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Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)

Do you believe the deal will be approved?


  • Total voters
    886
  • Poll closed .
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MS lawyer asked Jim - Has MS not honoured any deal in past with PS or purposely released a broken or bad versions of their game on PS? He said NO. Then lawyers ask - what reason he has now to believe they will do it with CoD? On what basis he saying PS version will be bad or downgraded?. He said he has no reason to believe they will do it now? That gotta be a mic drop moment.





After that, He also downplayed his old email, by saying he couldn't understand what could happen and didn't grasp seriousness of the deal that time blah blah. i mean CEO of PS couldn't understand what will happen when MS buys ABK? He just lied shamelessly there :/



He also gave no answer to FF related questions and also to the question what he will do with CoD if it Sony acquired ABK? He just remain quiet and gave no answer to these 2 questions.



MS lawyers really made him sweat at the end looks like.
:lol:
 

LiquidRex

Member
It's looking like this deal will go through now, and Microsoft will be able to force Sony out by default within the next 10 years, Sony's argument's weren't strong enough in the FTC hearing, Jim Ryan has failed imo.

Microsoft will have the ability to buy up more, they'll get more pushback but it won't matter... This deal will make third party studios weaker and be forced to join the Microsoft eco system because there won't be anywhere else to go in the long run.
 
MS lawyer asked Jim - Has MS not honoured any deal in past with PS or purposely released a broken or bad versions of their game on PS? He said NO. Then lawyers ask - what reason he has now to believe they will do it with CoD? On what basis he saying PS version will be bad or downgraded?. He said he has no reason to believe they will do it now? That gotta be a mic drop moment.





After that, He also downplayed his old email, by saying he couldn't understand what could happen and didn't grasp seriousness of the deal that time blah blah. i mean CEO of PS couldn't understand what will happen when MS buys ABK? He just lied shamelessly there :/



He also gave no answer to FF related questions and also to the question what he will do with CoD if it Sony acquired ABK? He just remain quiet and gave no answer to these 2 questions.



MS lawyers really made him sweat at the end looks like.
:lol:
it was just a thought experiment.
 

supernova8

Banned
It's looking like this deal will go through now, and Microsoft will be able to force Sony out by default within the next 10 years, Sony's argument's weren't strong enough in the FTC hearing, Jim Ryan has failed imo.

Microsoft will have the ability to buy up more, they'll get more pushback but it won't matter... This deal will make third party studios weaker and be forced to join the Microsoft eco system because there won't be anywhere else to go in the long run.
Personally I think the deal (if it goes through) should have some sort of stipulation enforced by the regulators along the lines of "if you don't properly make use of your existing studios (which would include ActiBliz by then) you're not acquiring any more studoios/publishers".

Reason I say that is because it just feels like Microsoft bought a bunch of developers, doesn't have all that much to show for it, and now wants to buy more. Also I don't see how acquiring ActiBliz would provide gamers with tangible benefits beyond their titles being on Game Pass. Specifically, I'm saying I don't see how Microsoft owning Activision Blizzard will lead to them making better games. It's not like ActiBliz can't fund their own games (same applies to Zenimax to be honest, I still don't understand what we gain from Microsoft buying them beyond their stuff going on Game Pass.
 
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LiquidRex

Member
On what grounds?

It’s blocked by the CMA

This court appearance by the FTC is mere entertainment at this point. It doesn’t change the UK’s stance
The CMA will be bypassed via a loophole be it a new company to allow them to practice in the UK, it will be costly but that cost won't be any way near the loss of being out of the UK altogether.
 

Embearded

Member
Personally I think the deal (if it goes through) should have some sort of stipulation enforced by the regulators along the lines of "if you don't properly make use of your existing studios (which would include ActiBliz by then) you're not acquiring any more studoios/publishers".

Reason I say that is because it just feels like Microsoft bought a bunch of developers, doesn't have all that much to show for it, and now wants to buy more. Also I don't see how acquiring ActiBliz would provide gamers with tangible benefits beyond their titles being on Game Pass. Specifically, I'm saying I don't see how Microsoft owning Activision Blizzard will lead to them making better games. It's not like ActiBliz can't fund their own games (same applies to Zenimax to be honest, I still don't understand what we gain from Microsoft buying them beyond their stuff going on Game Pass.

You don't see how Activision provides tangible benefits because there is nothing to see there.

Microsoft is in this position today, because they focused on GP and services before organic growth. Their first party titles before acquiring Zenimax were few and mainly the same IPs they have been publishing since 2 decades ago.
They have excellent hardware, but their software is nowhere to be found and they thought they could compete with GP but it isn't enough.
So their plan now is to get all big titles, make them exclusive and "force" the customers to come to their ecosystem.

Skipping organic growth though, means you are not getting proper feedback from the customers about your politics as a company. How they handle their studios, what gets greenlight and what gets cancelled.
They are trying to go endgame directly and the result could be negative for the studios/publishers they are acquiring.
For example, they just fired people from Zenimax, would that happen if they hadn't acquired them?
Its rare to acquire another company and not enforce the buyer's internal politics and or inherit their problems.

