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

[Dizzy]

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.

If there’s someone or something gross to cheerlead, you’ll definitely find him at the front of the group.

 

[Madmick]

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.

Conversely, I find the cognitive dissonance of those who describe this as "cheerleading" to exhibit a strange hiccup of the human psyche. After all, they're the ones who seem to delight in the sabotage of the maneuvers of a corporation they oppose. One might observe those with a more positive mindset would prefer to support and express hope for good moves by a company they support. I've never advocated for antitrust regulators to badger Sony over their acquisitions. I've never said anything spiteful merely because Sony endeavored to build an exclusive library. It's their right.

I notice many of the same people who decry Microsoft as some grand devil of the gaming world imposing exclusivity on the masses were the same who cackled with a callous glee at the outset of this generation when PC players like myself lamented that Sony seem determined to keep their top IPs off the PC platform. Microsoft was the company that pressured them with a competing philosophy, and Sony eventually abandoned their stubbornness. Yet many seem determined not to acknowledge the good Microsoft did for a less exclusive world with those efforts.

 

[Kevster]

MS instantly turning off the CoD to PS would be either incredibly ballsy or incredibly stupid.

Only time would tell which.

 

[what-wut]

Conversely, I find the cognitive dissonance of those who describe this as "cheerleading" to exhibit a strange hiccup of the human psyche. After all, they're the ones who seem to delight in the sabotage of the maneuvers of a corporation they oppose. One might observe those with a more positive mindset would prefer to support and express hope for good moves by a company they support. I've never advocated for antitrust regulators to badger Sony over their acquisitions. I've never said anything spiteful merely because Sony endeavored to build an exclusive library. It's their right.

I notice many of the same people who decry Microsoft as some grand devil of the gaming world imposing exclusivity on the masses were the same who cackled with a callous glee at the outset of this generation when PC players like myself lamented that Sony seem determined to keep their top IPs off the PC platform. Microsoft was the company that pressured them with a competing philosophy, and Sony eventually abandoned their stubbornness. Yet many seem determined not to acknowledge the good Microsoft did for a less exclusive world with those efforts.

You equating Sony's past acquisitions to this is laughable. Also this isn't about Ms making the gaming market more competitive or less exclusive as you keep saying, this is about spending the competition out as revealed by the emails.

This is a power play to completely dominate the next console gens stop talking about Ms trying to make things even.

Plus I've seen you ignore the point about Ms creative bankruptcy, seriously they had all the time in the world.

 

[what-wut]

lol at ms "building" exclusive library

 

[Madmick]

You equating Sony's past acquisitions to this is laughable. Also this isn't about Ms making the gaming market more competitive or less exclusive as you keep saying, this is about spending the competition out as revealed by the emails.

This is a power play to completely dominate the next console gens stop talking about Ms trying to make things even.

Plus I've seen you ignore the point about Ms creative bankruptcy, seriously they had all the time in the world.

Business is a bareknuckle world. As for "creative bankruptcy", I haven't wasted time on it because it's a subjective assessment. I figure the market sorts out the winners and losers there according to sales, and indeed, Sony is winning that war. Ironically, I feel compelled to observed, Call of Duty, the AB franchise at the center of this suit, and the one you've specifically named, is endlessly mocked in the gaming community for its lack of creativity or innovation. So I don't see why those who profess to be preoccupied with creativity and innovation seem to care so dearly where that franchise goes.

 

[Madmick]

lol at ms "building" exclusive library

Why is this so laughable? Below is the current status of exclusives on Microsoft, both available and upcoming, and I've offered Sony's for comparison. Microsoft's exclusives are developed almost entirely by its first party studios.

