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FTC Seeks to Block Microsoft Corp’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard

John Wick

Member
Correction: I support corporate consolidation that doesn’t have negative effects on consumers or the industry.
Even without those hypothetical acquisitions Sony have the most expensive consoles already, even before they recently increased prices, do not offer their games day one on their subscription service, and take at least 6 months to port them to PC.
In comparison, Microsoft are well away from the top of the market, so this acquisition is about having a stronger competitor to first place, rather than a stronger first place at the expense of second and third. That is increased competition in the market.
MS have cheaper consoles, offer their games day one on their subscription service and PC.

Xbox consoles / gamepass is the cheapest, best value way to play games this generation, and we should allow that service to improve. The same can not be said for Playstation.



Ok, Sony and Google then.
There’s a reason why only Sony and Google oppose the deal, and everyone else either doesn’t care or wants it to go through.
Why do you think the union body representing industry workers wants it to go ahead?
Why do you think no other companies have made a fuss?
So how have you worked out Sony is no.1?
In console sales and profit Nintendo is no.1
In revenue Tencent is no.1
 

John Wick

Member
Very eloquently put, I know others feel different but that's my take too mate.


Google complaining about competition, they really are MS pre-2000 old school playbook junkies.

giphy.gif
I know funny how MS had complaints about Google search. Why didn't they try to buy their way to success then?
 

Drell

Member
The simple fact a lot of people (not only here but in the whole "gaming community" worldwide) can think that one of the biggest multinational corporation buying the biggest game publisher for one of the biggest amount of money ever spent for that is a good thing is really scary.
MS showed, since the 90s how they love monopolies. I'm not a lawyer or a judge so I don't know what legal reasons would cancel this deal but the one thing is sure: it won't be good for the industry.
 

Skifi28

Member
The simple fact a lot of people (not only here but in the whole "gaming community" worldwide) can think that one of the biggest multinational corporation buying the biggest game publisher for one of the biggest amount of money ever spent for that is a good thing is really scary.
MS showed, since the 90s how they love monopolies. I'm not a lawyer or a judge so I don't know what legal reasons would cancel this deal but the one thing is sure: it won't be good for the industry.
Yeah, this goes far beyond console wars and playstation VS Xbox. If they keep buying everything they can later do whatever they want and you won't have a choice but pay their prices as there will be little competition.

Having Phil say a few words now that "nothing will change" or "we won't stop selling retail games" won't really mean much in two year's time. Imagine if they start locking stuff behind subscriptions while jacking up the prices. What are you going to do then? Deals like this are bad news no matter where you play games.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
The simple fact a lot of people (not only here but in the whole "gaming community" worldwide) can think that one of the biggest multinational corporation buying the biggest game publisher for one of the biggest amount of money ever spent for that is a good thing is really scary.
MS showed, since the 90s how they love monopolies. I'm not a lawyer or a judge so I don't know what legal reasons would cancel this deal but the one thing is sure: it won't be good for the industry.
All companies want to be daddy.

Only one company is daddy.



300px-Shigerudance.gif
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 gives Americans the right to sue companies over anticompetitive behavior, a fact which 10 self-described gamers are using to take Microsoft to court, aiming to halt the company’s acquisition of Activision.

As reported by Bloomberg Law, the complaint, filed today and obtained by Kotaku, states that the plaintiffs, or “video gamers” as they’re described, are concerned that “the [Microsoft and Activision] merger may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly;” this merger, the complaint states, would specifically be in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which states that acquisitions that diminish competition are prohibited under U.S. antitrust law. The complaint not only cites the scale and scope of the Activision and Microsoft merger as problematic, but also that this latest proposed union follows numerous other Microsoft acquisitions ranging from its 2014 purchase of Mojang all the way back to its acquisition of Rare in 2002.
 

anthony2690

Banned

The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 gives Americans the right to sue companies over anticompetitive behavior, a fact which 10 self-described gamers are using to take Microsoft to court, aiming to halt the company’s acquisition of Activision.

