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[DJ12]

I honestly think Microsoft is done competing directly against Sony software-wise. Microsoft spent near $70 billion just to leave their Activision/Blizzard games on PlayStation and even Nintendo? I know they supposedly don’t care where you play their games and they get more money, but that still seemed like way too much money to spend to be a glorified third party. Then again, if they want to reach as many players as possible, I guess they don’t have much choice because PC and XBOX only will not get them anywhere near that goal.

I’m thinking the FTC might of influenced this decision a bit as well. Well, if this is factual, besides Gamepass which is on the One X for now and PC as well, I don’t see much reason to buy a Series X or S in the future if you have a PS5. Watch more Bethesda games go multiplatform as well especially if they don’t make the money Microsoft hopes for. We are keeping Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 exclusive, but you guys can have COD, Overwatch and World of Warcraft? Ok.

This is a pretty good take, but Ms has no real interest getting ps owners to own an xbox. Money is money.

Ms have not been trying to convince anyone to buy a series x since they released gamepass for pc.

Money is the goal. Look at it this way it all makes sense.

I honestly cannot believe anyone actually thinks all this was to boost xbox sales.

 

[THE DUCK]

It's total bs. It doesn't really state what they will continue past current agreements, it's intentionally vague, could easily just mean keeping existing catalog of old games on playstation.

Plus if any of this bs was true, they would have announced Bethesda mutiplatform at the sane time.

Sorry, yet another misinterpretation thread with a crap title of misinformation.

 

[GhostOfTsu]

Isn't it weird how Bobby Kotick never put the old CODs on Game Pass? Is there any Activision game on GP? He probably doesn't believe in that model (like Zelnick from T2) but now his company is stuck with it because of MS.

I'm sure he will jump at the chance to extend the contract with Sony after 2024 now that he got the okay from MS. No CODs on GP even after 2025

Microsoft tries to win over regulators for massive Activision Blizzard deal with new app store commitments

Microsoft is trying to persuade regulators to approve its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard with a series of new app store commitments that it says will put the company "on the right side of history" as policymakers worldwide debate new laws to force competition open in digital...

amp.cnn.com

From Microsoft employee talking to CNN:

Separately, Microsoft said it has committed to Sony that popular franchises it acquires from Activision Blizzard will remain available on PlayStation under Activision's existing deal with Sony, and that it has offered to extend the deal on a "multiyear basis." The existing deal with Sony runs until 2024, Smith said.

 

[THE DUCK]

This is a pretty good take, but Ms has no real interest getting ps owners to own an xbox. Money is money.

Ms have not been trying to convince anyone to buy a series x since they released gamepass for pc.

Money is the goal. Look at it this way it all makes sense.

I honestly cannot believe anyone actually thinks all this was to boost xbox sales.

Lol, ms has no interest in getting ps owners to xbox? This is the silliest thing I have read on here in years. Drinking the Kool aid big time.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

It's total bs. It doesn't really state what they will continue past current agreements, it's intentionally vague, could easily just mean keeping existing catalog of old games on playstation.

Plus if any of this bs was true, they would have announced Bethesda mutiplatform at the sane time.

Sorry, yet another misinterpretation thread with a crap title of misinformation.

Mooses post about them willing to extend their COD deal should be evidence enough now for the rest of you still in denial

 

[GhostOfTsu]

It's total bs. It doesn't really state what they will continue past current agreements, it's intentionally vague, could easily just mean keeping existing catalog of old games on playstation.

Plus if any of this bs was true, they would have announced Bethesda mutiplatform at the sane time.

Sorry, yet another misinterpretation thread with a crap title of misinformation.

They made other statements, see the interview I posted above. COD is staying on PS, maybe even the marketing rights after 2024.

Get over it

 

[kyliethicc]

Mooses post about them willing to extend their COD deal should be evidence enough now for the rest of you still in denial

Jimbo too litty for Phil to say no

 

[DJ12]

Lol, ms has no interest in getting ps owners to xbox? This is the silliest thing I have read on here in years. Drinking the Kool aid big time.

Even in light of all the evidence, some if you xbox fans are still lying to yourselves.