Microsoft Xbox Series X/S
9th Gen-only Console Exclusives [XSX/XSS & PC only]
Count: 24

• ARK 2
  
• Avowed
  
• Contraband
  
• Clockwork Revolution
  
• Dungeons of Hinterberg
  
• Exo One
  
• Fable 4
  
• Forza Motorsport
  
• Lightyear Frontier
  
• Microsoft Flight Simulator
  
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
  
• Orphan of the Machine
  
• Perfect Dark
  
• Redfall
  
• Scorn
  
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
  
• Shredders
  
• South of Midnight
  
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl
  
• Starfield
  
• State of Decay 3
  
• The Outer Worlds 2
  
• Vapor World: Over the Mind
  
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

8th+ Gen Platform Exclusives Released after XSX/XSS Launch (Nov-10-2020)
Count: 16

• As Dusk Falls
  
• Echo Generation
  
• Ereban: Shadow Legacy
  
• Everwild
  
• Exomecha
  
• Forza Horizon 5
  
• Halo: Infinite
  
• Replaced
  
• ROUTINE
  
• Sable
  
• Second Extinction
  
• Song of Iron
  
• The Falconeer
  
• The Gunk
  
• Towerborne
  
• Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy

Sony Playstation 5
Full Exclusives
Count: 12

• Astro's Playroom
• The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
• Demon's Souls%
• Destruction AllStars
• Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth%*
• Final Fantasy XVI: Awakening*
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain*
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2*
• Marvel's Wolverine*
• Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater%
• Nour: Play with your Food
• The Nioh Collection#

9th Gen-only Console Exclusives [PS5 & PC Only]
Count: 8

• Concord
• Helldivers 2
• Fairgame$
• Forspoken
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered#
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Returnal
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection#

8th+ Gen Platform Exclusives Released after PS5 Launch (Nov-19-2020)
Count: 10 9

• Babylon’s Fall
• God of War: Ragnarok*
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Gran Turismo 7
• Heavenly Bodies
• Horizon: Forbidden West
• Jett: The Far Shore
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Stray
• Tchia

Key:
% = Remake of games from previous generations (i.e. may contain new/changed game content)
# = Remasters of games from previous generations (i.e. pure graphic remaster), but this remastering is exclusive to Playstation, or at least to the 9th Gen Playstation 5 (not on PS4)
* = Expect these games to come to PC since others in their series or under their licensing umbrella have already been ported (i.e. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Final Fantasy VII Remake Part I, etc.) Sony has begun to simultaneously release major IPs like Forspoken to PC on Day 1. The era of console full exclusives is dead outside Nintendo.

 

[Gingerdead Man]

The real winner in this seems to me Bobby Kotick, standing to make 100s of millions from this. What legal machinery if any is in place for ghoul non grata not to stall mere days and have M/s pay more for the company in a post-Diablo IV world? Dude’s clearly good at what he does or wouldn’t be in this position, I imagine.

cc: @method115

 

[Kevster]

Okay sorry but did I really just read MS are trying for a less exclusive world then read about how many games they’re making exclusive.

 

[what-wut]

Business is a bareknuckle world.

Ahahahaha so before it was merely poor ms trying to even the field and now it's "shrugs... business is a bareknuckle world"

Or how about just admitting you have a hate boner for Sony and that all the exclusives you mentioned weren't good enough and that's why you approve of Ms flexing their financial muscle (70 billion lol) in this way.

 

[Madmick]

Okay sorry but did I really just read MS are trying for a less exclusive world then read about how many games they’re making exclusive.

Are you genuinely confused? Microsoft was the company that abandoned the notion of console exclusivity. Nobody believes CoD's PC access is threatened by the deal, and they already signed a contract with Nintendo should the merger ultimately succeed.

Ahahahaha so before it was merely poor ms trying to even the field and now it's "shrugs... business is a bareknuckle world"

Or how about just admitting you have a hate boner for Sony and that all the exclusives you mentioned weren't good enough and that's why you approve of Ms flexing their financial muscle in this way.

I don't understand why you believe these things are mutually exclusive. Microsoft is not the leader in the console world. They are a larger overall company than Sony. Both implement bareknuckle strategies to get their way. Microsoft is leveraging an advantage. Sony does the same. One of the details revealed in this case was that Microsoft apparently only purchased Bethesda, for example, because they feared the moves Sony was making to make Starfield a Playstation exclusive.

 

[what-wut]

Are you genuinely confused? Microsoft was the company that abandoned the notion of console exclusivity. Nobody believes CoD's PC access is threatened by the deal, and they already signed a contract with Nintendo should the merger ultimately succeed.