As reported by Bloomberg Law, the complaint, filed today and obtained by Kotaku, states that the plaintiffs, or “video gamers” as they’re described, are concerned that “the [Microsoft and Activision] merger may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly;” this merger, the complaint states, would specifically be in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which states that acquisitions that diminish competition are prohibited under U.S. antitrust law. The complaint not only cites the scale and scope of the Activision and Microsoft merger as problematic, but also that this latest proposed union follows numerous other Microsoft acquisitions ranging from its 2014 purchase of Mojang all the way back to its acquisition of Rare in 2002.
Which members here are suing Microsoft? 👀
 

Barakov

Gold Member

The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 gives Americans the right to sue companies over anticompetitive behavior, a fact which 10 self-described gamers are using to take Microsoft to court, aiming to halt the company’s acquisition of Activision.

As reported by Bloomberg Law, the complaint, filed today and obtained by Kotaku, states that the plaintiffs, or “video gamers” as they’re described, are concerned that “the [Microsoft and Activision] merger may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly;” this merger, the complaint states, would specifically be in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which states that acquisitions that diminish competition are prohibited under U.S. antitrust law. The complaint not only cites the scale and scope of the Activision and Microsoft merger as problematic, but also that this latest proposed union follows numerous other Microsoft acquisitions ranging from its 2014 purchase of Mojang all the way back to its acquisition of Rare in 2002.
Won't do much but the more people suing Microsoft over this the better.
Nodding Yes GIF
 

sainraja

Member
Correction: I support corporate consolidation that doesn’t have negative effects on consumers or the industry.
Even without those hypothetical acquisitions Sony have the most expensive consoles already, even before they recently increased prices, do not offer their games day one on their subscription service, and take at least 6 months to port them to PC.
In comparison, Microsoft are well away from the top of the market, so this acquisition is about having a stronger competitor to first place, rather than a stronger first place at the expense of second and third. That is increased competition in the market.
MS have cheaper consoles, offer their games day one on their subscription service and PC.

Xbox consoles / gamepass is the cheapest, best value way to play games this generation, and we should allow that service to improve. The same can not be said for Playstation.



Ok, Sony and Google then.
There’s a reason why only Sony and Google oppose the deal, and everyone else either doesn’t care or wants it to go through.
Why do you think the union body representing industry workers wants it to go ahead?
Why do you think no other companies have made a fuss?
I think you should judge Microsoft based on the actions they took when they had a strong lead/position with the X360. That Microsoft didn't do any of the things you are highlighting.

MS has been stuck in a weird spot due to decisions they made at the start of the XONE generation and end of the X360 gen. Sony did a lot of things right when their position was a little weak during the PS3 gen (they had cross buy program across their platforms, cross play with PC, free online, 2 free games monthly with PS+ when MS was completely comfortable offering nothing extra for XBL gold etc.)

So you can see, both companies get stuck in a weird loop when their position in the market is strong.

-

Game Pass was Microsoft's answer to compete and they have the financial muscle to push something like that forward but even during this, they made their own blunders such as raising the price of Xbox Live, cancelling games in development, etc etc. The Microsoft you love is making these moves due to their position against Sony right now, if that changes, there is no guarantee that it will continue, at-least this aggressively.

Ofcourse, the market is a bit dynamic so hard to predict what might or might not happen in the future but I wouldn't place bets on any one company completely when it comes to things that simply interest people like us.

-

I also wouldn't argue a sub being the best value for ALL gamers. It just depends on how people want to access their games — having the option to subscribe (no indication that this is changing) is always good, so I won't complain about that; but if someone does not play many games, getting a sub like Game Pass/PS (all tiers) does not make much sense when you can pay a one-time fee of $70 and be done with it.
 
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lukilladog

Member
The simple fact a lot of people (not only here but in the whole "gaming community" worldwide) can think that one of the biggest multinational corporation buying the biggest game publisher for one of the biggest amount of money ever spent for that is a good thing is really scary.
MS showed, since the 90s how they love monopolies. I'm not a lawyer or a judge so I don't know what legal reasons would cancel this deal but the one thing is sure: it won't be good for the industry.

It's more like the 4th biggest game publisher buying the 6th biggest game publisher, if having a publisher that big is not good for the industry, then Sony and Tencent must be split as soon as possible.
 

Drell

Member
It's more like the 4th biggest game publisher buying the 6th biggest game publisher, if having a publisher that big is not good for the industry, then Sony and Tencent must be split as soon as possible.
Their rank in the video game market is irrelevant. They have infinite money and want to buy the biggest publisher. Sony is limited in money they will never have the power to buy themselves a monopoly. As for Tencent, don't worry, they are the same danger as MS for me.
 