The only thing existing custmers win, is more day 1 games in GP. But that will also change in some way, either with price increases, budget decreases or less output. Microsoft is using fuck you money to eradicate competition, in the end the industry will lose.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
They will close it everywhere and figure something else for UK. They will just make ABK separate entity for UK.

They were considering it that's why FTC went to court for injunction.
You all need to look at how much Mobile gaming generates in revenue, and at the same time look at the vast majority of shit games that is out there.... This is the future of console/PC gaming once this deal is passed.
Lil Yachty Drake GIF by hamlet
 

supernova8

Banned
The only thing existing custmers win, is more day 1 games in GP. But that will also change in some way, either with price increases, budget decreases or less output. Microsoft is using fuck you money to eradicate competition, in the end the industry will lose.

They don't seem to appreciate/care about the implications of allowing Microsoft to fail and then essentially bribe the referee in the form of buying up all the big publishers.

I don't care about COD at all (haven't done since Advanced Warfare with Kevin Spacey) and I think WoW is/was a case of "aint broke don't fix it" and Blizzard kept messing with it until it's become something I cannot even recognize anymore. No interest in Starcraft... faint passing interest in Diablo but not a dealbreaker.... so my issue is not with Microsoft specifically acquiring Activision. It's more the idea that it's not good for competition generally to let Microsoft do what it's doing.
 
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Varteras

Gold Member
Meta tried doing that with giphy, didn’t turn out well for them with that bold move cotton
If it were that easy then every acquisition would go through.

CMA already saw through that. MS and ABK aren't even allowed to invest in each other by proxy. So they could section off ABK from the UK all they want. They would still be in violation of UK law, as MS itself would still operate in the UK. Their only option without being hauled into court, likely fined, and possibly forced to divest, would be for MS to completely leave the UK.
 
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Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
They don't seem to appreciate/care about the implications of allowing Microsoft to fail and then essentially bribe the referee in the form of buying up all the big publishers.

I don't care about COD at all (haven't done since Advanced Warfare with Kevin Spacey) and I think WoW is/was a case of "aint broke don't fix it" and Blizzard kept messing with it until it's become something I cannot even recognize anymore. No interest in Starcraft... faint passing interest in Diablo but not a dealbreaker.... so my issue is not with Microsoft specifically acquiring Activision. It's more the idea that it's not good for competition generally to let Microsoft do what it's doing.
Same boat. Haven't bought or played COD in years. Not interested in Overwatch, Diablo, or World of Warcraft either. Never played those games.

So the games and their potential exclusivity is not an issue for me. But this deal is horrible, and should just die.

If Xbox can't compete even after 2 decades without spending daddy's money, then perhaps they don't deserve to be a relevant player in the industry. Someone else will pick up the mantle.
 

Yoboman

Gold Member
The confidence here is overwhelmingly like the confidence before the CMA ruling

Lets hope it pans out better this time
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
CMA already saw through that. MS and ABK aren't even allowed to invest in each other by proxy. So they could section off ABK from the UK all they want. They would still be in violation of UK law, as MS itself would still operate in the UK. Their only option without being hauled into court, likely fined, and possibly forced to divest, would be for MS to completely leave the UK.
Pfft.

Microsoft will just change its name to SicroMoft and ABK to BKA, and CMA wouldn't even recognize it.

giphy.gif
 

Embearded

Member
Same boat. Haven't bought or played COD in years. Not interested in Overwatch, Diablo, or World of Warcraft either. Never played those games.

So the games and their potential exclusivity is not an issue for me. But this deal is horrible, and should just die.

If Xbox can't compete even after 2 decades without spending daddy's money, then perhaps they don't deserve to be a relevant player in the industry. Someone else will pick up the mantle.

But they can compete, they can do great things, because they have 70B to spend on publishers.
 

Ar¢tos

Member
CMA already saw through that. MS and ABK aren't even allowed to invest in each other by proxy. So they could section off ABK from the UK all they want. They would still be in violation of UK law, as MS itself would still operate in the UK. Their only option without being hauled into court, likely fined, and possibly forced to divest, would be for MS to completely leave the UK.
Then they'll leave the UK! Even if cost them another 70bn!
Because all that matters, all that is important is that a few men-children get to rent COD and Diablo instead of buying them.
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Same boat. Haven't bought or played COD in years. Not interested in Overwatch, Diablo, or World of Warcraft either. Never played those games.

So the games and their potential exclusivity is not an issue for me. But this deal is horrible, and should just die.
If it doesnt matter to you why does it matter to you?

