Microsoft acquire Activision

Hard to imagine how owning one of the biggest game franchises on the planet is going to impact them negatively, CoD is a mess (imo) but that doesn't stop it selling millions every year and will continue to do so.
 
McBain said:
Hard to imagine how owning one of the biggest game franchises on the planet is going to impact them negatively, CoD is a mess (imo) but that doesn't stop it selling millions every year and will continue to do so.
Click to expand...


...but at a cost if $70bn with no exclusivity (the real prize) for 10 years by which time who knows what relevance it will have..
 
McBain said:
lol, CMA, its a joke it was ever blocked in the first place.
Click to expand...

Why is that? CMA raised issues, MS made changes, CMA now agrees. The current situation is at least better for gamers and offers more choice than it did before the CMA blocked it. Absolutely no idea why people were cheering on MS for getting what they wanted the first time.
 
TheVoice said:
Why is that? CMA raised issues, MS made changes, CMA now agrees. The current situation is at least better for gamers and offers more choice than it did before the CMA blocked it. Absolutely no idea why people were cheering on MS for getting what they wanted the first time.
Click to expand...

Because said issues were nonsense. Cloud?
 
Last edited:
McBain said:
Because said issues were nonsense. Cloud?
Click to expand...

Nonsense why? I was hoping you might actually elaborate your point. From what I've seen MS say they're going quite big on cloud gaming and having their ever-expanding library of acquisitions available on more devices, so forcing them to actually make good on their word by preventing cloud gaming exclusivity strikes me as a positive move.
 
TheVoice said:
Nonsense why? I was hoping you might actually elaborate your point. From what I've seen MS say they're going quite big on cloud gaming and having their ever-expanding library of acquisitions available on more devices, so forcing them to actually make good on their word by preventing cloud gaming exclusivity strikes me as a positive move.
Click to expand...

Because the cloud gaming market in the UK is tiny, secondly the CMA in one of their reports openly admitted to not having a clue about cloud gaming IIRC

The EU didn't have a problem with it, so if this issue was more of a global cloud market issue you'd think they'd pipe up.

Lastly, im not really seeing how Ubisoft getting involved for the next 15 years (only) really benefits UK gamers.
 
Last edited:
McBain said:
Because the cloud gaming market in the UK is tiny, secondly the CMA in one of their reports openly admitted to not having a clue about cloud gaming IIRC
Click to expand...
It might be tiny now, but looking ahead it's clearly a growth market and one MS want a piece of and are clearly well-positioned to do so.


McBain said:
The EU didn't have a problem with it, so if this issue was more of a global cloud market issue you'd think they'd pipe up.
Click to expand...
Yes they did, hence why MS had to make concessions for the EEA, and at a glance they're superior to what the CMA got us. But that's Brexit for you.

  • The acquisition would harm competition in the distribution of PC and console games via cloud game streaming services, an innovative market segment that could transform the way many gamers play video games. Despite its potential, cloud game streaming is very limited today. The Commission found that the popularity of Activision's games could promote its growth. Instead, if Microsoft made Activision's games exclusive to its own cloud game streaming service, Game Pass Ultimate, and withheld them from rival cloud game streaming providers, it would reduce competition in the distribution of games via cloud game streaming.
  • If Microsoft made Activision's games exclusive to its own cloud game streaming service, Microsoft could also strengthen the position of Windows in the market for PC operating systems. This could be the case, should Microsoft hinder or degrade the streaming of Activision's games on PCs using operating systems other than Windows.
Click to expand...
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_2705
 
Didn't the leaked slides say the next gen Xbox was going to be some sort of cloud hybrid? Cloud is clearly important to MS so the CMA were right to block and seek remedies.
 
TheVoice said:
It might be tiny now, but looking ahead it's clearly a growth market and one MS want a piece of and are clearly well-positioned to do so.
Click to expand...

Obviously not one the CMA are fussed about too far ahead, given these concessions are only for 15 years.

The CMA folded like a deckchair, lets have it right.
 
Last edited:
McBain said:
Obviously not one the CMA are fussed about too far ahead, given these concessions are only for 15 years.

The CMA folded like a deckchair, lets have it right.
Click to expand...

They diminished MS' ability to gain a dominant position in a growing market, they did their job in much the same way as EC did.

But yes, I do agree that MS got off very lightly, considering their history of monopolistic practices.
 
TheVoice said:
They diminished MS' ability to gain a dominant position in a growing market, they did their job in much the same way as EC did.

But yes, I do agree that MS got off very lightly, considering their history of monopolistic practices.
Click to expand...

CMA probably got distracted laughing their arses off at the new dusty bin style Xbox lol..
 
Can't lie the new Xbox looks all sorts of nasty.

No 4K drive = me no likely even though I've gone fully digital for games.
 
Last edited:
McBain said:
Obviously not one the CMA are fussed about too far ahead, given these concessions are only for 15 years.

The CMA folded like a deckchair, lets have it right.
Click to expand...
Yeah but did they? Their whole argument was centred around cloudgaming monopoly, shifting the cloud gaming to a third party is kind of asking for what they wanted and at least forcing a sigificant concession from Microsoft.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom