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Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

theguardian.com

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Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#31

Post by capableweb »

haunter wrote: post #28
capableweb wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you actually read the report that the CMA released? They are not basing the block on some "maybe" future, but on current reality. > Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60-70% of global cloud gaming services and has other important strengths in cloud gaming from owning Xbox, the leading PC operating system (Windows) and a global cloud computing infrastructure (Azure and Xbox Cloud Gaming). Microsoft alread…

>It did not sufficiently cover different cloud gaming service business models, including multigame subscription services. This is actually incredibly funny reading because Google Stadia was 100% worse than Xbox Cloud. You had to sub + pay for the game too. And some of them were exclusives too. Compared to that how Gamepass works in tandem with Xbox Cloud (you can play on PC, Xbox, and streaming) is day and night YET…

> This is actually incredibly funny reading because Google Stadia was 100% worse than Xbox Cloud. You had to sub + pay for the game too. And some of them were exclusives too.

It's also incredibly irrelevant, Google is not the ones being investigated here, and Stadia has also been shut down so it's not relevant at all how much better or worse it is.

The question is not which platform is better or worse, but if Microsoft could potentially abuse their position if the merger goes through.

I recommend you to either read the final report (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/644939aa529ed...) or the summary of the final report (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6448f377814c6...). Probably the summary is a bit easier to digest, as it's 20 pages rather than 418 pages, but it has all the information you need to understand the case, as most news sources don't go into much depth.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#32

Post by drumhead »

I think a lot of people are ignoring MS. It does seem more like an I'll judged emotional outburst than a reasoned reaction. The competition authority in the UK is well respected so their conclusion is going to be given great weight by the EU and the US. Given the EUs track record, they're likely to be stricter than the UK, so the CMA adjudication is a good forward indicator that the deal is basically dead.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#33

Post by Hamuko »

etempleton wrote: post #26
endisneigh wrote: post #8

What would happen if Activision is acquired anyway by Microsoft? Could they simply exist as two separate entities in the UK, and a unified entity elsewhere? With all of the repercussions that entails for the users? Or simply they exit the market in the UK?

I think they could possibly say that they will move forward with the merger, but cease to publish or sell games in the UK, but I very much doubt they would. The UK is still too big / profitable of a market. As an aside, it is interesting to see how this merger is received in the tech space vs gaming space. Most folks in gaming seem to welcome the merger because Activision has long been anti-consumer / bad stewards of…

>cease to publish or sell games in the UK

Wouldn't they need to cease all Microsoft activities in the UK? It's not some Microsoft Gaming Corporation that wants to buy Activision-Blizzard, it's Microsoft Corporation.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#34

Post by gruez »

nbevans wrote: post #16
hourago wrote: post #13

Microsoft basically said that the UK is a bad place to do businesses because they didn't got what they wanted. An extremely entitled and childish comment coming from someone that should know better. Microsoft is showing its most unprofessional and belligerent face going back to the worst times of the company. Remember the FUDs about Linux, the lies about DR-DOS, ... Microsoft is back and needs to be corrected.

Brad Smith is definitely part of the old guard. Joined in 1993. His remarks the other day are going to age terribly. He's basically everything Ballmer was but as a lawyer. But, we should expect more of this if mega corporations are allowed to continue growing their market caps beyond the GDP of G7 nation states.

>if mega corporations are allowed to continue growing their market caps beyond the GDP of G7 nation states.

...which is a pointless comparison because the two things being compared are different units entirely. The former is basically the lifetime value with discounting applied, whereas the latter is income from a single year.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#35

Post by Red_Leaves_Flyy »

capableweb wrote: post #27
hourago wrote: post #13

Microsoft basically said that the UK is a bad place to do businesses because they didn't got what they wanted. An extremely entitled and childish comment coming from someone that should know better. Microsoft is showing its most unprofessional and belligerent face going back to the worst times of the company. Remember the FUDs about Linux, the lies about DR-DOS, ... Microsoft is back and needs to be corrected.

