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[NickFire]

I feel it all revolves around the Appeals Court today

But thats just me

Not just you. Too many coincidences that scream money talked for me to believe otherwise.

But I'll sensibly chuckle at myself for doubting them for at least 45 seconds if it turns out the CMA won't back down.

 

[feynoob]

Haven't changed your mind meaning it's getting approved?

I do wonder if ABK will extend or not and if we will have rumors about that

No one expected CMA to change their mind and evaluate MS new request.

At this point, expect the unexpected with this deal.

Today and Monday will give us a rough idea of what will happen with this deal.

 

[poppabk]

As it stands, shareholders will be pretty much breaking even since the stock is close to the purchase price per share. Something to consider, possibly.

There is no way that at least 10 billion isn't wiped out the second this deal falls through, probably a lot more.

 

[feynoob]

The 1990s attire hair were lit.
Much better than this new era.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

He certainly doesn't treat his employees with any respect

I am friends today with some of the meanest nasty fuckers that I played ball against that I hated at the time

But seeing some of these guys over and over at events you get to know the real person

Thats just me though

 

[Kilau]

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I am friends today with some of the meanest nasty fuckers that I played ball against that I hated at the time

But seeing some of these guys over and over at events you get to know the real person

Thats just me though

I think the real person, especially someone in authority, is how they threat the people that work under them

Not how they "shoot the shit" with you over some drinks

 

[Chiggs]

Forbes piling on the FTC:

The FTC Gets Steamrolled Again, Can’t Pause The Microsoft Activision Deal Before Appeal

The FTC failed to land an injunction pausing the deal, something that Microsoft and Activision both said may kill it, but the opposite result now means the acquisition...

www.forbes.com

Two things can be true: You can respect the FTC's recent mandate to hold huge megacorps to account so they don't abuse their monopolistic powers, and you can also admit that they made an absolutely terrible case to try and stop the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion.

The FTC's failure here has cast a hard spotlight on its chair, 34-year-old Lina Khan, the young rising star that has now been dimmed with her failure to win multiple cases against large corporations. The Microsoft Activision failure is likely the biggest in her tenure so far.

The FTC fumbled badly here. Their case was terrible, and flew in the face of dozens of other countries approving the deal. Not to say the acquisition approval is a right or wrong decision, but inarguably they did not do a job making the legal case that it shouldn't happen. So we should expect the deal to go through by at least the end of this summer, if not within the week, given how fast things are moving.

 

[mckmas8808]

Want? I mean probably not. Consolidation is not the way we would want things to go, no matter who's doing it.

But what's Sony gonna do, just sit there and let this happen to them? They will need to respond in some way. I think they would be justified in doing so. Otherwise, it becomes an arms race between Microsoft, Tencent, Amazon and Google. Where does that leave Sony?

If this deal goes through, maybe they'll put out $8 billion to buy Square Enix. But I wouldn't want Sony to spend $8 billion that way. That'll be a waste of resources. $8 billion would probably be the total cost of R&D, building dev kits, and then producing the first few million PS6 consoles.

 

[mayham2199]

No one expected CMA to change their mind and evaluate MS new request.

From my understanding that's not what happened. MS submitted a new deal. This is just normal CMA procedure. This is how I understood the situation and what's going on.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

If this deal goes through, maybe they'll put out $8 billion to buy Square Enix. But I wouldn't want Sony to spend $8 billion that way. That'll be a waste of resources. $8 billion would probably be the total cost of R&D, building dev kits, and then producing the first few million PS6 consoles.

Sonys response would be outside of square enix

It would be take2 or EA

Alternatively it could be a hunch of smaller studios collectively, like Square + CDPR + FromSoft instead of a big publisher

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I think the real person, especially someone in authority, is how they threat the people that work under them

Not how they "shoot the shit" with you over some drinks

Maybe but I base my friendships on how I get along with them

I am sure I did some shitty things to people along the way to get where I am today especially during my playing days

 

[adamsapple]

Forbes piling on the FTC:

The FTC Gets Steamrolled Again, Can’t Pause The Microsoft Activision Deal Before Appeal

The FTC failed to land an injunction pausing the deal, something that Microsoft and Activision both said may kill it, but the opposite result now means the acquisition...

www.forbes.com

FTC also got a pretty big budget cut when they were actually asking for a budget increase. Irrespective of this particular cases outcome, I don't see Lina being in the position for long if their bad streak continues.