TG1QKk4.jpg
 

Godot25

Banned
Soooo, in summary
Jim Ryan
- somehow thinks that Xbox Series X is supply constrained and is selling good (unlike people around here)
- Murica players likes shooty shooty stuff and that's why COD is more popular there
- he doesn't remember if he met with regulatory bodies after october 2022 (wtf?)
- Nintendo is somehow part of console market but they are not Sony's competitor (???)
- Nintendo is played by bunch of kids despite fact that Nintendo infographic proves otherwise
- Don't think that Starfield exclusivity is anti-competitive (unlike PS fans around here)
- Thinks that COD devs would sabotage PS version of COD despite fact that there is no proof that Microsoft ever did it with PS versions of their games
- He flipped because Microsoft promised him Overwatch 1 and not Overwatch 2 despite game being SAME SKU (wtf?)
- thinks that Microsoft would engage in partial foreclosure of COD because of Game Pass despite Microsoft offering him ability to put COD into PS Plus day one
- He "doesn't listen to calls" where he said to the investors that he doesn't think that Activision merger would hurt Sony (wtf?)
- He "doesn't know" if they could be competitve if deal goes through (isn't he CEO of SIE though?)
- He refused to negotiate deal with Bobby Kotick to have COD on PlayStation
- Publishers "unanimously" don't like Game Pass (despite the fact that many of them are putting day one games into Game Pass like Square Enix, Capcom, Ubisoft, Focus Entertainment etc.)
- Does not think that cloud gaming is separate market (HAHAHAHAHA)

Yeah. It was fun :messenger_grinning:

Meanwhile, ABK share price is almost at 85$. So I guess that market also agrees that FTC is making spectacular job...to not have PI
 
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mansoor1980

Member
Soooo, in summary
Jim Ryan
- somehow thinks that Xbox Series X is supply constrained and is selling good
- Murica players likes shooty shooty stuff and that's why COD is more popular there
- he doesn't remember if he met with regulatory bodies after october 2022 (wtf?)
- Nintendo is somehow part of console market but they are not Sony's competitor (???)
- Nintendo is played by bunch of kids despite fact that Nintendo infographic proves otherwise
- Don't think that Starfield exclusivity is anti-competitive (unlike PS fans around here)
- Thinks that COD devs would sabotage PS version of COD despite fact that there is no proof that Microsoft ever did it with PS versions of their games
- He flipped because Microsoft promised him Overwatch 1 and not Overwatch 2 despite game being SAME SKU (wtf?)
- thinks that Microsoft would engage in partial foreclosure of COD because of Game Pass despite Microsoft offering him ability to put COD into PS Plus day one
- He "doesn't listen to calls" where he said to the investors that he doesn't think that Activision merger would hurt Sony (wtf?)
- He "doesn't know" if they could be competitve if deal goes through
- He refused to negotiate deal with Bobby Kotick to have COD on PlayStation
- Publishers "unanimously" don't like Game Pass (despite the fact that many of them are putting day one games into Game Pass like Square Enix, Capcom, Ubisoft, Focus Entertainment etc.)

Yeah. It was fun :messenger_grinning:
facts
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Maybe he can see the forest.
oh-sure-john-candy.gif

Soooo, in summary
Jim Ryan
- somehow thinks that Xbox Series X is supply constrained and is selling good (unlike people around here)
- Murica players likes shooty shooty stuff and that's why COD is more popular there
- he doesn't remember if he met with regulatory bodies after october 2022 (wtf?)
- Nintendo is somehow part of console market but they are not Sony's competitor (???)
- Nintendo is played by bunch of kids despite fact that Nintendo infographic proves otherwise
- Don't think that Starfield exclusivity is anti-competitive (unlike PS fans around here)
- Thinks that COD devs would sabotage PS version of COD despite fact that there is no proof that Microsoft ever did it with PS versions of their games
- He flipped because Microsoft promised him Overwatch 1 and not Overwatch 2 despite game being SAME SKU (wtf?)
- thinks that Microsoft would engage in partial foreclosure of COD because of Game Pass despite Microsoft offering him ability to put COD into PS Plus day one
- He "doesn't listen to calls" where he said to the investors that he doesn't think that Activision merger would hurt Sony (wtf?)
- He "doesn't know" if they could be competitve if deal goes through (isn't he CEO of SIE though?)
- He refused to negotiate deal with Bobby Kotick to have COD on PlayStation
- Publishers "unanimously" don't like Game Pass (despite the fact that many of them are putting day one games into Game Pass like Square Enix, Capcom, Ubisoft, Focus Entertainment etc.)
- Does not think that cloud gaming is separate market (HAHAHAHAHA)

Yeah. It was fun :messenger_grinning:

Meanwhile, ABK share price is almost at 85$. So I guess that market also agrees that FTC is making spectacular job...to not have PI

giphy.gif
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
Same boat. Haven't bought or played COD in years. Not interested in Overwatch, Diablo, or World of Warcraft either. Never played those games.

So the games and their potential exclusivity is not an issue for me. But this deal is horrible, and should just die.

If Xbox can't compete even after 2 decades without spending daddy's money, then perhaps they don't deserve to be a relevant player in the industry. Someone else will pick up the mantle.
Same. Only good thing ABK have put out in the last 15 years is THPS 1&2, Spyro/Crash remasters.

I think for me this comes down to the fact that I don’t want M$ to be able to spend $80b, absorbing massive losses with their current subscription strategy, with the primary motivator being starving Sony of hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue.
 
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