I don't know how anyone fell (or continues to fall) from companies acting like the good guys when things are hard for them, because as soon as they can, they'll abuse their position. And this is not specific to Microsoft, it's every public company driven by shareholders. Why would anyone expect anything differently here?

If this trend is that predictable someone should get their phd studying it, write a book, and get hired by banking lobbyists to stfu.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#36

Post by capableweb »

golergka wrote: post #29
capableweb wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you actually read the report that the CMA released? They are not basing the block on some "maybe" future, but on current reality. > Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60-70% of global cloud gaming services and has other important strengths in cloud gaming from owning Xbox, the leading PC operating system (Windows) and a global cloud computing infrastructure (Azure and Xbox Cloud Gaming). Microsoft alread…

> Microsoft already has a majority of the market. You didn't address the point of parent comment, which is, it's not really a market. It's trying to become a market, but so far is just a small niche where companies lose money.

If you as a consumer can purchase a service without any special insider agreements with the provider, it's a market already, no matter how small or big it is. And since Microsoft already has a estimated 60-70% market share of this existing market, making them have a bigger hold over the market will make it harder to others to enter it, and they'll potentially abuse their position.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#37

Post by voidfunc »

etempleton wrote: post #26
endisneigh wrote: post #8

What would happen if Activision is acquired anyway by Microsoft? Could they simply exist as two separate entities in the UK, and a unified entity elsewhere? With all of the repercussions that entails for the users? Or simply they exit the market in the UK?

I think they could possibly say that they will move forward with the merger, but cease to publish or sell games in the UK, but I very much doubt they would. The UK is still too big / profitable of a market. As an aside, it is interesting to see how this merger is received in the tech space vs gaming space. Most folks in gaming seem to welcome the merger because Activision has long been anti-consumer / bad stewards of…

Microsoft has a couple options all of which are viable IMO:

1. Appeal

2. Withdraw from the UK market and force the issue politically. Microsoft can eat the loss of the UK market for a long while if they want while forcing UK politicians to answer constituent questions why Microsoft/Activision games are banned in the country.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#38

Post by j16sdiz »

etempleton wrote: post #26
endisneigh wrote: post #8

What would happen if Activision is acquired anyway by Microsoft? Could they simply exist as two separate entities in the UK, and a unified entity elsewhere? With all of the repercussions that entails for the users? Or simply they exit the market in the UK?

I think they could possibly say that they will move forward with the merger, but cease to publish or sell games in the UK, but I very much doubt they would. The UK is still too big / profitable of a market. As an aside, it is interesting to see how this merger is received in the tech space vs gaming space. Most folks in gaming seem to welcome the merger because Activision has long been anti-consumer / bad stewards of…

> ... but cease to publish or sell games in the UK, ...

Does they have to?

I guess they can have separate entity (or a reseller) to import those software and sell them in UK.

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#39

Post by Hamuko »

golergka wrote: post #29
capableweb wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you actually read the report that the CMA released? They are not basing the block on some "maybe" future, but on current reality. > Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60-70% of global cloud gaming services and has other important strengths in cloud gaming from owning Xbox, the leading PC operating system (Windows) and a global cloud computing infrastructure (Azure and Xbox Cloud Gaming). Microsoft alread…

> Microsoft already has a majority of the market. You didn't address the point of parent comment, which is, it's not really a market. It's trying to become a market, but so far is just a small niche where companies lose money.

What is it then if it's not a market?

Re: Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job

#40

Post by Red_Leaves_Flyy »

dingledork69 wrote: post #11
kevingadd wrote: post #2

Aside from the other arguments in the article: "The chair of the CMA, its chief executive and the rest of the board are appointed by the business secretary of the elected government" if I'm reading this correctly, UK citizens elect a government, the government appoints a business secretary, and then the business secretary appoints the entire CMA? So that would be two layers of disconnect from the voter. AFAIK most US…

Direct democracy is not a good idea, unfortunately.

Citation?
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