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ReBurn

Gold Member

The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 gives Americans the right to sue companies over anticompetitive behavior, a fact which 10 self-described gamers are using to take Microsoft to court, aiming to halt the company’s acquisition of Activision.

As reported by Bloomberg Law, the complaint, filed today and obtained by Kotaku, states that the plaintiffs, or “video gamers” as they’re described, are concerned that “the [Microsoft and Activision] merger may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly;” this merger, the complaint states, would specifically be in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which states that acquisitions that diminish competition are prohibited under U.S. antitrust law. The complaint not only cites the scale and scope of the Activision and Microsoft merger as problematic, but also that this latest proposed union follows numerous other Microsoft acquisitions ranging from its 2014 purchase of Mojang all the way back to its acquisition of Rare in 2002.
They also want Microsoft and Activision to cover their legal costs for bringing the suit and they're open to being awarded monetary damages. Reads like an attempt to get some settlement money. I'll be surprised if it doesn't get dismissed.
 
I stopped reading after this, I could not read through my GAF-induced tears of laughter.

Here I am reading through the thread (and yes I admit I stupidly called someone a pseudo-lawyer on Twitter who turns out to be an actual lawyer at ABK. I don't read Twitter bios. Still doesn't mean her arguments are accurate though or I should say, 100% right. I.e there's lots of half-truths in there
 
Activision said:
Different strategies of competing for consumer spend, like the Switch's innovative mobile capability, do not define a separate relevant market, despite the FTC's misguided attempts to claim otherwise.

This statement brings me such joy. I love logic and reasoning on Christmas.
 

BeardGawd

Banned
The simple fact a lot of people (not only here but in the whole "gaming community" worldwide) can think that one of the biggest multinational corporation buying the biggest game publisher for one of the biggest amount of money ever spent for that is a good thing is really scary.
MS showed, since the 90s how they love monopolies. I'm not a lawyer or a judge so I don't know what legal reasons would cancel this deal but the one thing is sure: it won't be good for the industry.
So you want Sony to stay on top forever? Playstation is too ingrained. Gone are the days of Sony making huge mistakes like Bluray and Cell. The only way Microsoft (or anyone) can even attempt to challenge Sony is by making huge moves like this. Playstation has the largest userbase and by virtue the most exclusives. And wth the advent of digital libraries consumers are even more locked in (see Steam) and have absolutely zero reason to switch unless MS makes HUGE moves that existing Playstation fans can't ignore.
 

Daneel Elijah

Gold Member
So you want Sony to stay on top forever? Playstation is too ingrained. Gone are the days of Sony making huge mistakes like Bluray and Cell. The only way Microsoft (or anyone) can even attempt to challenge Sony is by making huge moves like this. Playstation has the largest userbase and by virtue the most exclusives. And wth the advent of digital libraries consumers are even more locked in (see Steam) and have absolutely zero reason to switch unless MS makes HUGE moves that existing Playstation fans can't ignore.
Sony got "on top" by releasing good consoles, games and services. Xbox was in a worse position than they are now when they launched the first Xbox and found themselves way too late in the PS2 era.
They choose to compete by having the 360 come before the PS3, and created new IP that remain key to them even now.
Sony did not make bungie go away. They have nothing to do with the end of the Fable studio.
Microsoft did. And did not try to grow their studios like Sony did. What did Sony after loosing the huge lead they have with the PS2 and the losses of the PS3 slow debut?
They simply made a good console and put great games on it. That is what Microsoft should do. And it is Microsoft fault that they are incapable to prepare like Sony did for this generation. Bethesda is already a big buy when you consider that they have half the number of employees thar xbox have.
If Microsoft had chosen to use even a small part of the money they are putting in the abk deal they could have funded many games with it. And put a console either sooner or more customised or simply cheaper than the ones we have now. If I could buy a series X for 300 I would naturally be tempted. The biggest userbase will be the switch and this prove that you can each generation regain market share without spending 70 billions dollars.
 

