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[ChorizoPicozo]

Yes, IRS is back taxing them for an acquisition that isn't even complete yet.

I don't think you understand, my clever friend.

MS bent over backward more than a triple trillion-dollar company trying to portray itself as the victim in a world of smaller competitors just to save it's falling videogame business.

-Overpaying for the company
-2 years of legal battle.
-Giving 10 years contracts to everyone.
-Selling cloud rights to Ubisoft.
-Mega own by leaking their strategy for this gen and the vision for the next.
-Internal e-mails showing Phil's true colors and incompetence.
- They dont even know if GP is going to work.
-Upsi ! 30B tax demand

 Activision and Blizzard are two companies working in overdrive mode, reports of their dev issues are very well known.
diablo iv is bleeding users.
Overwatch 2 is a mess.
CoD yearly releases in jeopardy.

All this has been a massive pain in the ass....and the actual hard work for them is not even starting.

Phil (President of Gaming) trying to manage all this shit:

 

[Thirty7ven]

IRS coming in for a power slam. Lol

IRS Hits Microsoft With $29 Billion Back Tax Demand

Microsoft will appeal the back tax notices and go to court, if necessary.

www.forbes.com

Fuck ‘em, and if they go to court triple the bill

 

[adamsapple]

I don't think you understand, my clever friend.

MS bent over backward more than a triple trillion-dollar company trying to portray itself as the victim in a world of smaller competitors just to save it's falling videogame business.

-Overpaying for the company
-2 years of legal battle.
-Giving 10 years contracts to everyone.
-Selling cloud rights to Ubisoft.
-Mega own by leaking their strategy for this gen and the vision for the next.
-Internal e-mails showing Phil's true colors and incompetence.
- They dont even know if GP is going to work.
-Upsi ! 30B tax demand

 Activision and Blizzard are two companies working in overdrive mode, reports of their dev issues are very well known.
diablo iv is bleeding users.
Overwatch 2 is a mess.
CoD yearly releases in jeopardy.

All this has been a massive pain in the ass....and the actual hard work for them is not even starting.

Phil (President of Gaming) trying to manage all this shit:

Too long

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Too long

you read and feel compelled to reply. instead of your usual reaction.

 

[freefornow]

"The tax payment being demanded by the IRS is derived from concern the agency has with how Microsoft allocated profits among subsidiaries in different countries and taxing jurisdictions between 2004 and 2013".

The link between this and the acquisition is ???

 

[Three]

only for the IRS to enter like they did in the Capone case. Are they reading, our essential GAF thread, I wonder?

That must be it exactly .
The IRS reading my post from a couple of weeks ago thought

As Phil has shown he doesn't like paying the fees he himself asks for so they try to circumvent that through this crap much like MS try to circumvent paying taxes.

Fuck ‘em, and if they go to court triple the bill

If they go to court it would be interesting to see how much support or lack thereof they get from the US government.

 

[havoc00]

They profit about $60bn-$70bn a year so I very much doubt this would stop them from further acquiring, also they plan on appealing which will take years.

Point is they aren't going to let the IRS put their business plans on hold for years if they want to acquire someone.

 

[adamsapple]

They profit about $60bn-$70bn a year so I very much doubt this would stop them from further acquiring, also they plan on appealing which will take years.

Point is they aren't going to let the IRS put their business plans on hold for years if they want to acquire someone.

$83bn in 2022, reportedly.

 

[havoc00]

$83bn in 2022, reportedly.

Even better! Based Phil!

 

[MarkMe2525]

Only if I was saying this was happening, rather than pondering, hoping someone from the US would give an opinion if the administrations have leveraged tax bills against large US companies.

But I guess it still doesn't rule out, Microsoft considering walking away from the deal if they thought this IRS bill will stick, meaning they are spending $28B more than they considered when they offered on ATVI, and IIRC from about 1000 pages back it was claimed that MSFT had financially gone all in at that buy price, so depending on when the bill would need paid might make the ATVI deal less desirable, but probably not, so not clutching at those straws either - just discussing.

