Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Zaxxon wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:07 pm
I spot multiple metaverse references,
That is a sensible appeal to me. It makes a lot sense. Blizzard were early adopters of building a platform for a large community and have been working out bugs since battle.net (and for me Diablo) That's over 25 years of development, learning from some pretty grievous mistakes to get WoW and beyond. It would be the core of the appeal to me.

absurd comments on ActiBlizz's commitment to an amazing workplace--which will, ahem, evolve into an exemplary workplace come deal close--and some bonus user-generated content shout-outs.
And then there's the baggage... Kotick has to go, right? They've got like a year to pad his golden parachute and make themselves somehow smell like roses.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Do we get a new Myth game?
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Montag wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 6:04 pm Do we get a new Myth game?
Not unless they bought Take-Two Interactive as well.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Skinypupy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:02 pm
Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:49 pm As such, I strongly suspect this was mainly an IP buy. I seriously doubt they want to keep the company around with the problems they've been having. They'll shutter them and move everyone internally, perhaps get many of them working at other studios MS have bought recently, like say, Obsidian or Bethesda. I see the IPs moving around, with COD and Destiny going to some of their FPS devs (Yay more FPSes from MS :roll:), Warcraft and Diablo going to Obsidian and Bethesda. In fact, new blood might be a good thing with some of these IPs. For instance, could anyone imagine an isometric Obsidian-style Warcraft RPG? These IPs have stayed fairly stagnant for a while now and new blood might bring about inspiration on moving forward with them with new games.
That's a pretty interesting idea. While still top of the heap in playerbase (I think), WoW is obviously stagnating and was seeing a pretty significant exodus over the past year. Partly due to the game itself and partly due to Blizzard's overall shittiness.

It would be a good excuse and opportunity to refresh some of these cool IP's that have a ton of potential that have mostly clunked over the past little while.
Yeah, I mean, it'd be a good way to keep things fresh, right? I'm honestly kind of surprised not more has been done with Warcraft as of late. There's been the movie, and the recent HD remasters of the classic games that got lots of flak, but nothing actually really new with the IP overall. Even Starcraft could use something new. Maybe they could return to the idea of Starcraft Ghost. I think there's certainly room to innovate with these properties.
Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:04 pm I don't know. Most people don't think that deeply. The impression will be that Bad Blizzard is gone and Microsoft's Blizzard has taken its place, and most of the bad reputation will fade.
Thing is, at least as far as the Blizzard part of things is concerned, they've long lost the luster they once had. They used to be big, but most of their properties have peaked long ago, and their demo is mostly made up of a generation of PC gamers (And gods, I know that's going to make everybody here sound old). Their only property on console that I know of is Diablo with Diablo 3, and unless they bring WoW to consoles (could they?), they don't really have much unless they can leverage their IPs with new offerings. I don't think there really is enough of a fanbase anymore that would forget. But on the other hand, this is something that MS can build on.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:22 pm Their only property on console that I know of is Diablo with Diablo 3, and unless they bring WoW to consoles (could they?),
Overwatch is on consoles, and Hearthstone is still pretty popular on mobile. And Overwatch 2 isn't too far away.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:32 pm
Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:22 pm Their only property on console that I know of is Diablo with Diablo 3, and unless they bring WoW to consoles (could they?),
Overwatch is on consoles, and Hearthstone is still pretty popular on mobile. And Overwatch 2 isn't too far away.
Ahh, I'd forgotten about those. Not really on my radar, obviously.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:49 pm As such, I strongly suspect this was mainly an IP buy. I seriously doubt they want to keep the company around with the problems they've been having. They'll shutter them and move everyone internally, perhaps get many of them working at other studios MS have bought recently, like say, Obsidian or Bethesda. I see the IPs moving around, with COD and Destiny going to some of their FPS devs (Yay more FPSes from MS :roll:), Warcraft and Diablo going to Obsidian and Bethesda. In fact, new blood might be a good thing with some of these IPs. For instance, could anyone imagine an isometric Obsidian-style Warcraft RPG? These IPs have stayed fairly stagnant for a while now and new blood might bring about inspiration on moving forward with them with new games.
No offense but I think this is insane. All those studios have all of their own IP to do, much less take over currently developed IP from Activision. Now I can see some extensions to current IP perhaps being worked on by other, but the idea that WOW, Diablo, or CoD are moving to existing studios is crazy. Even so, MS so far has shown no desire to shift IP between existing studios so far so the jury is out as to whether that will ever happen.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Grifman wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:23 am
Rumpy wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:49 pm As such, I strongly suspect this was mainly an IP buy. I seriously doubt they want to keep the company around with the problems they've been having. They'll shutter them and move everyone internally, perhaps get many of them working at other studios MS have bought recently, like say, Obsidian or Bethesda. I see the IPs moving around, with COD and Destiny going to some of their FPS devs (Yay more FPSes from MS :roll:), Warcraft and Diablo going to Obsidian and Bethesda. In fact, new blood might be a good thing with some of these IPs. For instance, could anyone imagine an isometric Obsidian-style Warcraft RPG? These IPs have stayed fairly stagnant for a while now and new blood might bring about inspiration on moving forward with them with new games.
No offense but I think this is insane. All those studios have all of their own IP to do, much less take over currently developed IP from Activision. Now I can see some extensions to current IP perhaps being worked on by other, but the idea that WOW, Diablo, or CoD are moving to existing studios is crazy. Even so, MS so far has shown no desire to shift IP between existing studios so far so the jury is out as to whether that will ever happen.
Sure, ordinarily I'd agree with you, but I think with how badly tainted Activision Blizzard is at this point, these are not normal circumstances. At the very least, I'd expect a lot of consolidating with the rest of the studios.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Again with the taint.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Rumpy wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:48 am Sure, ordinarily I'd agree with you, but I think with how badly tainted Activision Blizzard is at this point, these are not normal circumstances.
I think you're underestimating how much 1) most people don't care (just a vocal minority), and 2) people are going to see that this is a 'reboot' of ActiBlizz, removing much of the negativity associated with their image.