 

[feynoob]

 

[feynoob]

From my understanding that's not what happened. MS submitted a new deal. This is just normal CMA procedure. This is how I understood the situation and what's going on.

This change is going to change CMA original decision, if they accept MS proposal.

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Sanepar]

Sonys response would be outside of square enix

It would be take2 or EA

I think even square is too much for them. I would think their response would be more on ArrowHead ballpark.

More stocks on Epic and From and that is it.

But probably a nice showcase on the horizon.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Maybe but I base my friendships on how I get along with them

I am sure I did some shitty things to people along the way to get where I am today especially during my playing days

As a player you don't have thousands of employees working for you

All-Hands Meeting at Blizzard Entertainment Undermines Concerns and Frustrates Employees

Employees are left frustrated and demoralized after an all-hands meeting in which Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra addressed controversial subjects including stack rankings, reduced profit sharing, and an upcoming return to office mandate.

www.wowhead.com

 

[feynoob]

I still hate it regardless. It's breaks my lazy routine weekend.

 

[Iced Arcade]

It's from Cool Runnings, right ?

Uncle Buck!

 

[Sanepar]

They will close Monday. Everything point to that.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I think even square is too much for them. I would think their response would be more on ArrowHead ballpark.

More stocks on Epic and From and that is it.

But probably a nice showcase on the horizon.

Square is not too much for them. They're not even Bethesda size

And Sony has earmarked selling off their financial arm to finance something much larger than square

 

[feynoob]

Sonys response would be outside of square enix

It would be take2 or EA

Alternatively it could be a hunch of smaller studios collectively, like Square + CDPR + FromSoft instead of a big publisher

Take 2 and EA is outside realm for Sony.

People need to stop with these dreams.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Take 2 and EA is outside realm for Sony.

People need to stop with these dreams.

Nothing is out of the realm for the king

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Take 2 and EA is outside realm for Sony.

People need to stop with these dreams.

No they aren't.

And It's not a dream, I don't want it to happen, but escalation is the result of something like this

If you don't think Sony could acquire either of them you're not well versed in M&A

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I don't follow Tom but I agree with what he said in a follow up to that post

As a player you don't have thousands of employees working for you

All-Hands Meeting at Blizzard Entertainment Undermines Concerns and Frustrates Employees

Employees are left frustrated and demoralized after an all-hands meeting in which Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra addressed controversial subjects including stack rankings, reduced profit sharing, and an upcoming return to office mandate.

www.wowhead.com

I remember that now that you linked it and sorry but don't agree on he doesn't deserve friends statement

 

[GHG]

As a player you don't have thousands of employees working for you

All-Hands Meeting at Blizzard Entertainment Undermines Concerns and Frustrates Employees

Employees are left frustrated and demoralized after an all-hands meeting in which Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra addressed controversial subjects including stack rankings, reduced profit sharing, and an upcoming return to office mandate.

www.wowhead.com

Yeh sport is completely different. You need to be somewhat of a cutthroat asshole to survive at the top, the standards are very high and if you want to win you can't take any passengers.

The only corporate environment that can be similar is sales, but still that is very much dependant on how the company wants to run the sales team.

I don't follow Tom but I agree with what he said in a follow up to that post

That meeting will be very interesting if they've already closed the deal before it starts.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I don't follow Tom but I agree with what he said in a follow up to that post




I remember that now that you linked it and sorry but don't agree on he doesn't deserve friends statement

According to several sources, Ybarra stated something to the effect of: "If you think that executives are making a lot of money and you aren't, you're living in a myth."