OsirisBlack

Banned
So you want Sony to stay on top forever? Playstation is too ingrained. Gone are the days of Sony making huge mistakes like Bluray and Cell. The only way Microsoft (or anyone) can even attempt to challenge Sony is by making huge moves like this. Playstation has the largest userbase and by virtue the most exclusives. And wth the advent of digital libraries consumers are even more locked in (see Steam) and have absolutely zero reason to switch unless MS makes HUGE moves that existing Playstation fans can't ignore.
MAKING great games would be a good start. MS is Forza, Gears, Halo rinse wash repeat. I love Ori but I’m not sure that was made internally either it says an Xbox studios game but the game is so good that it’s hard to believe.

Shit 70 billion you could have made hundreds of thousands of exclusive 1st party AAA games. If not millions of them. Sometimes I’m not sure people realize how much money they are talking about.
 
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Drell

Member
So you want Sony to stay on top forever? Playstation is too ingrained. Gone are the days of Sony making huge mistakes like Bluray and Cell. The only way Microsoft (or anyone) can even attempt to challenge Sony is by making huge moves like this. Playstation has the largest userbase and by virtue the most exclusives. And wth the advent of digital libraries consumers are even more locked in (see Steam) and have absolutely zero reason to switch unless MS makes HUGE moves that existing Playstation fans can't ignore.
Did I even talk about Sony? I didn't even talked about them because I don't care about them in this current situation. The debate around this aquisition is centered on if Sony will keep getting CoD or not and if yes, for how much time. I don't give a shit about this, I'm only worried about Microsoft having too much financial power and using it to to absorb big entities, in order to obtain a monopoly in the end. Laugh at me for that last sentence if you want, that's what they've been doing since the 90s. Operating Systems being the prime example. Do you really want to see them at the top of the OS market forever? (to quote you)

But since you talk about Sony, let me tell you my point of view about them. Yes they're on top and yes they have been there for long. But Sony will never have enough financial power to do what Microsoft does. They're not in a position where they could buy buy EA for 70 billions dollars to counter Microsoft in their acquisitional avarice. And no, Bungie for 3 Billions is nothing compared to this. They can be first for all I care, they're not a threat to the industry compared to MS. And that's the only thing counting for me.
 
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Loomy

Member
So you want Sony to stay on top forever? Playstation is too ingrained. Gone are the days of Sony making huge mistakes like Bluray and Cell.
This is what happens when you let kids stay up late.

Can you explain how, in your mind, Blu-ray was a mistake?

Microsoft is free to compete. What they shouldn't be allowed to do is preventing everyone else from being able to compete.
 

BeardGawd

Banned
This is what happens when you let kids stay up late.

Can you explain how, in your mind, Blu-ray was a mistake?

Microsoft is free to compete. What they shouldn't be allowed to do is preventing everyone else from being able to compete.
Shouldn't need to be explained but Sony sacrificed the goodwill from PS2 inorder to trojan horse Blu-ray with the PS3. It delayed the launch of the system and also made it several hundred dollars more expensive than the Xbox 360. Blu-ray and Cell are the only reason Xbox 360 was able to do as well as it did. Sony is now teamed up with AMD and won't make that type of mistake again. People will go where their friends are and where their current digital libraries exist. MS will never be able to truly compete unless they make HUGE moves because people very rarely switch. MS wouldn't be spending this kind of money unless they felt they had to.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Shouldn't need to be explained but Sony sacrificed the goodwill from PS2 inorder to trojan horse Blu-ray with the PS3. It delayed the launch of the system and also made it several hundred dollars more expensive than the Xbox 360. Blu-ray and Cell are the only reason Xbox 360 was able to do as well as it did.

How was the "goodwill from PS2" sacrificed? And how was blu-ray a trojan horse?
 

Crayon

Member
because people very rarely switch.

Hella people switched from xbox to playstation and it looks like they are still doing it. Do you know why? Because sony started doing better and ms started doing worse. There are other kinds of "huge moves" than spending f-you money specifically to slow down one competitor. Like getting their shit together would be a huge move that wouldn't get the attention of regulators.
 

FUBARx89

Member
This is what happens when you let kids stay up late.

Can you explain how, in your mind, Blu-ray was a mistake?

Microsoft is free to compete. What they shouldn't be allowed to do is preventing everyone else from being able to compete.

That much of a mistake xbox one and series uses them lol.

Also, whoever was saying PS3 was a trojan horse for blu-ray......PS2 was a trojan horse for DVD's lol.
 
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