I hope ms gamings growth based on sales to Sony and Nintendo platforms doesn't leave you conflicted in the future.

 

[TheGodfather07]

Why are people in denial about this when it literally says Microsoft themselves want to extend the deal? Some of you are looking pathetic right now wanting cod to go xbox console exclusive. What do you even get out of it if it does? Nothing!

 

[yurinka]

Are you kidding me???

In terms of game stores yes, Windows is open. Unlike in mobile or consoles, everybody an put their game store in Windows. And MS doesn't demand a 30% of all game revenue made in Window (outside their store).

What MS is asking for is to be allowed to sell or rent their games in mobile devices (and potentially the other consoles they don't own) without givivng 30%, or in fact without giving anything to their platform holder. The same Epic said about Apple and Google.

How is "multiplatform" not more vague? There's no mention of any platforms unlike with this post. PS and PC are multiplatform for Jim.

Bungie said very clearly that Destiny 2, its future content and their future games will continue being multiplatform including non-PS consoles and will ontinue featuring cross-play and cross-save, and that the non-PlayStation platforms won't be affected by the acquisition:

Bungie.net

www.bungie.net

Jimbo also says Destiny 2 and future Bungie games will continue multiplatform including rival consoles:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...journey-with-multiplatform-live-service-games

But also notice these statemes are for Bungie, so SIE too. But not for PS Studios, which are also under SIE. Unless they say otherwise, PS Studios would continue making PS exclusive games (with some potential mobile gaming adaptation), some of them being ported some time later to PC.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

They are not under any obligation, except that the FTC is scrutinising them heavily here - to the point they have changed course and committed to not changing the status quo and keeping COD multiplatform so that this deal will go through

They really did not commit to that. They said that will keep the games available even after the contracts expire. Nobody talking about removing Warzone or Warzone 2 for example. They did not commit to release all the future games on Playstation.

They can't then go and say "it'll be multiplatform but ONLY if you allow Gamepass on your system" - that is the very definition of product tying and will open a whole new issue for them with regulators

The only situation where Gamepass makes it on to Playstation is if Sony and MS reach some business outcome beneficial to both. Its not going to be through coercive action

Regulators won't enforce the conditions like "it should be available on retail" or "should be available on discount" or "available in PS+ after 1 year" etc. They literally won't enforce the game to be released on Playstation at all. Imagine the conversation "you should release COD on Playstation forever, because Sony will die without COD revenue" or something. It will be much simpler and they did not provide the definitive statements. "desire" and "will be it available after the contracts expire" are not the definitive statements that hold any value in the court for example.

Anyway these debates are meaningless because not only the deal is not closed yet, the exclusive games won't arrive till 2023-2024 at least.

 

[Mr Moose]

They really did not commit to that. They said that will keep the games available even after the contracts expire. Nobody talking about removing Warzone or Warzone 2 for example. They did not commit to release all the future games on Playstation.

 

[FrankWza]

Why in the world would either Activision or MS sign to extend any contract?

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

In terms of game stores yes, Windows is open. Unlike in mobile or consoles, everybody an put their game store in Windows. And MS doesn't demand a 30% of all game revenue made in Window (outside their store).

What MS is asking for is to be allowed to sell or rent their games in mobile devices (and potentially the other consoles they don't own) without givivng 30%, or in fact without giving anything to their platform holder. The same Epic said about Apple and Google.


Bungie said very clearly that Destiny 2, its future content and their future games will continue being multiplatform including non-PS consoles and will ontinue featuring cross-play and cross-save:

Bungie.net

www.bungie.net

Nothing about their future games being on other consoles there. They just won't be PS exclusives which could just mean PC

 

[mortal]

Why are people in denial about this when it literally says Microsoft themselves want to extend the deal? Some of you are looking pathetic right now wanting cod to go xbox console exclusive. What do you even get out of it if it does? Nothing!

The mental gymnastics are so bizarre. I genuinely want to know the rationale that drives this as well.
The COD IP is ubiquitous on damn near every platform, and no one cared that it was.
Then overnight it became the most precious exclusive of all time for some people.

 

[Kerotan]

Yeah

Pretty good sales in a year for playstation version of MLB no?