In the end, I think we'll see Blizzard survive mostly intact (sans management), along with King, but Activision is going to vanish. It's a publisher, not a developer. It's redundant. And "Activision Blizzard" is also unneeded and isn't really a recognized brand name so much as a corporate name. With Activision gone, "Activision Blizzard" will vanish, too. We'll just see 'Blizzard.'

And don't forget, Microsoft now owns MLG (Major League Gaming), which is a significant coup for them as well, plus they could easily turn mlg.tv into a Twitch competitor.

I have no clue what they'll do with Activision Blizzard Studios, ActiBlizz's film studio. I'm guessing shut it down or integrate it into something else. As far as I know they don't have any projects announced.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Blackhawk wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:49 amI think you're underestimating how much 1) most people don't care (just a vocal minority),
Yep, as I tried to state on the previous page, in a horribly confusing and mangled post about "bad Blizzard".

Until it shows an impact on the bottom line, it's a nothingburger, except with the gaming talking heads, some gaming forums and maybe some press.

Is there any evidence that consumers that typically buy the games that Activision/Blizzard make, avoid buying certain games (from any dev) primarily due to politics of the publisher/developer? Much less the corporate culture, no matter how nasty? Be happy for someone to show me some examples, as I could be very wrong.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Probably some (and I'm too lazy to look), but it's likely a small dip, not a huge drop.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Blackhawk wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:49 am
Rumpy wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:48 am Sure, ordinarily I'd agree with you, but I think with how badly tainted Activision Blizzard is at this point, these are not normal circumstances.
I think you're underestimating how much 1) most people don't care (just a vocal minority), and 2) people are going to see that this is a 'reboot' of ActiBlizz, removing much of the negativity associated with their image.

I'm sure most people don't care, but Microsoft surely would. To have that as a front-facing brand is just not a good look. That's why I feel they won't hang onto it. I mean, in other words I agree with you with the rebranding. It's likely not to survive in its current form.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Blackhawk wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:49 am And don't forget, Microsoft now owns MLG (Major League Gaming), which is a significant coup for them as well, plus they could easily turn mlg.tv into a Twitch competitor.
They've already tried competing with Twitch. If mlg.tv isn't already a Twitch-beater, I don't see why MS would want to go down that road again.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Max Peck wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 4:47 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:49 am And don't forget, Microsoft now owns MLG (Major League Gaming), which is a significant coup for them as well, plus they could easily turn mlg.tv into a Twitch competitor.
They've already tried competing with Twitch. If mlg.tv isn't already a Twitch-beater, I don't see why MS would want to go down that road again.
Not would, could. It's an established site with an established name with a vaguely similar purpose.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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True, but Mixer was a deliberate attempt to move into Twitch's market space and Microsoft walked away from it after throwing a lot of money into the effort, including spending millions to lure Twitch stars over to their platform. My expectation is that they'll let MLG continue to be it's own thing and not try to turn it into something to go head-to-head with Twitch again.

