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[adamsapple]

Since when was a $70 billion dollar acquisition required in order for a cultural change to happen at a company and in order to remove a toxic CEO from office? Who needed to purchase Microsoft in order to get rid of Ballmer?

Please spare me the nonsense.

well it sure as shit wasn't happening any time soon otherwise ..

 

[Three]

They're bringing up the highlighted as well. Up to 20% increase in HW price is also not very consumer friendly, something an org like CMA should look into maybe.

Lol, what a joke MS' arguments are for bringing up this arrogance thing. Not like we are facing inflation and rising prices everywhere, or the fact that the currencies have collapsed against the dollar. No, it must be that arrogance.
The CMA are not dumb they know raising prices 6% helps competitors who can eat losses not hinders them.

Also might want to tell the CMA why you hiked xbox live prices up 25% in the UK when the "market conditions" weren't even that bad yet.

 

[cormack12]

Is this the new modern warfare?

 

[reksveks]

Is this the new modern warfare?

Yes

 

[cormack12]

Yes

Next game is gonna suck ass then.

 

[adamsapple]

Is this the new modern warfare?

Call of Duty: Corporate Warfare

 

[GHG]

well it sure as shit wasn't happening any time soon otherwise ..

Would have happened sooner if anything.

Shareholders said in the letter that if Kotick, Kelly and Morgado don’t step down, they would not vote for the reelection of the current directors on the board at the next annual shareholder meeting in June, and they would urge other shareholders to follow.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/11/17/bobby-kotick-resignation-shareholders/

---

I don't know where the mention of Google and Apple can be linked to "defense of consumer interest" which was what you wanted to conclude.....

The reality is that when the CMA mentions them, it enters the realm of the absurd since MS enters the fight is anything but anti-consumer, since its current presence in the mobile market and subscriptions is non-existent in comparison and would only mean "one more option for consumer" .

Then, as I said, the context is what matters and the issue of balance of mentions is clear....... The CMA's main concern is the effects on Sony and in the second place the rest, including consumers, workers , competition, nintendo, and the other agents.

In short, it is fair and understandable that MS reproaches the CMA for this attitude. And I have no doubt that if you were an MS attorney, that aspect would also be where you would discuss the CMA's brief because it is very obvious.

The whole document is about the impact on consumers. How often the word "consumer" appears throughout the document vs other industry players doesn't matter because the context of all discussions is how does the subject matter impact consumers.

It's incredibly petty. There are dozens of better arguments they could come up with if they want the CMA to take them seriously.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Is this the new modern warfare?

It's Gaf's (and Twittardverse's) favorite exclusives.

 

[DaGwaphics]

As a UK resident...

Suing the CMA isn't the wisest decision. Not just because of optics but because XBOX isn't the whole sum of Microsoft. Far from it. CMA has reach and works/shares info with other regulators across Europe. If the deal isn't approved and Microsoft takes an aggressive stance, that could be damaging to Microsoft's bottom line in a myriad of different ways.

ATVI is not the only deal or business entanglement Microsoft has going on here.

Please..., that certainly shouldn't be a consideration of MS. And honestly, sudden retaliatory actions would impair the CMA far more than it would MS.

 

[Ozriel]

As a UK resident...

Suing the CMA isn't the wisest decision. Not just because of optics but because XBOX isn't the whole sum of Microsoft. Far from it. CMA has reach and works/shares info with other regulators across Europe. If the deal isn't approved and Microsoft takes an aggressive stance, that could be damaging to Microsoft's bottom line in a myriad of different ways.

ATVI is not the only deal or business entanglement Microsoft has going on here.

Going to an appeal tribunal over this one merger doesn’t really have a major impact on other aspects of MS business in Europe.

And for sure they’ll appeal if the CMA turns them down. Madness not to, when they’d be on the hook for $4bn payments to Activision if the merger falls through.

 

[Pelta88]

I think the notion and underlying narrative of some, in this thread, that Microsoft is somehow bigger than the UK government and it's regulatory bodies is kinda fascinating to me. Some have outright stated it while others imply or dance around it, but it always remains fascinating to watch.

Believe it or not, going up against the UK government is a proverbial suicide mission. We've got our issues for certain. Our politics right now would literally make you laugh until you cry.