I'll give you my opinion. Tax those mother effers to death. They own the world because we let them. We build their yachts, clean their bathrooms, pave their roads, do their dry cleaning, and educate their kids. It's time corporate America steps up to the plate and repay the country that has given them everything.

 

[Topher]

This news would have been more relevant earlier in the year....

 

[StereoVsn]

$83bn in 2022, reportedly.

And yet they still fired what, 20K people? So yeah, f them and the horse carriage Phil and Satya rode on. Hopefully IRS will do the f-ng.

 

[HoofHearted]

 

[HoofHearted]

So only CMA and it's over

 

[adamsapple]

If at this point the deal doesn't go through, I will go to my nearest gamestop and pick up Knack 1 and 2.

 

[FoxMcChief]

How did you come to that conclusion?
This going through means MS can buy anyone. (Except Japan studios)

 

[graywolf323]

If at this point the deal doesn't go through, I will go to my nearest gamestop and pick up Knack 1 and 2.

c’mon CMA, make it happen!

 

[Topher]

How did you come to that conclusion?
This going through means MS can buy anyone. (Except Japan studios)

Nah....buying ABK will put future publisher acquisitions under greater scrutiny. Small studios shouldn't be a problem though.

 

[bitbydeath]

Nah....buying ABK will put future publisher acquisitions under greater scrutiny. Small studios shouldn't be a problem though.

Everything under ABK are smaller ones.
They'll be easier to get through, I did forget that Ubisoft would be a problem though given their current arrangement.

 

[DrFigs]

Everything under ABK are smaller ones.
They'll be easier to get through, I did forget that Ubisoft would be a problem though given their current arrangement.

yeah once you allow a 70 billion dollar acquisition, how can anyone really argue a few more billion here and there is actually harmful for competition. i know it's not the point in the thread to debate this still, but idk how people don't see this.

 

[Topher]

Everything under ABK are smaller ones.
They'll be easier to get through, I did forget that Ubisoft would be a problem though given their current arrangement.

I said smaller "studios". I don't think for a second that buying ABK makes buying Take Two or EA easier. The entire gaming landscape has changed.

 

[graywolf323]

I said smaller "studios". I don't think for a second that buying ABK makes buying Take Two or EA easier. The entire gaming landscape has changed.

the problem with this though is the fact the only regulator that seriously thought the console market was a concern with the ABK deal was the FTC & they’re completely powerless

so why wouldn’t Microsoft be allowed to buy Take Two and make a similar cloud deal they did with ABK? the EU didn’t even care enough to force the cloud divestment to the extent the CMA has

 

[Topher]

the problem with this though is the fact the only regulator that seriously thought the console market was a concern with the ABK deal was the FTC & they’re completely powerless

so why wouldn’t Microsoft be allowed to buy Take Two and make a similar cloud deal they did with ABK? the EU didn’t even care enough to force the cloud divestment to the extent the CMA has

They very well may still be allowed, but ABK as a part of Microsoft makes that harder. Factually, Microsoft bought more market share of the gaming industry as a whole. You can't tell me that buying up more market share helps a corporation in buying more large chunks of the industry.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

If at this point the deal doesn't go through, I will go to my nearest gamestop and pick up Knack 1 and 2.

No destruction all stars?

 

[graywolf323]

They very well may still be allowed, but ABK as a part of Microsoft makes that harder. Factually, Microsoft bought more market share of the gaming industry as a whole. You can't tell me that buying up more market share helps a corporation in buying even more large chunks of the industry.

did they though? aside from having more revenue they can easily keep crying about the exact same things they did during the ABK deal that they’re last in the console race etc. etc.

 

[Topher]

did they though? aside from having more revenue they can easily keep crying about the exact same things they did during the ABK deal that they’re last in the console race etc. etc.

They can cry about whatever they want. Explain to me how regulators in the next round of acquisitions are going to look at Microsoft with ABK under wing as a lesser threat to competition in the industry than MS without ABK.

 

[bitbydeath]

They can cry about whatever they want. Explain to me how regulators in the next round of acquisitions are going to look at Microsoft with ABK under wing as a lesser threat to competition in the industry than MS without ABK.