On the other hand, if I had any deep insight into how C-suite suits think, I'd be a millionaire. Anthing's possible. :lol:
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Oh, most likely. They probably get a better return from making sure that lots of people see their stuff on Twitch.

I'm mostly just looking at the menu of opportunities and possibilities that Microsoft has acquired, not their plans.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Embattled Activision-Blizzard CEO to get $390M payout in Microsoft deal
Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will walk away with a $390 million check as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition of his gaming company — just two months after employees demanded his firing over the firm’s alleged culture of sexual misconduct.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Daehawk wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:20 pm Embattled Activision-Blizzard CEO to get $390M payout in Microsoft deal
Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will walk away with a $390 million check as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition of his gaming company — just two months after employees demanded his firing over the firm’s alleged culture of sexual misconduct.
Its not exactly a $390M "payout". He owns nearly 4M shares with a value around $325M today, and a bit higher at the buyout prices. He owned those same shares before the MSFT offer.
The vast majority of his $390 million payout will come from the 3.95 million shares that he owns, according to securities filings.

Since Kotick doesn’t own any unvested equities, he will not be entitled to a change of control payment.
It sounds like he gets no change of control payout. He'll get his salary and shares. If they toss him early he'll get some more money. But the vast majority of what he's getting he already had.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Blues News

Reports: “Graceful exit” for Kotick helped convince CEO to sell Activision

Seems the biggest reason for the sale was one man's future. At least they didn't sell to EA like they were offered.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Uh oh...snag

U.S. Probes Trade by Barry Diller, David Geffen Before Big Merger
Federal prosecutors and securities regulators are investigating large bets that Barry Diller, Alexander von Furstenberg and David Geffen made on Activision Blizzard Inc. shares in January, days before the videogame maker agreed to be acquired by Microsoft Corp. MSFT 4.59% , according to people familiar with the matter.

The three men have an unrealized profit of about $60 million on the options trade, based on the recent Activision share price of around $80, according to the people.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Daehawk wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 5:51 pm Uh oh...snag

U.S. Probes Trade by Barry Diller, David Geffen Before Big Merger
Federal prosecutors and securities regulators are investigating large bets that Barry Diller, Alexander von Furstenberg and David Geffen made on Activision Blizzard Inc. shares in January, days before the videogame maker agreed to be acquired by Microsoft Corp. MSFT 4.59% , according to people familiar with the matter.

The three men have an unrealized profit of about $60 million on the options trade, based on the recent Activision share price of around $80, according to the people.
It won't affect the MSFT purchase of ATVI. The most that will happen is Geffen, Diller, and his step son will pay a few $M fine, admit no wrongdoing, and pocket over $50M. But most likely nothing will happen.
And, if we had any such information we would never have traded on it – it strains credulity to believe we would have done so three days before Microsoft and Activision made their announcement.
Translation: you don't have shit.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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LawBeefaroni wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 9:09 pm
Daehawk wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 5:51 pm Uh oh...snag

U.S. Probes Trade by Barry Diller, David Geffen Before Big Merger
Federal prosecutors and securities regulators are investigating large bets that Barry Diller, Alexander von Furstenberg and David Geffen made on Activision Blizzard Inc. shares in January, days before the videogame maker agreed to be acquired by Microsoft Corp. MSFT 4.59% , according to people familiar with the matter.

The three men have an unrealized profit of about $60 million on the options trade, based on the recent Activision share price of around $80, according to the people.
It won't affect the MSFT purchase of ATVI. The most that will happen is Geffen, Diller, and his step son will pay a few $M fine, admit no wrongdoing, and pocket over $50M. But most likely nothing will happen.
And, if we had any such information we would never have traded on it – it strains credulity to believe we would have done so three days before Microsoft and Activision made their announcement.
Translation: you don't have shit.
For these guys, is $50M really worth the probe? I imagine the probe is standard, and something they should do, but nothing will come of it. This is just billionaires and their toys looking for another M&A bargain and getting one because they can afford to put up $65M like I can afford to put up $650.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Microsoft wins battle with Sony as UK reverses finding on Activision merger
UK regulators reviewing Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard reversed their stance on a key question today, saying they no longer believe Microsoft would remove the Call of Duty franchise from Sony's PlayStation consoles.

