Microsoft is Buying Activision Blizzard $68.7B ***Update: Acquisition Finalized***

[rikwebb]

CMA's the only stumbling block now

 

[method115]

Yep I expected the FTC to lose this case. The only question at this point is will MS close over the CMA and just hope for the best. I don't think they beat the CMA but who knows.

 

[milliniar]

This is where the odd part comes in. This was an injunction to say that MS couldn't complete the buy until FTC finished it's review.
So in theory FTC can still throw a wrench into the cogs after the purchase. Though not likely at this point as would most likely be back to court.

 

[method115]

Looks like the CMA trial has now been put on pause while MS and CMA try to renegotiate this deal.

People are saying the CMA is caving and this will go through but I'm not so sure. I think what also can be happening is that if this deal doesn't close by July 18th it's dead. I don't think Activtision wants to extend the contract anymore. So either MS is going for one last push at trying to convince the CMA before July 18th or the CMA really is about to cave. I don't know which but I think we are about to find out either way soon enough. I think by next week this deal will either be dead or closed.

 

[Deadwing88]

Looks like the CMA trial has now been put on pause while MS and CMA try to renegotiate this deal.

People are saying the CMA is caving and this will go through but I'm not so sure. I think what also can be happening is that if this deal doesn't close by July 18th it's dead. I don't think Activtision wants to extend the contract anymore. So either MS is going for one last push at trying to convince the CMA before July 18th or the CMA really is about to cave. I don't know which but I think we are about to find out either way soon enough. I think by next week this deal will either be dead or closed.

It does suggest caving when the FTC lose their court case and the CMA is suddenly ready to come to the table 5 minutes later.

Suggest some degree of collusion on their part as well.

 

[method115]

It does suggest caving when the FTC lose their court case and the CMA is suddenly ready to come to the table 5 minutes later.

Suggest some degree of collusion on their part as well.

Was the CMA suddenly ready? Or did MS tell the CMA beforehand that if we can win against the FTC they want to renegotiate and try and come to terms? It's not clear who went to who and the whole thing was agreed upon so quickly it says to me that this was already setup and ready to go before this was even announced.

 

[Deadwing88]

Was the CMA suddenly ready? Or did MS tell the CMA beforehand that if we can win against the FTC they want to renegotiate and try and come to terms? It's not clear who went to who and the whole thing was agreed upon so quickly it says to me that this was already setup and ready to go before this was even announced.

What would the CMA achieve by prior agreeing negotiations ?

Even if the CAT overturned their original decision, it goes straight back to the CMA.

 

[Madmick]

It's really the only sane outcome. All of the arguments to justify blocking this merger have been laughable.

 

[method115]

What would the CMA achieve by prior agreeing negotiations ?

Even if the CAT overturned their original decision, it goes straight back to the CMA.

Not sure but what would they achieve by denying MS's request to renegotiate and try to get this closed? They aren't blocking this because they hate MS and simply want the deal blocked. They stated their reasons for blocking it and the possible solutions they would be ok with. If MS says "Hey can we talk and try to get this deal closed?" Why would the CMA say no?

 

[method115]

Looks like the CMA\MS have already agreed on a "small divestiture". No more details have been provided as far as what will be divested.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/11/mic...es-closer-as-judge-denies-ftc-injunction.html

 

[PEB]

"
On Tuesday, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK) stood to make a profit of over $1 billion following the court’s decision to allow Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to proceed with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), Business Insider reports.

What Happened: Berkshire Hathaway, which owned nearly 50 million shares of Activision at the end of the first quarter of 2023, is set to make a significant profit if Microsoft’s acquisition goes through at its all-cash offer of $95 per share.

This is assuming that Berkshire Hathaway has held onto its stake in Activision Blizzard and hasn’t sold any shares since it reported owning a $4.2 billion position in the company at the end of the first quarter."

 

[what-wut]

So when is it expected that Activision blizzard will turn MS exclusive? Because the ten year deal wasn't signed by Sony.