Sounds like a swell guy

 

[ToadMan]

Brits love their procedures. Accelerated to them means a short tea time but still tea time.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Haven't changed your mind meaning it's getting approved?

I do wonder if ABK will extend or not and if we will have rumors about that

They don't really have to "extend" anything.

All signs point to them not using the breakup clause until this latest stuff is sorted out regardless of it it goes beyond the 18th.

 

[GHG]

Brits love their procedures. Accelerated to them means a short tea time but still tea time.

There must be procedures, if not we would have chaos like the US system. Their courts are 90% theatre, 10% logic.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

According to several sources, Ybarra stated something to the effect of: "If you think that executives are making a lot of money and you aren't, you're living in a myth."

Sounds like a swell guy

I don't know what others under him make but I know how much he signed for with his contract and he does quite well and have showed the receipts to mods here to prove that statement

I dunno what to tell ya we can just agree to disagree here.

 

[Heisenberg007]

I see that Tom is still sticking with the "deal will be closed before Monday" narrative. I wonder if these pro-MS journalists like Tom intentionally act dumb or if they are really that thick-head.

The CMA just announced Microsoft's proposal. Does he think that while the CMA is considering that and both CMA and Microsoft are standing in front of CAT asking them to pause their appeal, Microsoft would have closed the acquisition illegally over the CMA and CAT an hour before it? Such stupidity, I swear.

 

[Sanepar]

Square is not too much for them. They're not even Bethesda size

And Sony has earmarked selling off their financial arm to finance something much larger than square

Sony bank market cap is $10 bi right? They intend to sell 80%. They have 3.6 bi to spend until next fiscal year. So 11.6 bi if they sell all stocks this year for whole company not only game. I think u can get Square for 6-6.5 bi but would be stupid and help nothing when u lost Cod.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I don't know what others under him make but I know how much he signed for with his contract and he does quite well and have showed the receipts to mods here to prove that statement

I dunno what to tell ya we can just agree to disagree here.

Right he does far better than most of his employees lol

 

[Dlacy13g]

I find it funny that many here are thinking Sony will "need" to respond to the ABK buy. Frankly I expect Sony to do nothing in the short term but sit back and watch things closely... They have some irons in the fire and frankly its more important they get those internal live service games right vs worrying about buying someone like Square Enix who will literally offer them nothing of truely significant value give almost all of Square's content comes to PS5 either as multiplatform or exlusively to them without them owning them.

 

[Ogbert]

If this deal goes through, maybe they'll put out $8 billion to buy Square Enix. But I wouldn't want Sony to spend $8 billion that way. That'll be a waste of resources. $8 billion would probably be the total cost of R&D, building dev kits, and then producing the first few million PS6 consoles.

Would Square even make a difference?

The only real acquisition that Sony could make that would have the same sort of 'cultural' weight is From.

 

[mckmas8808]

Sonys response would be outside of square enix

It would be take2 or EA

Alternatively it could be a hunch of smaller studios collectively, like Square + CDPR + FromSoft instead of a big publisher

Those are just too expensive to realistically see them buying. And EA is breaking out their gamin division and splitting it out as we speak. Does Sony "REALLY" want to own either EA or Take2?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Sony bank market cap is $10 bi right? They intend to sell 80%. They have 3.6 bi to spend until next fiscal year. So 11.6 bi if they sell all stocks this year for whole company not only game. I think u can get Square for 6-6.5 bi but would be stupid and help nothing when u lost Cod.

It's not stupid, its called protecting your revenue sources after the largest tech acquisition in history

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Those are just too expensive to realistically see them buying. And EA is breaking out their gamin division and splitting it out as we speak. Does Sony "REALLY" want to own either EA or Take2?

It's not too expensive. Look at take 2 buying zynga, a company worth almost as much as they were

Is it smart? I don't know, but these times would justify it

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I see that Tom is still sticking with the "deal will be closed before Monday" narrative. I wonder if these pro-MS journalists like Tom intentionally act dumb or if they are really that thick-head.