Last month, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) tentatively concluded that a combined Microsoft/Activision Blizzard would harm competition in console gaming. At the time, the CMA said evidence showed that "Microsoft would find it commercially beneficial to make Activision's games exclusive to its own consoles (or only available on PlayStation under materially worse conditions)." The agency also raised concerns about the merger affecting rivals in cloud gaming.

The preliminary finding was a victory for Sony, which has consistently expressed doubts about Microsoft's promise to keep putting Call of Duty games on PlayStation. But Microsoft argued that the CMA's financial model was flawed and was able to convince the agency to reverse its conclusion. In an announcement today, the CMA said it "received a significant amount of new evidence."

"Having considered the additional evidence provided, we have now provisionally concluded that the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services because the cost to Microsoft of withholding Call of Duty from PlayStation would outweigh any gains from taking such action," CMA Panel Chair Martin Coleman said.

As a result, the CMA panel investigating the deal "updated its provisional findings and reached the provisional conclusion that, overall, the transaction will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in relation to console gaming in the UK," the agency announcement said.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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U.K. blocks Microsoft-Activision merger
U.K. regulators blocked the largest deal in Microsoft’s history Wednesday, barring its $69 billion purchase of gaming company Activision Blizzard in a signal of the mounting global scrutiny of large American tech companies’ power.

The U.K. competition authority ruled that the combination would give Microsoft too much power in the fast-growing cloud-based video games market. Microsoft already owns the popular gaming console Xbox, and the deal would give it control of some of the most popular game franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Candy Crush.

Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60 to 70 percent of global cloud gaming services, and it has other advantages because of its existing Xbox business and cloud computing services, the U.K. regulator concluded.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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I don't particularly like Microsoft, nor do I like massive consolidation, but Blizzard really needed this.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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EU to approve next week?
The European Commission will reportedly approve Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week.

That’s according to Reuters sources, who claim May 15 is the likeliest date that EU antitrust regulators will announce the decision.

The European Commission has confirmed plans to publish its verdict by May 22, and it has previously been claimed that Microsoft’s willingness to offer game licensing deals to rivals is likely to address its antitrust concerns.
Just in time for Diablo 4 on Gamepass, in the EU at least? ;)
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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How does this play out if some jurisdictions block the acquisition while others approve it?
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gilraen »

Microsoft could geofence Activision games and just keep them off the Game Pass service in the UK. At the end, UK consumers would be the losers in the deal.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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gilraen wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 5:57 pm Microsoft could geofence Activision games and just keep them off the Game Pass service in the UK. At the end, UK consumers would be the losers in the deal.
Isn't the point of blocking Microsoft from Activision is so that Playstation will continue to get CoD games? How does that works for UK if Microsoft can acquire Activision in the rest of the world? They still can stop making CoD games for Playstation, right?
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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gilraen wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 5:57 pm Microsoft could geofence Activision games and just keep them off the Game Pass service in the UK. At the end, UK consumers would be the losers in the deal.
That seems like a technical solution to a legal problem. IANAL, but I don't think you can continue doing business in a country where you ignore their laws. I'm not sure Microsoft is willing to give up all its interests in the UK for the sake of this purchase.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gilraen »

Hrothgar wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 11:01 pm
gilraen wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 5:57 pm Microsoft could geofence Activision games and just keep them off the Game Pass service in the UK. At the end, UK consumers would be the losers in the deal.
That seems like a technical solution to a legal problem. IANAL, but I don't think you can continue doing business in a country where you ignore their laws. I'm not sure Microsoft is willing to give up all its interests in the UK for the sake of this purchase.
They wouldn't be giving up all their interests in the UK. If they have to apply this carveout as a last resort, the UK regulators will have no choice but to approve the merger. Game Pass will still exist in the UK, just without Activision games (as per ArsTechnica)
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by gilraen »

And now FTC is suing Microsoft...again.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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Judge declines to block Microsoft’s record $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard
A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Regulators are seeking to ax the deal because they say it will hurt competition.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the “FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.”

Microsoft appeared to have the upper hand in a 5-day San Francisco court hearing that ended late last month. The proceeding showcased testimony by Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and longtime Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who both pledged to keep Activision’s blockbuster game Call of Duty available to people who play it on consoles — particularly Sony’s PlayStation — that compete with Microsoft’s Xbox.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by $iljanus »

Max Peck wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2023 11:42 am Judge declines to block Microsoft’s record $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard
A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Regulators are seeking to ax the deal because they say it will hurt competition.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the “FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.”