 

[yurinka]

Nothing about their future games being on other consoles there. They just won't be PS exclusives which could just mean PC

Read what is here highlighted in grey:

In fact, regarding Destiny 2 here they mention that will be released in more platforms (someone mentioned that is Switch via streaming):

 

[Neolombax]

Yes, but which Call of Duty though?

 

[FrankWza]

Pretty good sales in a year for playstation version of MLB no?

Yeah the poster was saying how gp release is a good deal at $0 vs $70. Didn’t hurt mlb sales last year despite the great coup it was made out to be. Not bad considering MLB hung Jim Ryan off a balcony by his ankles to make him port the game Suge Knight style. I think I read that somewhere here…

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Read what is here highlighted in grey:

I need more than an editorialisation. Until I see direct quotes from Jim with Bungies new games and Xbox in the same sentence i'm taking all that as PR fluff.

I've been bamboozeled enough by these guys

 

[lh032]

Elder Scrolls and Starfield soon to follow.

 

[Hendrick's]

This is a pretty good take, but Ms has no real interest getting ps owners to own an xbox. Money is money.

Ms have not been trying to convince anyone to buy a series x since they released gamepass for pc.

Money is the goal. Look at it this way it all makes sense.

I honestly cannot believe anyone actually thinks all this was to boost xbox sales.

 

[R3claimer117]

I wonder how many of the people in here are going to call Microsoft liars when it turns out only their live service games remain on PlayStation going forward. Lol Microsoft is going to get the game on switch something activision wasn’t able to do because the game couldn’t even run on switch yet they’re going to do it lol. People believe anything they want.

 

[Atrus]

They don't need to make any money "back" because they don't lose any money if the deal is approved. They only lose cash, but in exchange they receive an asset that is worth the amount of cash they spent. On their balance sheet this amounts to +-0.

Takeovers require a premium to make sense and so no, it does not amount to not losing any money.

Intangibles such as goodwill must be routinely tested for impairments.

 

[kingfey]

"Blah blah blah"?

Please do me a favour, curb your ADHD for one hour, grab a beverage of choice and watch through the whole video.

If you can't even do that in order to have an honest discussion then stop wasting my time.

Found an interesting point in 26:15-26:37 mark. The FTC closely focuses on the $B deals which they have to carefully investigate, due to the financial constrain. Meaning, if other deals at that level of magnitude happens, they have higher chance to be passed, compared to their counter part.
I didnt know that kind of loophole existed within FTC regulation.

At 29:15 is where my point is. MS have the resource to challenge the FTC to the court.
Another interesting point at 33:43.
Interesting gamepass like moment at 35:11.
At 39:16, that marked showed the law doesnt apply to everyone. This ground which supports my point, as the FTC werent acting as the same toward Disney.

From 39:16, MS can argue with FTC, which brings to my point. MS will deploy their lawyer on that ground.

Other than, good interview, but unnecessary view on the foreign competition. China isnt cracking down their business on ground of fairness, while letting TenCent own tons of shit. That is shortsighted view. Japan lets Sony buy Funanimaton and Crunchyroll. That is what Foreign countries do for their big companies. They allow them to benefit themselves, in order to increase the tech power of their country. US techs have the right to be worry about those companies. Tok-tok has unsupervised amount of data, and privacy risks. And that app posses more national security risk than MS, Google, and Facebook combined. As that app provides tons of information to china.

In short, its a broader talk about the 3 key point, which I provided to you. Which the FTC is currently focusing on now, and for future mergers.

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1599783/statement_of_chair_lina_m_khan_regarding_the_request_for_information_on_merger_enforcement_final.pdf

 

[darrylgorn]

How many times do they have to say this? Xbox has come out and specifically stated this about 4 times now, and every time people refuse to believe it.

Why it took them two weeks to tell people their intentions?

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Reading reactions online, I find the “ Phil is too nice” narrative a bit odd. I personally don’t think that’s the case. It’s more about a longer term strategy to reach as many consumers as possible. Native, cloud, apps etc. He’s said as much numerous times. That’s not a mr nice guy , that’s simply another strategy to grow the business. He
clearly wasn’t humble when the Forbes guy mentioned the state of first party to him a couple of years ago. He was more irked than anything.