But the dismissiveness some display in favour of a straw man arguments is astonishing. It's not how business works here. If the UK were some Banana Republic, I'd understand. But this idea that the UK is inconsequential points to an infantile comprehension of basic business principles.

 

[GHG]

Please..., that certainly shouldn't be a consideration of MS. And honestly, sudden retaliatory actions would impair the CMA far more than it would MS.

It already will be:

Amazon, Google and Microsoft face probe by UK regulator over cloud business

Ofcom will assess whether the tech titans are limiting innovation and growth in the sector.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

The probe, which will take up to 12 months, seeks to "ensure that digital communications markets are working well for people and businesses in the UK", it said.

It will be working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and said it aims to consult on its interim findings and publish a final report within a year.

If it finds competition is breached and that companies and consumers are being affected, Ofcom can take enforcement action, recommend regulation or policy changes to the government, or refer the issue to the CMA for further investigation.

 

[Orbital2060]

As a UK resident...

Suing the CMA isn't the wisest decision. Not just because of optics but because XBOX isn't the whole sum of Microsoft. Far from it. CMA has reach and works/shares info with other regulators across Europe. If the deal isn't approved and Microsoft takes an aggressive stance, that could be damaging to Microsoft's bottom line in a myriad of different ways.

ATVI is not the only deal or business entanglement Microsoft has going on here.

The CMA is a fucking joke at this point.

 

[3liteDragon]

 

[digoutyoursoul]

What they have said about Sony first party is all I have wanted Xbox to be like. I’ll give them this, at least they are self aware, I was beginning to think they spend their time listening to people who never offer them anything constructive to say in terms of feedback.

 

[reksveks]

No real movements today on the ABK stocks so far but still early.

I have let the doubt get to me and have a stop loss on my holdings. Still think MS will do some big concessions if required.

 

[PaintTinJr]

"The evidence presented in the Referral Decision does not come close to meeting this standard. The CMA did not even try to quantify the impact on Sony in Phase 1. The Referral Decision goes no further than to assert that a foreclosure strategy could have some unspecified impact on "Sony's revenues and user base".28 There is no assessment of the impact on competition or consumers. Indeed, while Sony is mentioned 57 times in the Referral Decision, consumers are only referred to 10 times. In considering this theory at Phase 1 the Referral Decision fails to "consider the effect of a merger on competition in the market rather than on individual competitors" (emphasis added).29"

Microsoft tearing the CMA a new one

...

Wow, did they really make that child-like argument?

In the document compiled of all the necessary information from all games industry market stakeholders - many whom will have mentioned Sony a lot in their contributions - most of the references to Sony and PlayStation are only there for purpose of facts established or mentions by others, whereas all the references to "consumers" are in analysis/conclusions.

Are the people working for MSFT really that incapable of knowing how to make a reasoned argument that would withstand scrutiny?

 

[ReBurn]

As a UK resident...

Suing the CMA isn't the wisest decision. Not just because of optics but because XBOX isn't the whole sum of Microsoft. Far from it. CMA has reach and works/shares info with other regulators across Europe. If the deal isn't approved and Microsoft takes an aggressive stance, that could be damaging to Microsoft's bottom line in a myriad of different ways.

ATVI is not the only deal or business entanglement Microsoft has going on here.

Suing CMA is not a matter of wisdom. If they were to retaliate against Microsoft in response to being sued it would further back the criticism that they act upon emotion and not fact and law and undermine their authority. Plus suits against them are actually quite common. High profile CMA decisions have been set aside many times because they couldn't or didn't produce sufficient evidence to support their conclusions.

For example:

Judgment | Competition Appeal Tribunal

www.catribunal.org.uk

The UK provides a facility for suing via CAT and the courts as part of a necessary system of checks and balances. CMA should assume they're going to be sued for every decision they make.

 

[oldergamer]

Well there it is. Looking forward to MW2 on GP by Christmas.

Running that through a translator says goldman Sachs bought the shares?

 

[Pelta88]

Well there it is. Looking forward to MW2 on GP by Christmas.

The narrative we choose to believe VS a google search...

TLDR: Goldman did not buy ATVI shares.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Running that through a translator says goldman Sachs bought the shares?

