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Microsoft / Activision deal prevented to protect innovation and choice in cloud gaming

diffusionx

Gold Member
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what's extra funny about this is one of those franchises is not just on Xbox but GamePass
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
FANtastic news.

HA!

Made my day.

I was frankly disgusted by all the gamers out there who wanted to see MS just gobble up mega corporations in order to "compete".

I was also in shock to see so many so called smart people wonder why Sony was trying so hard to get it blocked. Hmm I wonder, why would anyone want their main competitor to have complete control over the biggest
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! Somebody gets it!
No it just holds the cloud market stagnant until sony puts its games on cloud day 1 and have a monopoly there. Sony now gets to wait until it profitable to take the market. It would be no different than the cma to hold netflix down until the major players wanted in the game. Your punishing those early to a market trying to establish it. Rewarding those who are late to the market on their own accord.
 
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IFireflyl

Gold Member
Ok I see, so it does haveto be unaminous. So the only way Microsoft can revitalize the deal is if they can prove irrationality as I don't see the other criteria being very feasible.

Basically, yeah. People suggesting MSFT just back out of U.K. don't understand that the deal is dead regardless. They filed with the SEC, and those four regulators have to approve the acquisition. If not, their own SEC filing says the deal is dead. There isn't wiggle room for Microsoft to back out of one of the markets even if they wanted to (which they don't, because that would be stupid).
 

Unknown?

Member
I'm just messing with you lol. Honestly though, it's still weird to me that it's alright to make exclusivity deals but not at wholesale. We literally watch games be taken from Xbox players all the time. It's even been aired out during these proceedings that deals are made specifically so that a dev or publisher can't work with MS if they choose to accept a certain amount of money from Sony. I just wish we would make it all fair game. Let everyone make whatever deals they want then.
Then it wasn't a fair proceeding and Microsoft was holding back information because they have the same clauses against Sony when they moneyhat and have done so just as much as Sony.
 

X-Wing

Member
The more I think about this the more hilarious it all becomes. There was this constant attempt to make Playstation look like the boogey man that didn't want gamers to get the "best deal in gaming", and the CMA goes blocking the deal, not because they think the deal endangers PlayStation, but because they understand that Microsoft's larger marketshare on Cloud gaming together with their monopoly on the PC operating system represents a risk to any other player wanting to enter that market.
 
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Nydius

Member
Basically, yeah. People suggesting MSFT just back out of U.K. don't understand that the deal is dead regardless. They filed with the SEC, and those four regulators have to approve the acquisition. If not, their own SEC filing says the deal is dead. There isn't wiggle room for Microsoft to back out of one of the markets even if they wanted to (which they don't, because that would be stupid).
Plus, even if backing out if the UK were an option, MSFT shareholders would absolutely revolt at the notion of Microsoft sacrificing their second largest gaming market just to complete an acquisition. Especially after yesterday’s mediocre gaming segment of Microsoft’s financials.

Ditching their biggest market behind the US for what is an increasingly overpriced acquisition would be Microsoft cutting off their nose to spite their face.
 
Well Google decided to give up on Stadia as soon as Microsoft announced this deal, so it makes perfect sense...

It wasn't a coincidence
The writing was on the wall for Stadia the moment it launched, because they officered consumers a bad product with low confidence. The moment Google announced Stadia we all half-jokingly started counting the days until it was just another shuttered Google service, and we were right.

I subbed to Stadia for probably a year but only because they were giving games to people with active Pro subs, but the only game I ever bought from them was using Google Play Store credit I had from a 2yo refund lol. Nobody wanted to make Stadia their primary platform and spend the kind of money that would have made Stadia viable long-term.

Stadia would still be around if they launched from day one as a front end to play the games you already own.
 
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BeardGawd

Banned
Really? Care to quote?
Can't quote at the moment becaue I'm mobile but yes one of Sony's many arguments was that COD would give MS an insurmountable lead in Cloud gaming. Google then came along and said the same thing. Nvidia smelling blood in the water then said they had "concerns" but MS worked out a deal with Nvidia.
 

Noxxera

Banned
What can I say that hasn't already been said?

Hmmm. I guess I have a question if nothing else because I haven't been following this closely.

Does this mean that it's a done deal? I know Microsoft will have to appeal, but to who? Is there like a court or something? How does this work?

Also I thought even if CMA approved, the FTC still has a court case pending right? So either way, wasn't this a done deal?

Last question. Do the approvals have to be unaminous? So all countries/commissions have to agree?
I think it's safe to say literally no one knows how this will go except the ppl involved in blocking the deal and such. And they're definitely not hanging on neogaf.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Well Google decided to give up on Stadia as soon as Microsoft announced this deal, so it makes perfect sense...

It wasn't a coincidence

This whole aspect has really flown under the radar. MS with the ability to exclusively offer ABK product on its streaming service has basically the entire model on lockdown. How would anyone, even Google with their vast wealth, ever be able to effectively compete in that space?
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Get rekt MS. Stop throwing money at every problem you have. Go make your own games for once. I would respect them more if they got back to the 360 days. Also fire Philly the buffon a.k.a the lying P a.k.a snake oil a.k.a ”the gamer”.
I think this pretty much ends Phil's tenure at Microsoft. Somone's gonna have to fall on their sword over this, and I think it will be the head of xbox.

Lets hope the next guy incharge has a different vision.
 

MikeM

Gold Member
Pathetic. If it was Sony that bought them no one would care.
But they can’t. Not sure why this keeps coming up.
Look who Sony bought recently- a dev no one really knows. Sony looks for potential.
If only they had 2 trillion dollars and 25 devolpers with established and popular ip. Whatever can they do?
Perhaps invest in their own studios they have, dig out some damn good IP and get it out the door?
 

Nydius

Member
If the UK is the only place to block the merger, it absolutely will. Mark it.
You’re not keen on reading, I suppose. It’s already been explained in here several times that MS’ SEC filings made it clear the merger needed approval of all four regulatory bodies to proceed. Which included the CMA.

CMA block = the end, barring an unlikely appeal in Microsoft’s favor. MS can’t just plow ahead and “ditch” the UK market, their second largest one behind the USA. And with this ruling put down by the CMA, it emboldens the EU and US FTC to also oppose it.

It’s dead.
 

Represent.

Represent(ative) of bad opinions
Atrocious decision. I'm stunned.
I lol’d at your avatar username and tag combo
MS fanboys on suicide watch.

On a more serious note, now MS has to compete the hard way like everyone else without buying their way out of everything.
This is the way. No easy way out. Build your own IP and compete. You just bought fucking Bethesda. That’s more than enough. If it is t, that is your own problem.
Does this mean Sony can go ALL OUT with their next showcase?

This was my initial thought as well. Maybe now these corporate fucks can stop being so damn silent.
 
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