I’m telling you, he would happily put Gamepass on PlayStation and Nintendo.

As much as it’s good value , it’s getting a bit jarring that people assume every Xbox gamer is a subscriber too and it’s the be all and end all.

“Yeah but gamepass” frig off

 

[Concern]

So Microsoft and Sony feel like donating billions for content to remain multiplatform? Dumbest shit ever lol

Why not bless us who get the short end of the stick all the time?

 

[Exanthus]

This has been an entertaining thread.
But at the end of the day who cares? majority of act/bliz will go to gamepass sweetening the deal for that eco system, and PS will still get to play COD.

COD is the last game I care about in this deal.

 

[yurinka]

So Microsoft and Sony feel like donating billions for content to remain multiplatform? Dumbest shit ever lol

Why not bless us who get the short end of the stick all the time?

I’m telling you, he would happily put Gamepass on PlayStation and Nintendo.

He doesn't give a fuck about Xbox and Xbox exclusives, or to bring their games to more players. What he wants is to make more money.

And he wants to make more money by selling and renting their games in other plaforms, mostly the rival consoles and specially mobile. And even more, in this PR statement whatt they mostlty say is that they want to do it without paying these platform holders the 30%, and if possible using their own store instead of the platform holder one.

Plus Satya Nutella wants to have their own PlayStation Home, 'the metaverse'. And Phil said they wanted casual and mobile games, and content for Gamepass. They never said they wanted to remove future games from PlayStation.

 

[Craig of War]

So Microsoft and Sony feel like donating billions for content to remain multiplatform? Dumbest shit ever lol

Why not bless us who get the short end of the stick all the time?

At the end of the day MS and Sony are in it to make the most money if that means a couple GAAS stay multiplatform so be it
but the Singleplayer games are gone to be exclusive so there that

 

[digoutyoursoul]

He doesn't give a fuck about Xbox and Xbox exclusives, or to bring their games to more players. What he wants is to make more money.

And he wants to make more money by selling and renting their games in other plaforms, mostly the rival consoles and specially mobile. And even more, in this PR statement they say that they want to do it without paying the platform holders the 30%, and if possible using their own store instead of the platform holder one.

“3 billion gamers” They said. Their strategy has been there for ages.

Consoles, PC, TV, mobile.cloud, holograms on lavatory walls.

 

[Tutomos]

Microsoft didn't even make the AB deal to take games off Playstation. Satya specifically mentioned metaverse and then Phil said the board of directors are asking about causal and mobile players. I really think they don't give an F about having COD's exclusivity.

 

[ChiefDada]

So Microsoft and Sony feel like donating billions for content to remain multiplatform? Dumbest shit ever lol

Why not bless us who get the short end of the stick all the time?

What's dumb about maximizing profit and ROI on IPs who's cost structure was designed with revenue levels only achievable with a multiplatform approach in mind?

 

[THE DUCK]

Mooses post about them willing to extend their COD deal should be evidence enough now for the rest of you still in denial

Your all missing the point, all they are really confirming is existing games. There is zero concrete info on the upcoming Cod games, it's intentionally vague to get thier approval.

 

[Basil King]

Honestly who cares if it’s still on PlayStation, if you have gamepass you’re getting that and other games for peanuts all year. Is a year of gamepass even the cost of 2 $70 games?

We are in the best time line right now where the game is not being removed from anywhere.

 

[THE DUCK]

Even in light of all the evidence, some if you xbox fans are still lying to yourselves.

I hope ms gamings growth based on sales to Sony and Nintendo platforms doesn't leave you conflicted in the future.

What evidence? Them saying they will continue existing games on playstation?
Totally expected. This is Bethesda all over again. Why is it you think they didn't announce today all Bethesda games will be multiplatform? Oh wait........

For the record I'm an xbox, playstation, and switch fan.

 

[THE DUCK]

They made other statements, see the interview I posted above. COD is staying on PS, maybe even the marketing rights after 2024.

Get over it

Yes, COD war zone, and existing games, and whatever contracts remain. Any extentions will be for war zone and existing games to be continued to be sold. Very convenient to get the sale approved, by the way.