Microsoft appeared to have the upper hand in a 5-day San Francisco court hearing that ended late last month. The proceeding showcased testimony by Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and longtime Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who both pledged to keep Activision’s blockbuster game Call of Duty available to people who play it on consoles — particularly Sony’s PlayStation — that compete with Microsoft’s Xbox.
I don't think that they would want to kill the cash cow that is Call of Duty by limiting it to one platform. But "pledges" are great... until the money analysts say that exclusivity would make more cash of course.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Rumpy »

Ironically, CoD: Cold War was one of this month's (July) PS+ games. The timing of that happening is... interesting.
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Max Peck »

It sounds like Microsoft is making a binding commitment, not just a "pledge" that they can walk back whenever they feel like it.
Corley, herself a Biden nominee, expressed skepticism about the FTC’s case during the proceedings, particularly about the hypothetical harms caused if Microsoft were to remove Call of Duty from rival platforms or offer a subpar experience on competing consoles.

“It all comes down again to Call of Duty,” she said. “We’re here because of Call of Duty.”

Corley said the merger deserved scrutiny.

“That scrutiny has paid off: Microsoft has committed in writing, in public, and in court to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for 10 years on parity with Xbox,” she wrote. “It made an agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Switch. And it entered several agreements to for the first time bring Activision’s content to several cloud gaming services.”

As antitrust investigations and legal challenges mounted in the U.S. and around the world, Microsoft pledged that Call of Duty would appear on Nintendo’s Switch console, Nvidia’s cloud gaming service and other platforms for at least a decade.

“In many ways you won,” Corley told the FTC’s lead trial attorney on the case, James Weingarten.

“I don’t think we won,” Weingarten responded, saying there was no evidence that the “hastily agreed to” contracts would sufficiently protect the market.
"I don't think we won," Weingarten responded, "because there is no evidence that Microsoft has lost."
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Pyperkub »

$iljanus wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2023 12:29 pm
Max Peck wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2023 11:42 am Judge declines to block Microsoft’s record $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard
A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Regulators are seeking to ax the deal because they say it will hurt competition.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the “FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content.”

Microsoft appeared to have the upper hand in a 5-day San Francisco court hearing that ended late last month. The proceeding showcased testimony by Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and longtime Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who both pledged to keep Activision’s blockbuster game Call of Duty available to people who play it on consoles — particularly Sony’s PlayStation — that compete with Microsoft’s Xbox.
I don't think that they would want to kill the cash cow that is Call of Duty by limiting it to one platform. But "pledges" are great... until the money analysts say that exclusivity would make more cash of course.
IMHO, this is (at least for now) good for gamers. The document dumps showed what we all knew about Sony's business practices, and while Gamepass and/or Cloud Gaming may at some point become something Microsoft will attempt to use as monopolization, they aren't anywhere near being able to do that as yet.

On the other hand, I had to shell out $80 for Diablo 4, when it probably would have been on gamepass day one if this had gone through back in the day! Per Jaime Tartt - "ME! ME! ME!" ;)

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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

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nice
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Re: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B

Post by Max Peck »

New offer gives Ubisoft, not Microsoft, control of Activision game-streaming rights
In a major restructuring of its long-proposed acquisition plans for Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has announced that the cloud-streaming rights for current and future Activision titles will be controlled by Ubisoft rather than Microsoft itself. The move is an effort to ameliorate concerns from UK regulators who blocked the proposed acquisition in April over potential impacts on competition in the cloud-gaming space.

The newly proposed deal covers perpetual, worldwide streaming rights for all current Activision games and those released in the next 15 years, according to an announcement from Microsoft Vice Chair President Brad Smith. Ubisoft will have exclusive control of those streaming rights outside of the European Union, allowing the company to make those games available on its own Ubisoft+ service and to license them out to other cloud-gaming providers (including Microsoft itself). In the EU, Microsoft will pay to license those Activision streaming rights back from Ubisoft to satisfy promises made to the European Commission regarding free licensing to competing cloud-gaming providers.

In a statement provided to Ars Technica, Ubisoft said the deal would allow Activision titles to be offered via Ubisoft+ Multi Access on PC, Xbox, and Amazon Luna, as well as via Ubisoft+ Classics on PlayStation. "Today’s deal will give players even more opportunities to access and enjoy some of the biggest brands in gaming," said Chris Early, Ubisoft SVP of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, in the statement.
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