Microsoft buys Activision-Blizzard

Retr0gamer

If the Tories are all for it then you know nothing good will come of it except for their 1%er best mates.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120611639#Comment_120611639

I get COD with game pass. Thats all that matters to me, its time to be selfish for once in my life.

I do honestly believe this is life or death for Xbox. I'm Xbox born and bred and as things are I will not be renewing my game pass sub even with the 3 year stack discount. Its just not good enough value compared to picking up games on sale.

My achievements list is full of games that I started, gave a decent try and gave up. 10, 20, 40 point achievements and then uninstalled.

A yearly dose of COD would change my mind. That plus the odd game here and there makes it good value.

The thick plottens.

A CMA director, who blocked Microsoft's Xbox-Activision merger, previously worked for a Sony law firm.

Mueller has since claimed that said senior director was a central voice in getting the ABK deal blocked

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/the-cmas-senior-director-who-blocked-microsofts-xbox-activision-merger-previously-worked-for-a-sony-google-law-firm

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120639832#Comment_120639832

Ah that's gas 😀

marcbrophy

Greasy fcukers!

The world runs on kick-backs folks 😆

johnny_ultimate

Some shocking writing in that Windows Central article - it actually undermines the story it's trying to cover with its silly editorialising.

CatInABox

Yeah, and totally factually wrong as well, the guy they're talking about isn't working on this case. Be incredibly surprised if there's anything to this story.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120639832#Comment_120639832

Article is borderline comical and is so poorly written.

"Man held job in a firm over ten years ago that also worked with/for Sony...and...and...he might have mates there who stand to gain from the blocking of the ABK deal".

CatInABox

The first skirmishes between MS and the CMA over the appeal are happening right now, and from reports, it does not seem to be going all that well for the CMA.

The judge seems very hostile to their idea of a late hearing, and is definitely leaning towards MS's idea of an expedited hearing. The ticking clock on the deal was very clearly one of the tactics that the CMA wanted to exploit, and the judge rubbished it. Judge also said he understood all aspects of the case, so no expert witnesses will be needed, again speeding up the case. Then the judge implied that he thinks that Cloud and Console are the same market, essentially annihilating the CMAs case.

People thought that this would be a boring procedural sitting, and the MS guy is taking apart the CMA case before the appeal has even started.

Mr Crispy

The date for the hearing has been set.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/hearing-in-microsofts-appeal-against-cma-to-start-on-july-24

Ms/Abk seem to have a number of options still within their own control. Leaving the CMA jurisdiction still an option under consideration. I could see them going ahead with the merge, letting the CMA sue, put up a fight in court and if losing it then at that point pulling out of the UK. The court battle could then become a battle over whether ABK stays in the UK or not rather than a battle over whether the merge can happen.

https://twitter.com/PostUp_SOG/status/1664330002907668481?s=20

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668913#Comment_120668913

Just don't see that happening. Any fines that the CMA hands out won't be against ABK, they'll be against MS itself. Same with any kind of ring fencing, like setting up an "ABK UK", as in the end, it'll still be owned and operated by MS.

It's win in the court or not at all, to be honest.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668935#Comment_120668935

It wouldn't be MS leaving the UK. It would need to be ABK and it would need to happen prior to the merge. The tweet says they can still sell into the UK via a distributor, but I'm not sure how that works.

I agree it's a last resort. I do see the deal closing at any costs, its just a question of how far they have to push it and how desperate they get. MS will bend over backwards with any regulation concerns. We already see them releasing on any cloud platform they can find.

But it's not beyond possibility that it gets the point where they just have to bypass the CMA. CMA seems to be doubling down and flexing their muscles. There is no hint of any type of concessions working, its just decision made end of story.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668977#Comment_120668977

More Brexit benefits.

Exclamation Marc

It would be very foolish and unwise to bypass the CMA and just accept that they'll be sanctioned. It would have far reaching consequences that wouldn't be worth it. Not to mind that they would be dead on arrival in any case that reached court if they simply ignored the CMA.

Even Meta, who would be similarly aggressive, couldn't get past the CMA on Giphy and had to accept it.

