher]

An appeal was already well underway and the CMA was steadfast in its decision, then the FTC case falls apart and all of a sudden they're open to further negotiations. Sounds like a huge change of direction from the CMA and I'm just wondering why? They could have just stayed the course with the CAT right? I'm thinking something else is going on for this to happen.

I've been thinking about that and it makes sense for the CMA to wait until after the decision on the PI was made since that in itself would have killed the deal had it been granted.

 

[Gudji]

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

If Sarah knows what's good for her she'll reject whatever MS offers.

Judge Corely has already tasted my warrior wrath. I don't want to destroy another woman.

 

[DeepEnigma]

From paintings to balloons to emails.

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[Vox Machina]

Yet MSFT™ has been investing heavily into it and have pushed The Power of the Cloud™ for over 10 years now in all facets of their business and sub model structure. They want to make Windows O/S primarily cloud based. What narrative are you trying to construct here that is devoid of reality?

I'm talking about Cloud Gaming, obviously. Your attempt to conflate general Cloud Computing (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.) with it is doing you no favors here. No doubt Cloud Compute has been transformative. Cloud Gaming, however, has clearly not been. It's been 11 YEARS since Sony bought Gaikai, since then they've attempted to bolster their efforts by acquiring OnLive's assets. What has it amounted to? In essence, absolutely nothing. The market still hasn't proven that potential customers actually want to pay money for it.

1-2% of overall gaming market spend, after over a decade. Thats pitiful. XCloud is unprofitable and clearly the industry is full of regulatory risk. According to the CMA if you also run a Cloud Computing business then you seeming cannot acquire any companies to bolster your content/IP collection. That means that if Amazon or Google want to acquire anyone then they CANT also run a Cloud Gaming business.

Its within Microsoft's best interest to throw all the xCloud blades in their datacenters into a giant pit and call it a day. "Fun experiment, but CLEARLY not worth it".

 

[DeepEnigma]

I'm talking about Cloud Gaming, obviously. Your attempt to conflate general Cloud Computing (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.) with it is doing you no favors here. No doubt Cloud Compute has been transformative. Cloud Gaming, however, has clearly not been. It's been 11 YEARS since Sony bought Gaikai, since then they've attempted to bolster their efforts by acquiring OnLive's assets. What has it amounted to? In essence, absolutely nothing. The market still hasn't proven that potential customers actually want to pay money for it.

1-2% of overall gaming market spend, after over a decade. Thats pitiful. XCloud is unprofitable and clearly the industry is full of regulatory risk. According to the CMA if you also run a Cloud Computing business then you seeming cannot acquire any companies to bolster your content/IP collection. That means that if Amazon or Google want to acquire anyone then they CANT also run a Cloud Gaming business.

Its within Microsoft's best interest to throw all the xCloud blades in their datacenters into a giant pit and call it a day. "Fun experiment, but CLEARLY not worth it".

Microsoft is betting its future on cloud gaming — but that's what tripped up the Activision deal

U.K. regulators fears that Microsoft could in future withhold its blockbuster Call of Duty, Warcraft and Diablo titles from other cloud gaming platforms.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Zok310]

They need to break that company the fuck up in to tiny parts.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Before:

Now:

This is white-collar corruption at its absolute finest. One small "error" that moved billions of $$, profiting people who were meant to profit.

Us gamers are at the bottom of the barrel in all this; the real story is this and how they all just cut their losses and earned millions in a matter of hours.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Before:

Now:

This is white-collar corruption at its absolute finest. One small "error" that moved billions of $$, profiting people who were meant to profit.

Us gamers are at the bottom of the barrel in all this; the real story is this and how they all just cut their losses and earned millions in a matter of hours.

Yep. I called it from the get-go.

Totally not insider trading.

But nothing will ever be done about it because those who are in control and the purveyors.

 

[Banjo64]

I didn't say remove game pass, i said possibly remove xcloud from the UKs game pass.

Yeah. I've amended my comment.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Awww, Cloud, our future!

 

[Negotiator101]

Have you seen the most recent update? Seems there was PR in the media channels shaping a worldview.

They are in negotiations right? That's all we need to know, that's without question a comedown from the CMA. Any other information is speculative, 6 days we will see what happens but I'm guessing the supposed infallible CMA will fold like a cheap suit.

 

[Vox Machina]

Microsoft is betting its future on cloud gaming — but that's what tripped up the Activision deal

U.K. regulators fears that Microsoft could in future withhold its blockbuster Call of Duty, Warcraft and Diablo titles from other cloud gaming platforms.

www.cnbc.com

CNBC's assertion that MSFT "bet the future on Cloud Gaming" is altogether false. Xbox, the business, will actually keep MORE profit if xCloud were to be divested/scuttled. It's an unprofitable business as Sony has seen. If xCloud were to stop working THIS VERY SECOND then Xbox would continue to exist as a business and be better off for it. Both as a function of keeping more of their revenues AND as a function of being less at risk of regulatory overstep.