The CMA just announced Microsoft's proposal. Does he think that while the CMA is considering that and both CMA and Microsoft are standing in front of CAT asking them to pause their appeal, Microsoft would have closed the acquisition illegally over the CMA and CAT an hour before it? Such stupidity, I swear.

I can 100% see it closing this weekend over the CMA and sorry I don't feel stupid but maybe I am

 

[ToadMan]

There is no way that at least 10 billion isn't wiped out the second this deal falls through, probably a lot more.

Yep.

And that would be a great time to buy because the $10bn and another $10bn again will be added back on in weeks.

ATVI report earnings end of this month after the successful launch of D4.

If not for this acquisition they'd already be north of $100 given the nasdaq rally, resolution of the employment allegations and now revenue from D4.

 

[Heisenberg007]

I can 100% see it closing this weekend over the CMA and sorry I don't feel stupid but maybe I am

But acquisitions of public companies cannot even close during the weekend because the stock exchange is not open.

In fact, they can't even close today even if the FTC fails in its appeal because of the East Coast and West Coasting timing of the Stock exchange. It'll have to happen around 9AM, which is 2.5 hours before the Court of Appeals even opens.

Tom ignoring all this is just ...

 

[pepodmc_]

Those are just too expensive to realistically see them buying. And EA is breaking out their gamin division and splitting it out as we speak. Does Sony "REALLY" want to own Take2?

who would not want to have GTA as an exclusive? the thing is that sony doesnt have the money for take 2 i think.

Microsoft on the other hand...

 

[Heisenberg007]

Yep.

And that would be a great time to buy because the $10bn and another $10bn again will be added back on in weeks.

ATVI report earnings end of this month after the successful launch of D4.

If not for this acquisition they'd already be north of $100 given the nasdaq rally, resolution of the employment allegations and now revenue from D4.

And COD MW3 announcement soon after (planned for August as per the leaked reports).

 

[zapper]

what would the cat conference of 17 be for? I see only positive news for ms in this. we went from having a debate at the end of July to having it when ms wanted it...

 

[Dlacy13g]

It's not too expensive. Look at take 2 buying zynga, a company worth almost as much as they were

Is it smart? I don't know, but these times would justify it

But Zynga offered Take 2 soemthing very strategic and valuable in that they helped Take 2 make a massive leap into the mobile market and added assets in the mobile arena Take 2 didn't have. What is the value and strategic significance something like Square would bring? A japanese developer who already has significant ties to Sonys platforms and shown loyalty to their platforms consistently over the years?

 

[Heisenberg007]

who would not want to have GTA as an exclusive? the thing is that sony doesnt have the money for take 2 i think.

Microsoft on the other hand...

If I remember correctly, Sony had more than $40 billion in cash before they changed their accounting procedure. As per their revised accounting method, they now have over $13 billion in just cash in hand.

If they liquidate their cash equivalents, they can easily acquire Take-Two without even raising a loan -- especially if they also spin-off their finance division as per their plan, which could easily bring $8-$10 billion for them. Moreover, just the PlayStation division is forecasted to bring $32 billion in revenue next year. Last year was $27 billion.

Their 5 biggest shareholders are also banks. Raising a small loan is not going to be even a little bit of an issue for them.

 

[Astray]

But Zynga offered Take 2 soemthing very strategic and valuable in that they helped Take 2 make a massive leap into the mobile market and added assets in the mobile arena Take 2 didn't have. What is the value and strategic significance something like Square would bring? A japanese developer who already has significant ties to Sonys platforms and shown loyalty to their platforms consistently over the years?

Square has a healthy mobile business in Japan iirc, they also own Manga magazines that can add to Sony's anime endeavors.

 

[mckmas8808]

Well to be fair - if MS buys Activision, R* and EA will be off the market shortly after anyway.
Of course MS's take on digital storefronts is at least as bad as any of them - but then we have Epic around to make everyone else look good in comparison.

Anyway what was I saying again - yea Digital does have its problems - but it sucks dramatically worse when you remove consoles from the equation - so we have a great future all around to look forward to.

Why would R* and EA be off the market?