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/microsoft-activision-deal-approval-watch-ot.1641775/page-67#post-266752355

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/microsoft-activision-deal-approval-watch-ot.1641775/page-68#post-266754879

 

[Banjo64]

This can’t be right, as the CMA is just the tiny UK posturing and flexing so it looks like it’s doing something. Big brains told me that companies like MS and presumably META can just threaten to cease operations in the UK instead. And everyone knows that the CMA don’t really understand anything anyway, this was probably Jim Ryan’s doing as he doesn’t want Giphy competing with Crunchy Roll. I’ve just remortgaged my house and put everything in to ABK stock. It’s a surer thing than my missus after she’s had a drink or 2.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

I just get concerned with sonys contracts they clearly have caveats set up where games can't come to gamepass etc so they can literally sit there and say, "you want to launch on PlayStation...you can't go on gamepass" with some key publishers so that sucks for me. Like we saw with resi village and capcom.

Anyway I'm sure it will all work out, we are heading for a recession so thousands of people are going to start getting laid off which sucks. I just hope the industry stays healthy and competition is fair.

MS should be able to nurture their devs and come up with deals for some awesome gamepass content. They need to rock the boat somehow to tip the needle clearly though, Sony is far too dominant in their current position and need to be taken down a peg or two imo. Gonna be a long job though and I think PC has a better chance than xbox

Sony dont except GamePass on PS and rightfully so. They have they're own service...

 

[Banjo64]

The CMA’s judgement was supported by a number of findings. An independent panel noted that Meta’s purchase of Giphy would allow it to increase its market power in multiple ways, including blocking off rival social media sites’ access to its library of GIFs, or forcing them to give over valuable user data in exchange for access. The panel also noted that prior to its acquisition, Giphy had been developing its own advertising services, which were instead folded into Meta’s offerings. The CMA said this was a competition problem given that Meta already controls roughly half of the UK’s £7 billion ($8 billion) display advertising market.

Phil Spencer reading this

 

[GHG]

It’s a surer thing than my missus after she’s had a drink or 2.

 

[xHunter]

Why Sony could live to regret getting the Xbox Activision Blizzard deal blocked

Some regulators seem convinced Sony is in peril.

www.windowscentral.com

Jez is ready for the war.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Why Sony could live to regret getting the Xbox Activision Blizzard deal blocked

Some regulators seem convinced Sony is in peril.

www.windowscentral.com

Jez is ready for the war.

 

[Pelta88]

Jez is ready for the war.

Isn't that his permanent state?

 

[GHG]

Why Sony could live to regret getting the Xbox Activision Blizzard deal blocked

Some regulators seem convinced Sony is in peril.

www.windowscentral.com

Jez is ready for the war.

If this is the regulators first encounter with the gaming "press" they must be wondering what's going on.

Edit:

I'm sorry what is this:

The first phase of the CMA examination seems to revolve around scraping Twitter hot takes rather than actual market data.

This man really thinks other people live the same life he does.

 

[DeepEnigma]

If this is the regulators first encounter with the gaming "press" they must be wondering what's going on.

"These are grown men?"

"Ye... yes sir, they are."

"Childish cunts, eh?"

"Since the day they were born."

 

[Banjo64]

I feel PlayStation's intervention with regulators has effectively given Microsoft a mandate to take the gloves off and return to the aggressive days of the Xbox 360 era.

Buying Zenimax and trying to buy Activision with the intention of taking future Fallout, TES, Doom, Wolfenstein, CoD, Crash and Spyro away from PlayStation isn’t MS taking the gloves off and being aggressive?

Microsoft could quite easily create a climate where PlayStation gamers end up deprived of more games than they would have been had Microsoft simply been allowed to complete its acquisition — and there would be little regulators could do to step in here since it would be just business deals between two free companies.

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

 

[Banjo64]

If this is the regulators first encounter with the gaming "press" they must be wondering what's going on.

Edit:

I'm sorry what is this:

M

This man really thinks other people live the same life he does.

Yep, ironic considering he’s just regurgitating ill informed, narrow minded MS fanboy hottakes.

 

[Pelta88]

If this is the regulators first encounter with the gaming "press" they must be wondering what's going on.

I think once they see the name "Windowscentral" I don't think they'll give it any attention whatsoever.

I read the article just now and Jez is saying that Microsoft's revenge will be to outbid Playstation for marketing deals on third party games. It looks like an article written in haste from a guy who once berated keighley for Forza missing the cut off date for the game awards.

