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Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#21

Post by lastangryman »

iflp wrote: post #3

Content aside, this is terrible editing on BBC’s part: > However, the regulator hit back, saying: "It is the CMA's job to do what is best for the people, businesses and economy of the UK, not merging firms with commercial interests." > But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its job was not to serve the interests of merging firms.

Yep also:

> Mr Smith said the CMA's decision market "probably the darkest day in our four decades in Britain".

I assume they meant to say "marked" rather than "market". The editorial standards are frankly a disgrace at the BBC these days, these errors are common.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#22

Post by stephc_int13 »

I am not in favour of monopolies and large acquisitions, as I think those are ultimately detrimental to the economy.

Regulators should take a closer look at Tencent, they have been on an acquisition spree during the last few years, with little resistance, including in the UK.

I am not sure the UK is making the best move here, strategically.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#23

Post by Algent »

Circuitstorm513 wrote: post #7

"Furious attack" - Just goes to show that it was the right decision by the UK. EU should have done the same. I personally don't want all my games to be linked to a Microsoft account in a few years. There's already too many monopolies. It's bad enough they want to force you to use an online account for the operating system.

It's frightening how Microsoft, a company well known for decades of history of being anti consumer and shady managed to get a large vocal part of the internet to vocally defend them going for a monopoly in video game editing. As if them already having monopolies over so many major tech markets wasn't bad enough.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#24

Post by bwesz »

Negitivefrags wrote: post #20
Circuitstorm513 wrote: post #7

"Furious attack" - Just goes to show that it was the right decision by the UK. EU should have done the same. I personally don't want all my games to be linked to a Microsoft account in a few years. There's already too many monopolies. It's bad enough they want to force you to use an online account for the operating system.

If Microsoft being angry shows that it was the right decision, what would it look like if an actually unjust decision was made?

[flagged]

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#25

Post by bell-cot »

Moissanite wrote: post #19

We need to go beyond stopping mergers. Any company which sees itself as large or powerful enough to make unveiled threats against a national economy needs to be broken up. For ultra-large companies (e.g. any company with a market cap over $100B at the moment), default-deny should be the position for any mergers from this point - the burden of proof should be on them to show why the merge would not only be non-harmful…

True in the abstract. But between also-ran countries which get obsessed with creating their own "national champion" mega-companies, and the stable of mega-donors which you need to have a meaningful political career these days, and the win-at-any-cost culture wars...

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#26

Post by piva00 »

Negitivefrags wrote: post #20
Circuitstorm513 wrote: post #7

"Furious attack" - Just goes to show that it was the right decision by the UK. EU should have done the same. I personally don't want all my games to be linked to a Microsoft account in a few years. There's already too many monopolies. It's bad enough they want to force you to use an online account for the operating system.

If Microsoft being angry shows that it was the right decision, what would it look like if an actually unjust decision was made?

It'd look like consumers complaining about the decision.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#27

Post by tailspin2019 »

Good.

The attitude on display here only goes to reinforce that this self-entitled organisation needs reigning in further.

They barely bother to hide their distain towards their own customers at this point. (See Windows 11)

The team behind the .NET ecosystem is the only part of Microsoft that I have any remaining respect for.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#28

Post by jeroenhd »

Circuitstorm513 wrote: post #7

"Furious attack" - Just goes to show that it was the right decision by the UK. EU should have done the same. I personally don't want all my games to be linked to a Microsoft account in a few years. There's already too many monopolies. It's bad enough they want to force you to use an online account for the operating system.

> EU should have done the same

They've started an investigation but haven't completed it yet. The same is true for the American authorities.

Just because the UK was first to finish their investigation doesn't mean other regulatory bodies don't share their opinion.

EU: https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-issues-antitrust-charge-s...

USA: https://www.justice.gov/atr/case/us-v-activision-blizzard-in...

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#29

Post by ndsipa_pomu »

Moissanite wrote: post #19

We need to go beyond stopping mergers. Any company which sees itself as large or powerful enough to make unveiled threats against a national economy needs to be broken up. For ultra-large companies (e.g. any company with a market cap over $100B at the moment), default-deny should be the position for any mergers from this point - the burden of proof should be on them to show why the merge would not only be non-harmful…

Some kind of progressively increasing tax could possibly provide a disincentive. If it's based on turnover/sales rather than profit (to avoid creative accounting), then a merger would increase the tax burden compared to keeping two companies separate. It would also penalise the very biggest players, but maybe that would benefit the smaller companies and encourage greater market choice.

Re: Microsoft in furious attack on UK as major gaming deal blocked

#30

Post by ta1243 »

lastangryman wrote: post #21
iflp wrote: post #3

Content aside, this is terrible editing on BBC’s part: > However, the regulator hit back, saying: "It is the CMA's job to do what is best for the people, businesses and economy of the UK, not merging firms with commercial interests." > But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its job was not to serve the interests of merging firms.

Yep also: > Mr Smith said the CMA's decision market "probably the darkest day in our four decades in Britain". I assume they meant to say "marked" rather than "market". The editorial standards are frankly a disgrace at the BBC these days, these errors are common.

That's what happens when output increases massively, budgets drop by 50%, and there's a constant pressure to be first
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