I don't understand why you believe these things are mutually exclusive. Microsoft is not the leader in the console world. They are a larger overall company than Sony. Both implement bareknuckle strategies to get their way. Microsoft is leveraging an advantage. Sony does the same. One of the details revealed in this case was that Microsoft apparently only purchased Bethesda, for example, because they feared the moves Sony was making to make Starfield a Playstation exclusive.

There is difference between being competitive and trying to establish a monopoly by spending 70 billion dollars.

I don't think it will happen but I see it for what it is and the fact that you support it amazes me.

Presumably you have no objection to ms spending a hundred billion more in acquisitions?

 

[GtehMVP]

I just hope that if this deal goes through we'll start seeing more Activision/Blizzard games on Steam, sans battle.net.

Do you need Battle.net for COD on Steam? The only COD game I have on Steam is the COD WW2 game that first brought in the Zombies, same for COD 2 I believe.

 

[Madmick]

There is difference between being competitive and trying to establish a monopoly by spending 70 billion dollars.

I don't think it will happen but I see it for what it is and the fact that you support it amazes me.

Presumably you have no objection to ms spending a hundred billion more in acquisitions?

Why would I object to MS spending its own money? Do you oppose the right of corporations to do that?

I've never said I support a monopoly, and those who contend this merger tips the first domino in some sort of unstoppable chain of events leading to a monopoly are hysterical. There's no credible basis to assert that prediction is a certainty. It's not even likely.

I just hope that if this deal goes through we'll start seeing more Activision/Blizzard games on Steam, sans battle.net.

Do you need Battle.net for COD on Steam? The only COD game I have on Steam is the COD WW2 game that first brought in the Zombies, same for COD 2 I believe.

So far MS has put all its major first party titles on Steam, so I don't see any reason why they wouldn't extend that to AB. I'm curious how they would plan to absorb the Battle.net into the wider Xbox on PC ecosystem.

 

[what-wut]

Why would I object to MS spending its own money? Do you oppose the right of corporations to do that?

If it's meant to establish a virtual monopoly than yes of course.

I don't believe they will succeed (hopefully) but that is their intent imo.

 

[Madmick]

If it's meant to establish a virtual monopoly than yes of course.

I don't believe they will succeed (hopefully) but that is their intent imo.

A "virtual monopoly", LOL?

Every corporation in existence is attempting to win the biggest share of its market possible in terms of control, revenue, and profit. Every one. It's not their responsibility to police that. That's what antitrust regulatory bodies do. But as has been pointed out in this thread, and in the press, none of these regulatory bodies has a credible case to substantiate this acquisition poses that threat. It's why judges are knocking this stuff down. Hopefully the UK's Competition Approval Tribunal follows suit if forced. The FTC getting slapped appears to have thrown some cold water on the CMA who are now the lone holdout across the world blocking the merger.

 

[what-wut]

A "virtual monopoly", LOL?

Every corporation in existence is attempting to win the biggest share of its market possible in terms of control, revenue, and profit. Every one. It's not their responsibility to police that. That's what antitrust regulatory bodies do. But as has been pointed out in this thread, and in the press, none of these regulatory bodies has a credible case to substantiate this acquisition poses that threat. It's why judges are knocking this stuff down. Hopefully UK's Competition Approval Tribunal follows suit if forced. The FTC getting slapped appears to thrown some cold water on the CMA who are now the lone holdout across the world blocking the merger.

That's their goal yeah , why the fuck are we supposed to cheer them on like you are doing?

You literally don't mind them spending 300 billion, please don't talk about sony fanboys ever again.

 

[avenue94]

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

I think COD stays multiplatform for consoles pretty much forever. It just might be buggier and lack features.

It will probably be exclusive or gated for xcloud and gfn tho

 

[avenue94]

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.

Tbh I'm not sure it's that big of a deal. The only choices for chips are Nvidia and AMD and development kits go out very early.

 

[avenue94]

I just hope that if this deal goes through we'll start seeing more Activision/Blizzard games on Steam, sans battle.net.

Do you need Battle.net for COD on Steam? The only COD game I have on Steam is the COD WW2 game that first brought in the Zombies, same for COD 2 I believe.

Not currently, COD came back to Steam last release. Battlenet gets some advantages though.