Jez is taken seriously in the Era XBOX thread. Outside of that, not so much.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Buying Zenimax and trying to buy Activision with the intention of taking future Fallout, TES, Doom, Wolfenstein, CoD, Crash and Spyro away from PlayStation isn’t MS taking the gloves off and being aggressive?

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

Jez right now,

 

[FalsettoVibe]

http://[URL][URL]https://www.window...ing-the-xbox-activision-blizzard-deal-blocked

[/URL][/URL]

Jez is ready for the war.

Jez's MS fanboy skill tree quite literally jumped 25 levels on that article alone.

 

[GHG]

Buying Zenimax and trying to buy Activision with the intention of taking future Fallout, TES, Doom, Wolfenstein, CoD, Crash and Spyro away from PlayStation isn’t MS taking the gloves off and being aggressive?

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

It gets better:

The only horse I've got in this race personally, as a fan, is Blizzard, who I want to free of its CEO, Bobby Kotick. Kotick, who remains at the helm of the firm, reportedly oversaw a "frat boy" culture and knew of sexual harassment claims that led to an ongoing lawsuit in the California courts.

DarkMage619 is that you?

I don't know who this guy thinks he's kidding, he must forget which publication he writes for.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

It's seems like these couple of days a "tempest" is forming on the horizon. But I just see a clear sunny sky.

 

[DeepEnigma]

It gets better:



DarkMage619 is that you?

I don't know who this guy thinks he's kidding, he must forget which publication he writes for.

I think it was an "article by committee" from Xbox Era.

 

[MisterXDTV]

http://[URL]https://www.windowscent...ing-the-xbox-activision-blizzard-deal-blocked

[/URL]

Jez is ready for the war.

Wait , the boss of a site called "Windows Central", is siding with Microsoft on this??

SHOCKING!!!

 

[GHG]

I think it was an "article by committee" from Xbox Era.

Honestly it raises suspicion when you have posters here who have written some of the exact same things that Jez has in that article, even down to the sentence structure.

Unfortunately I don't believe in coincidence to that degree.

 

[3liteDragon]

Why Sony could live to regret getting the Xbox Activision Blizzard deal blocked

Some regulators seem convinced Sony is in peril.

www.windowscentral.com

Jez is ready for the war.

Lmao, prepare for 1000's of cringe fanboy pieces like this if the deal falls apart. Sony's about to become public enemy #1 for these guys.

 

[Neofire]

Buying Zenimax and trying to buy Activision with the intention of taking future Fallout, TES, Doom, Wolfenstein, CoD, Crash and Spyro away from PlayStation isn’t MS taking the gloves off and being aggressive?

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

How dare you sir, you forgot Diablo games

 

[GHG]

Lmao, prepare for 1000's of cringe fanboy pieces like this if the deal falls apart. Sony's about to become public enemy #1 for these guys.

They already are so who gives a shit? The obsession is clear to see in everything Microsoft have put out there since the investigations surrounding this acquisition began.

It went from "google and amazon are our competitors" to "Sony this, Sony that" really quick.

It's a sickness.

 

[xHunter]

Buying Zenimax and trying to buy Activision with the intention of taking future Fallout, TES, Doom, Wolfenstein, CoD, Crash and Spyro away from PlayStation isn’t MS taking the gloves off and being aggressive?

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

Just a company that wanted to co-exist, nothing more:

For years, Microsoft has behaved like a company that wanted to co-exist with PlayStation for the good of the industry at large.

 

[remember_spinal]

http://[URL]https://www.windowscent...ing-the-xbox-activision-blizzard-deal-blocked

[/URL]

Jez is ready for the war.

This guy gets more and more embarrassing as the days go on. He really thinks he’s general of the xbox army or something. Him and Tom Warren have been acting like absolute clowns since this deal was announced.

Its like every news tidbit that leaks out about this deal is a call to arms for them.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Lmao, prepare for 1000's of cringe fanboy pieces like this if the deal falls apart. Sony's about to become public enemy #1 for these guys.

It already is.

 

[bender]

I’ll never sell my soul to a corpo. What an absolute pathetic robot of a human being.

 

[Banjo64]

Love ya Flexo xxx




I’m rewatching Futurama on Disney+ for the first time in years - what an unbelievable show.

 

[3liteDragon]

 

[Bo_Hazem]