 

[ManaByte]

Yes, COD war zone, and existing games, and whatever contracts remain. Any extentions will be for war zone and existing games to be continued to be sold. Very convenient to get the sale approved, by the way.

It's worded very specifically. "Continue to make available" means "We aren't pulling our games off their stores"

 

[adamsapple]

I need more than an editorialisation. Until I see direct quotes from Jim with Bungies new games and Xbox in the same sentence i'm taking all that as PR fluff.

I've been bamboozeled enough by these guys

 

[demigod]

It's literally the same dozen people that keep on resurrecting themselves.

Yup, don’t argue with 2021 folks. Buncha scrubs that got banned and are back at the same schtick. It’s why i said any ban bets are meaningless.

 

[demigod]

It's worded very specifically. "Continue to make available" means "We aren't pulling our games off their stores"

Let it go old man, let it go.

 

[Shmunter]

Either way, this is a totally feasible way to go about it. Activision is profitable, so MS will still make money from it even if nothing changes. Yet they still get the benefit of bolstering gamepass and having access to Activision talent to leverage off.

 

[adamsapple]

Either way, this is a totally feasible way to go about it. Activision is profitable, so MS will still make money from it even if nothing changes. Yet they still get the benefit of bolstering gamepass and having access to Activision talent to leverage off.

Worst/best case scenario depending on one's opinion, the games remain multi platform, but game pass subscribers still get it for 'free' with their subscription while its $70 for purchase to non GP subscribers.

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

1. I don't really care whether it goes exclusive, the more people that can play the games the better, but I'm still not convinced this will go on forever, this reads more like a short term thing and then they'll eventually start leveraging it for Game Pass on Playstation

2. Even if it remains multiplat for all of eternity, thought stuff like Game Pass and exclusive content it will become very clear to the majority of COD players that Xbox/PC will be the best place to play COD, and stuff as simple as an Xbox logo after every COD commercial, or MLG playing on Xbox, will also switch a lot of people. They'll basically be able to constantly advertise how it's included in Game Pass but $70 on PS5 (hell they could even have Game Pass ads in the COD main menus on Playstation versions which would be hilarious). So yeah there will still be a big migration of the casual players from Playstation to Xbox, though obviously not as big as if they were exclusives obviously.


3. Microsoft is not doing this because they "need Playstation sales", they very easily would be fine (and would probably make more money honestly) making it exclusive, but it's a concession they are making to pass the deal

 

[GigaBowser]

The content war is a cold war.

Sony and MS cooperating puts more money on both of their plates and keeps the other in line.

They've been fighting tooth and nail for timed content for generations, now this is more definitive.

If anyone steps out line peace times are over. I think there is too much on the line for either to step out of line.

 

[R3claimer117]

It's worded very specifically. "Continue to make available" means "We aren't pulling our games off their stores"

They were never doing this anyways they never did it with bathesda. They just won’t put anything that isn’t live service on anything else they’re purposely being vague.

 

[HoofHearted]

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Isn't it weird how Bobby Kotick never put the old CODs on Game Pass? Is there any Activision game on GP? He probably doesn't believe in that model (like Zelnick from T2) but now his company is stuck with it because of MS.

I'm sure he will jump at the chance to extend the contract with Sony after 2024 now that he got the okay from MS. No CODs on GP even after 2025

Microsoft tries to win over regulators for massive Activision Blizzard deal with new app store commitments

Microsoft is trying to persuade regulators to approve its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard with a series of new app store commitments that it says will put the company "on the right side of history" as policymakers worldwide debate new laws to force competition open in digital...

amp.cnn.com

From Microsoft employee talking to CNN:

I actually don’t find it too weird. COD sells boatloads and Activision or Bobby probably knows people are willing to pay money for COD games. That’s why I would still be surprised if or when COD goes on Gamepass because so many people are willing to pay good money for it.

 

[FrankWza]

Yikes!

Damn @Lognor , I know you're not going to let them do you like that!!!???

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/bloomberg-activision-is-committed-to-releasing-cod-2022-cod-warzone-2-in-2023-on-playstation.1628624/post-265461256