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Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

theverge.com

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Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#31

Post by pathartl »

Retric wrote: post #22
SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

It’s not about Sony, but customers that own a PS and not an XBox. Microsoft loves to buy studios and restrict access, just look a Halo it was introduced as a Mac game by the studio, Microsoft bought them specifically for XBox and fuck anyone that owned a Mac. 2 years after release they released a copy of the first game because all the work was done. Nothing from the rest of the series.

Please, Apple has been shooting themselves in the foot with gaming for decades. Halo: CE was also released for the Mac, so I'm not sure what the complaint is here.

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#32

Post by neilv »

SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #18
darknavi wrote: post #2

Microsoft employee here, opinions my own. I work in gaming at Microsoft and I really enjoy it. I think Microsoft gives us a ton of space to explore and make our own impact and I am a huge fan* of Phil Spencer. > Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history. It deserves scrutiny. That scrutiny has paid off: Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep C…

[flagged]

> Maybe Call of Duty needs actual competition?

I'd try a modern evolution of SOCOM 4 or Killzone 3 on PS4/PS5.

(Microsoft can keep their Cod B.O.)

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#33

Post by FreshStart »

ramesh31 wrote: post #27

This is a very good thing for gamers. It reminds me of the Sprint/T-mobile merger, which was a huge win for consumers, allowing T-mobile to actually put pressure on ATT and Verizon. Activision is a terrible company whose iron grip on their beloved IP (bought from Blizzard and Infinity Ward) has been absolutely stifling to the industry. They are almost singlehandedly responsible for everything that sucks about gaming…

Yeah, this will end with engineering spirit penetrating McdonaldDouglas.

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#34

Post by xxpor »

darknavi wrote: post #2

Microsoft employee here, opinions my own. I work in gaming at Microsoft and I really enjoy it. I think Microsoft gives us a ton of space to explore and make our own impact and I am a huge fan* of Phil Spencer. > Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history. It deserves scrutiny. That scrutiny has paid off: Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep C…

It would be incredibly stupid for MS to make CoD an xbox exclusive and completely misses the business case for buying Activision in the first place.

Remember, MS is in business to make money, not to win the console wars. Buying the CoD (etc) IP at an inflated price and then immediately cutting off more than half of the revenue would be so mind-boggingly stupid, almost to the point of malpractice. This is why they really don't even need to be forced into saying they'll maintain it for 10 years on PS.

It's all about moving gaming to a recurring revenue model. So you don't care about if the consumer made a one time purchase of your console (in fact, you might even prefer they didn't if you're losing money on each one!), but you do care about the fact that they're playing your games.

Ben Thompson put it better than I could:

> Notice that this is for games that are purchased, and keep in mind that Microsoft’s goal with the Activision acquisition is not to gain exclusive games to sell but rather games to subscribe to. As I’ve argued the only way this acquisition makes sense is the extent to which it makes possible a new business model for gaming; simply buying exclusives via established titles like Call of Duty would be hugely value destructive.

>What is notable about Microsoft’s subscription push is that it aligns the company’s Xbox division with Microsoft’s overall push towards cloud computing and subscription services. What is interesting to consider are two questions:

>First, would Microsoft have ever gone down this path absent the investment in its original (failed) Xbox strategy? I would argue the answer is no; this is a reasonable leveraging of Xbox assets, but I do wonder if Microsoft could go back two decades if they would even bother.

>Second, if regulators were to kill this deal (Microsoft still needs approval from the UK and the US) would Xbox be long for this world? It’s hard to see how the division makes sense if Microsoft has the current business model dictated to them, given just how dominant Sony is with said business model.

https://stratechery.com/2023/uk-blocks-microsoft-activision-... (paywalled)

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#35

Post by 16bitvoid »

throwaway106382 wrote: post #23
darknavi wrote: post #2

Microsoft employee here, opinions my own. I work in gaming at Microsoft and I really enjoy it. I think Microsoft gives us a ton of space to explore and make our own impact and I am a huge fan* of Phil Spencer. > Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history. It deserves scrutiny. That scrutiny has paid off: Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep C…

in 10 years I fully expect Sony to have a competitive first party title exclusive to playstation, now that they actually have to give a damn. I love the killzone series but Guerilla seems to be doing fine with Horizon, hopefully a new IP

I wish they would bring SOCOM back.

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#36

Post by oh_sigh »

lesuorac wrote: post #4
darknavi wrote: post #2

Microsoft employee here, opinions my own. I work in gaming at Microsoft and I really enjoy it. I think Microsoft gives us a ton of space to explore and make our own impact and I am a huge fan* of Phil Spencer. > Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history. It deserves scrutiny. That scrutiny has paid off: Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep C…

> How does this make anyone feel any better? What happens after 10 years? What happens in less than 10 years if they don't abide by it? Does Activision get split back out? I doubt it. We're long past the point where you can just set rules/laws and companies will abide by it. We need to be at the point where we also list the punishment ahead of time.

Depends how good Sony's lawyers are. Theoretically the courts could offer an injunction preventing sale of the CoD until it is also available on whatever equivalent Playstation type system there is.

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#37

Post by neogodless »

FreshStart wrote: post #30
alexlesuper wrote: post #6

I have hope that Blizzard revives the Starcraft franchise. The RTS genre needs some love atm.

There is always BAR https://www.beyondallreason.info/

At first glance it looks/feels a lot more like Total Annihilation / Supreme Commander than StarCraft. Very robot focused. A sense that Armada and Cortex are very balanced. StarCraft has a more asymmetrical set of factions, where their strengths, economies, units, etc. at least feel more distinct.

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#38

Post by granzymes »

darrenf wrote: post #21
specto wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was already approved there too now

When did that happen? On the dedicated CMA page[0] about the inquiry I see nothing since the draft final order[1] in May, which absolutely does not approve it. Quote: On 5 May 2023, the CMA made an Interim Order pursuant to section 81 of the Act preventing each of Microsoft and Activision and all members of their Groups of Interconnected Bodies Corporate from acquiring in the other any interest conferring control wit…

Grandparent jumped the gun a bit, but the CMA sees the writing on the wall and agreed to negotiate this morning.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/11/23791149/microsoft-activi...

Re: Microsoft wins FTC fight to buy Activision Blizzard

#40

Post by sgillen »

alexlesuper wrote: post #6

I have hope that Blizzard revives the Starcraft franchise. The RTS genre needs some love atm.

A lot of the StarCraft guys have already left and formed their own company (frost giant). They are making a quasi spiritual successor to StarCraft called StormGate.
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