 

[Jawth]

So when is it expected that Activision blizzard will turn MS exclusive? Because the ten year deal wasn't signed by Sony.

I think some stuff will while other stuff wont until the next round of systems anyway.

Call of Duty is probably there until PS6 because an official said under oath they'd keep it on Playstation, and they make hundreds of millions of dollars from having it cross gen. Sony flat out said they wouldnt send the specs to Activision/Microsoft so thats probably the end.

 

[what-wut]

I think some stuff will while other stuff wont until the next round of systems anyway.

Call of Duty is probably there until PS6 because an official said under oath they'd keep it on Playstation, and they make hundreds of millions of dollars from having it cross gen. Sony flat out said they wouldnt send the specs to Activision/Microsoft so thats probably the end.

If that's the only obstacle I think they figure out a way around that.

 

[Jawth]

If that's the only obstacle I think they figure out a way around that.

I dont know, sending the specs of your in development console to your main competitor seems like a bad move. Maybe they could resume development in a few years after its already been out, but at that point i dont know that MS would want to anymore.

 

[Madmick]

So when is it expected that Activision blizzard will turn MS exclusive? Because the ten year deal wasn't signed by Sony.

Microsoft still hasn't resolved the blockage of the merger in the UK via the CMA. That is appealed, and the appeal success rate is very, very low. Microsoft still has to make concessions to iron that out if possible. They could choose to pull all affected gaming businesses of theirs from the UK completely, but that seems highly unlikely.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/micro...-blizzard-acquisition-to-address-cma-concerns

They aren't bound to anything they said under oath. Sony put all their eggs in the basket of petitioning these antitrust bodies. So if Microsoft succeeds in an appeal to the CMA, the only way CoD or other AB titles stay on the Playstation is if Microsoft decides they disagree with Playstation's CEO himself, Jim Ryan, who said he didn't think it was in their best financial interest to keep those titles on Playstation, and go ahead with putting them on Playstation because they believe it will make them more money than keeping those titles exclusive.

Microsoft would be in the driver's seat.

 

[HereticBD]

This thing is so confusing. It seems like every other week, there's another ruling for or against the merger.

 

[what-wut]

Microsoft still hasn't resolved the blockage of the merger in the UK via the CMA. That is appealed, and the appeal success rate is very, very low. Microsoft still has to make concessions to iron that out if possible. They could choose to pull all affected gaming businesses of theirs from the UK completely, but that seems highly unlikely.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/micro...-blizzard-acquisition-to-address-cma-concerns

They aren't bound to anything they said under oath. Sony put all their eggs in the basket of petitioning these antitrust bodies. So if Microsoft succeeds in an appeal to the CMA, the only way CoD or other AB titles stay on the Playstation is if Microsoft decides they disagree with Playstation's CEO himself, Jim Ryan, who said he didn't think it was in their best financial interest to keep those titles on Playstation, and go ahead with putting them on Playstation because they believe it will make them more money than keeping those titles exclusive.

Microsoft would be in the driver's seat.

The way you have completely cheerleaded Ms basically declaring they are creatively bankrupt and resorting to dominate the market by flexing their financial power is disgusting.

 

[MWB1982]

I think Sony can make a new game that beats Diablo.

To me it looks like MS bought Diablo for 69 billion

I hear there's better games similar to Diablo, they just aren't on consoles. Sony can get one of them or build a whole new game like I said.

 

[Jawth]

I think Sony can make a new game that beats Diablo.

To me it looks like MS bought Diablo for 69 billion

I hear there's better games similar to Diablo, they just aren't on consoles. Sony can get one of them or build a whole new game like I said.

Call of Duty on Gamepass is going to be a gamechanger if Microsoft can get around CMA within the next six days.

Sony is great at building studios and I think they will able to make great alternatives to some of Activisions properties but that will take time.

If Microsoft doesnt close by the 18th I would imagine Activision would want a lot more money. They are in a better place than when the deal was first reached.