So, thanks for agreeing with me I guess.

 

[NickFire]

UK's CMA open to new Microsoft-Activision probe after u-turn

Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday a restructured deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard could satisfy its concerns, subject to a new investigation, marking a climbdown in its opposition to the biggest gaming deal in history.

www.reuters.com

From the article:

"Jonathan Compton, partner at law firm DMH Stallard and a specialist in competition law, said it was difficult to see what structural alterations the company could make.

"Were it to do so, it could face fresh inquiry from the FTC and or the Commission," he said, of the U.S. and EU regulators.

Euclid's McGrath added: "how do you reset the clock just for the CMA process without resetting the clock everywhere?""

The above is one of the major issues. If MS and AB restructure their deal, then they would probably be opening the new deal to review in other countries as well. Even the FTC win would potentially become moot in one fell swoop since I think as the new deal would need to be reviewed.

This story remains nuts 1.5 years later.

 

[DeepEnigma]

They are in negotiations right? That's all we need to know, that's without question a comedown from the CMA. Any other information is speculative, 6 days we will see what happens but I'm guessing the supposed infallible CMA will fold like a cheap suit.

I see where the issue lies.

Here is the most recent CMA response:

"Whilst merging parties don't have the opportunity to put forward new remedies once a final report has been issued, they can choose to restructure a deal, which can lead to a new merger investigation," a spokesperson said.

"Microsoft and Activision have indicated that they are considering how the transaction might be modified, and the CMA is prepared to engage with them on this basis. These discussions remain at an early stage and the nature and timing of next steps will be determined in due course.

"While both parties have requested a pause in Microsoft's appeal to allow these discussions to take place, the CMA decision set out in its final report still stands."

CNBC's assertion that MSFT "bet the future on Cloud Gaming" is altogether false. Xbox, the business, will actually keep MORE profit if xCloud were to be divested/scuttled. It's an unprofitable business as Sony has seen. If xCloud were to stop working THIS VERY SECOND then Xbox would continue to exist as a business and be better off for it. Both as a function of keeping more of their revenues AND as a function of being less at risk of regulatory overstep.

So, thanks for agreeing with me I guess.

If you say so.

Still waiting on this™

Citation needed.

 

[adamsapple]

UK's CMA open to new Microsoft-Activision probe after u-turn

Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday a restructured deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard could satisfy its concerns, subject to a new investigation, marking a climbdown in its opposition to the biggest gaming deal in history.

www.reuters.com

From the article:

"Jonathan Compton, partner at law firm DMH Stallard and a specialist in competition law, said it was difficult to see what structural alterations the company could make.

"Were it to do so, it could face fresh inquiry from the FTC and or the Commission," he said, of the U.S. and EU regulators.

Euclid's McGrath added: "how do you reset the clock just for the CMA process without resetting the clock everywhere?""

The above is one of the major issues. If MS and AB restructure their deal, then they would probably be opening the new deal to review in other countries as well. Even the FTC win would potentially become moot in one fell swoop since I think as the new deal would need to be reviewed.

This story remains nuts 1.5 years later.

One source close to the deal, who asked not to be named, said they were surprised by the CMA's decision, saying it looked like the UK regulator did not want to stand alone from the two big jurisdictions of the European Union and the United States.

Becket McGrath, a partner at Euclid Law, said it seemed like the CMA wanted a way out of an "uncomfortable position".

Like I said, make it look like they didn't buckle but find a way out as they're the only outlier now.

 

[POKEYCLYDE]

Is it gonna pass? Is it gonna get blocked?

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

we're in a fractal narrative inception at this point, with narratives contained within narratives holographically projecting narrative reflections into the aether which themselves are a congregation of narratives.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Is it gonna pass? Is it gonna get blocked?

Yes.

 

[thebigmanjosh]

I think people are thinking too hard on this. MS/ATVI will just restructure the deal to remove the CMA as a required legislative approver and call it a day

 

[IntentionalPun]

So MS approached CMA and said they'd re-structure the deal, to go back to the drawing board basically.. now 3 more months of talking.

This still feels like a long shot for MS. Or they truly are willing to do some serious divestiture.

 

[ToadMan]

Oooof.gif

Green rats with blue balls.

We may finally have found the missing link in console evolution.

 

[Ogbert]

Euclid's McGrath added: "how do you reset the clock just for the CMA process without resetting the clock everywhere?""

Because, according to suggestions, the structural remedy is around spinning off ABK UK and ring fencing it in the UK.

That has nothing to do with any other jurisdiction.

 

[Alex Scott]

Is it gonna pass? Is it gonna get blocked?

We will know by Monday.