Same way they looked at them having just purchased Zenimax.

 

[DR3AM]

What if the CMA says no tomorrow?

 

[Topher]

Same way they looked at them having just purchased Zenimax.

Zenimax made acquiring ABK harder, not easier.

 

[Varteras]

Ginzeen really going back 800 pages to emoji troll. He's so cute.

 

[draliko]

"The tax payment being demanded by the IRS is derived from concern the agency has with how Microsoft allocated profits among subsidiaries in different countries and taxing jurisdictions between 2004 and 2013".

The link between this and the acquisition is ???

You really think gaf would read something about ms without shitting on it first? How naïve

 

[Negotiator101]

What if the CMA says no tomorrow?

And pigs might fly.

 

[Varteras]

And pigs might fly.

 

[PaintTinJr]

They very well may still be allowed, but ABK as a part of Microsoft makes that harder. Factually, Microsoft bought more market share of the gaming industry as a whole. You can't tell me that buying up more market share helps a corporation in buying more large chunks of the industry.

Normally, no, but Microsoft can spectacularly fumble the result of this acquisition completing, resulting in just diminishing Sony's earnings, having gained no market share, as seems like the Zenimax and other studio acquisitions' result, and then "please sir, can I buy some more?".

 

[PaintTinJr]

"The tax payment being demanded by the IRS is derived from concern the agency has with how Microsoft allocated profits among subsidiaries in different countries and taxing jurisdictions between 2004 and 2013".

The link between this and the acquisition is ???

For years I've wondered how people that know zero about gaming always use the term xbox when searching for a game brand name to use when talking about anything that overlaps with gaming, despite PlayStation and Nintendo being the console and hybrid market leaders best know by gamers, and the obvious answer is that Microsoft spends more on marketing than any company on the planet, and Xbox is forever advertised on MSN or Bing, Outlook, etc, and yet PlayStation and Nintendo could never afford that. So a highly profitable company writing down fake losses by selling ad space to itself at full price as a loss to whatever Xbox's financials are hidden in would seem like a valid way to minimise a tax bill, while also getting full subsidized advertising power no competitor could match.

It probably isn't that, and I'm sure if the IRS went looking for an ad space tax hole payday they'd probably find even more tax obligations, but given Microsoft wouldn't possibly be in a position to buy ATVI for cash at that price with different tax arrangements, it is all still linked, even if not directly.

 

[L*][*N*K]

What if the CMA says no tomorrow?

They could, but why would they?

 

[Godot25]

and the obvious answer is that Microsoft spends more on marketing than any company on the planet

That's just bullshit

and Xbox is forever advertised on MSN or Bing, Outlook, etc, and yet PlayStation and Nintendo could never afford that.

Ehh. I have never seen Xbox ads on Bing or Outlook and I'm using both of them because of Microsoft Rewards.
Isn't there a constant complaint about Xbox and their lack of marketing around console? Especially outside US? Meanwhile PlayStation is plastered around every bus in my country and on every banner during Champions League and I'm getting constant barrages of PlayStation ads on Youtube?

 

[Varteras]

They could, but why would they?

For the fucking memes, bro!

 

[bitbydeath]

They could, but why would they?

To stick it to the man!

 

[L*][*N*K]

For the fucking memes, bro!

That will be hilarious

To stick it to the man!

 

[PaintTinJr]

That's just bullshit

They've spent around $20b per year on marketing in recent years , having ramped up progressively from $3-5b from 2 decades ago, when I checked this a year or so ago for this question of how they compete with Sony and Nintendo

Ehh. I have never seen Xbox ads on Bing or Outlook and I'm using both of them because of Microsoft Rewards.
Isn't there a constant complaint about Xbox and their lack of marketing around console? Especially outside US? Meanwhile PlayStation is plastered around every bus in my country and on every banner during Champions League and I'm getting constant barrages of PlayStation ads on Youtube?

In a world of targeted internet ads, what value do they gain in ads spend on existing evangelists?