I expect MS to fight like hell and who knows what way it will go but it seems a tough battle is ahead. Appealing a CMA decision to the CMA is tough.

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669350#Comment_120669350

It's looking increasing likely that the CMA will be the only body blocking this deal all over the world.

US has a court date pending but MS fully expected to win as US case is very poor and not expected stand up.

So if the UK is the outlier, there is no way that MS will let deal be blocked and they will find a way.

The CMA case is so weak ie. concerns about possible future dominance in a currently tiny cloud gaming market is totally ridculous. EU had similar concerns but where satisfied with MS's remedies and it's crazy that the CMA are not.

MS will have top lawyers on this and they would not be worried about "far reaching consequences" as the CMA would be powerless in a worldwide context.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686405#Comment_120686405

The CMA has the power to fine an entity up to 10% of its global annual turnover. No company with a brain would run head first into that possible sanction, top lawyers or otherwise.

MS will of course appeal and may indeed find a way to appease the CMA or reframe it to get it over the line (or perhaps pressure or influence from other regulators may smooth the tracks and get it done). But if they don't, they won't be just ignoring the decision and barrelling ahead into the UK.

Penn

https://twitter.com/IGN/status/1668345331770089475?t=Tnh9UM9VBoCH9rVHj__Iqg&s=19

FTC looks likely to try block the deal.

johnny_ultimate

FTC REALLY didn’t like that Starfield deep dive, apparently 😎

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120706837#Comment_120706837

"With Microsofts growing monopoly on janky games, we must move swiftly to ensure they don't also gain a monopoly on sweaty teenagers shouting insults at you."

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120686664#Comment_120686664

MS have top lawyers on this and will find a way around it.

They have various options and will find away around any powers the CMA have.

CMA finding was ridiculous , predicting the future of a nascent and tiny market. It looks like they're going to be the only country in the world to block it, despite the FTC's latest move, and they will approve it eventually.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120709568#Comment_120709568

Well...I wasn't arguing that. Nor was I arguing the likelihood or otherwise of the deal getting over the line.

My point was simply that a previous suggestion from a poster that MS would just 'ignore the CMA finding and deal with it afterwards in the court' would simply not happen.

CatInABox

Huh. The FTC trial is about to start up over in the states, and both sides have filed their first arguments. One of the things that stood out to me is that 80% of xCloud users use it on their xbox. It's pretty clearly a try before you buy/MS rewards thing only.

That being the case, I just can't see how the case against the merger could hold up.

marcbrophy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748628#Comment_120748628

I always use it solely on my xbox!

It works best wired :D

But yeah, that's the killer argument for those idiots trying to block it!

Mitch Connor

but they arne't trying to block it over what cloud gaming is now - they are trying to block it over what they think it might be in the future, and the dominance of that market they claim MS will have.

It is still a BS argument, but is one that is more easy to defend cause it is subjective.

Exclamation Marc

From an email presented to the FTC:

"We (Microsoft) are in a very unique position to be able to go spend Sony out of business," wrote Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, in an email from December 2019. 

The more of this type of language that comes out of Microsoft really won't help the deal get over the line.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772608#Comment_120772608

There's a lot more damning stuff from the other side, from what I've seen. The judge doesn't seem to be too impressed with the FTC asking variations of the same question 10 times over.

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772608#Comment_120772608

The rest of that email puts it into context though, and it's a complete non-issue. The FTC has had this email for months, and had the opportunity to ask Matt Booty about it under oath only the other day, and they never brought it up.

CatInABox

I'm listening to the case today, just for the craic, and it's Jim Ryan, SIE CEO, on the stand with a video deposition. It's actually mad how the FTC could have thought that this would help their case. Everyone that they've put on the stand has hurt their own arguments, and this deposition from Ryan is just as bad.

Retr0gamer

This merger has been the biggest source of industry leaks since Eurogamer had a mole inside Nintendo.

So apparently it's been leaked by Microsoft that the next Nintendo console will have a power level around that of the PS4. MS were in talks about making games for their tech