 

[FireFly]

They've spent around $20b per year on marketing in recent years , having ramped up progressively from $3-5b from 2 decades ago, when I checked this a year or so ago for this question of how they compete with Sony and Nintendo

That's sales and marketing for the entire company. The actual advertising budget will be a tiny fraction of that, and for Xbox a further fraction still.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

That's sales and marketing for the entire company. The actual advertising budget will be a tiny fraction of that, and for Xbox a further fraction still.

Amazing that this has to be pointed out.

 

[PaintTinJr]

That's sales and marketing for the entire company. The actual advertising budget will be a tiny fraction of that, and for Xbox a further fraction still.

This is goal post moving. I said Microsoft - not xbox - spend the most on marketing in the world and was told that was BS. How that money is divided up makes no difference to the point I was making.

And the point about - if you randomly sampled MSN/outlook using grandmas - the marketing will have most of them say xbox - without even knowing PlayStation - because I believe Xbox has an unrivalled console marketing spend in real-terms was the whole purpose of the comment in regards of tax.

As I've implied before, how much in marketing spend would PlayStation, Nintendo, Steam or Epic games have to pay Microsoft for them to rename the Xbox Game Bar that's IE4 integrated into their PC gaming monopoly OS with their brand instead? Xbox advertising is co-oped in everything Microsoft do that they can coop it with, just like office, edge, bing, onedrive, etc.

Every Minesweeper, Solitaire, Freecell player is exposed to Xbox Game Studios as the brand, why would they not sell unsellable MSN,etc full priced ad space to themselves for Xbox and get it free via tax deductible losses?

 

[King Dazzar]

Yeah, it wouldn't make sense to drop 50 games at once, they have enough of a backlog to add a couple of games each month and have a good consistent stream.

Also, not to sound like a broken record again, but I REALLY fucking hope they have someone working on adding more backward compatible games.

If Xbox really wanted to show me some positive hope/inspiration again. Then bring back X1X type enhancements for all the historic COD campaigns as they add them to GP. Auto HDR, 4k res and 60fps. They could do it. The question is will they. I'd be genuinely really impressed. Ideal opportunity. I bet it doesn't happen though.

 

[ManaByte]

I said smaller "studios". I don't think for a second that buying ABK makes buying Take Two or EA easier. The entire gaming landscape has changed.

Actually EA is easy. There’s blood in the water there. Outside of EA Sports, the rest of the company has been struggling for a decade and hasn’t produced a major hit. EA is the next to be acquired, probably by Apple within a few years.

 

[Banjo64]

Actually EA is easy. There’s blood in the water there. Outside of EA Sports, the rest of the company has been struggling for a decade and hasn’t produced a major hit. EA is the next to be acquired, probably by Apple within a few years.

Why would Apple want EA? Apple are a premium brand through and through, in every department they compete in. EA are known for low quality profitable trash.

 

[ManaByte]

Why would Apple want EA? Apple are a premium brand through and through, in every department they compete in. EA are known for low quality profitable trash.

Apple will launch a console before the end of the decade. Apple Arcade on the Apple TV is just practice for it.

 

[Clintizzle]

I don't think you understand, my clever friend.

MS bent over backward more than a triple trillion-dollar company trying to portray itself as the victim in a world of smaller competitors just to save it's falling videogame business.

-Overpaying for the company
-2 years of legal battle.
-Giving 10 years contracts to everyone.
-Selling cloud rights to Ubisoft.
-Mega own by leaking their strategy for this gen and the vision for the next.
-Internal e-mails showing Phil's true colors and incompetence.
- They dont even know if GP is going to work.
-Upsi ! 30B tax demand

 Activision and Blizzard are two companies working in overdrive mode, reports of their dev issues are very well known.
diablo iv is bleeding users.
Overwatch 2 is a mess.
CoD yearly releases in jeopardy.

All this has been a massive pain in the ass....and the actual hard work for them is not even starting.

Phil (President of Gaming) trying to manage all this shit:

Damn. Looks like twitter is leaking onto NeoGaf again....

 

[Banjo64]

Apple will launch a console before the end of the decade.

Still, why would they want EA? If Apple enter the console market they will want quality and profitability. Capcom, Nintendo etc. I’d be surprised if they’d want EA.