Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard Discussion Thread |OT2| The NeverEnding Acquisition

[TheBrightestSun]

@AllianceOfficer

This signals to me that Microsoft should either sue the second the supreme court rules in Axons favor or simply close the deal if the EC and CMA approve.

If Supreme Court rules in Axon’s favor FTC will get lawsuits from almost all big tech giants and small companies at once.

[AllianceOfficer]

@TheBrightestSun

If Supreme Court rules in Axon’s favor FTC will get lawsuits from almost all big tech giants and small companies at once.

Isn’t that a shame, an organization abusing power has their power curtailed and faces lawsuits based on their actions. Love to see consequences for bad decisions.

[Ulster36thDiv]

@Whistler

If I am understanding correctly, the FTC doesn’t “approve” deals. Either they don’t do anything to stop it or they take it to court to block it. So MS can close the deal and it would be broken up in court after the fact if the FTC wins. The FTC can stop the deal from closing now by filing an injunction, but then it would be taken to Federal Court right away basically.

Basically the FTC is dragging this out for political clout hoping the CMA blocks the deal and MS abandons it and they come off looking like they also stopped the deal.

MS ain’t abandoning the ABK acquisition… it would cost the $3 billion if I remember right. They’ll throw millions at lawyers before hand.

[DeoGame (Farewell)]

@AllianceOfficer

Isn’t that a shame, an organization abusing power has their power curtailed and faces lawsuits based on their actions. Love to see consequences for bad decisions.

The sad thing is that this precedence may not exactly be a good thing. This would limit further the powers of the FTC which would lead to super anticompetitive stuff slipping through the cracks. But Khan’s FTC is too focused on Sue Now, Ask Questions Later knowing full well the risk and this seems on track to backfire big. Whereas if behavioural remedies were excepted, genuine progress would be made.

If some truly anticompetitive shit goes through because FTC tried to block Amazon buying a bit player film studio (if they go through with this suit), Facebook buying a VR fitness firm instead of drowning them out like good 'Muricans and the Number 5 firm buying the Number 7 firm to become Number 3 in games whilst providing really fucking reasonable concessions, then I don’t know what to say.

[DeoGame (Farewell)]

Opinion | ESG Won’t Stop the FTC

Op-Ed by Lina Khan. May be in reference to ABK.

[TheBrightestSun]

@DeoGame

Op-Ed by Lina Khan. May be in reference to ABK.

Yeah, that sounds ideological Also laughing at “illegal mergers”

[Kals_Els]

@DeoGame

Op-Ed by Lina Khan. May be in reference to ABK.

Really not very creative with her lying. It’s specially funny because everything she list as something companies do to appease them, are things that Microsoft has been doing for years on their own.

[Paxton]

@DeoGame

Op-Ed by Lina Khan. May be in reference to ABK.

ma’am this is a fair acquisition not some ESG thing.

[Whistler]

@Ulster36thDiv

MS ain’t abandoning the ABK acquisition… it would cost the $3 billion if I remember right. They’ll throw millions at lawyers before hand.

The point here is they can’t fight the CMA in court, there is no checks and balances, their word is essentially final in their market.

[Shadowgasm]

@DeoGame

Op-Ed by Lina Khan. May be in reference to ABK.

“Illegal”

[Ulster36thDiv]

@Whistler

The point here is they can’t fight the CMA in court, there is no checks and balances, their word is essentially final in their market.

I meant the US regulatory body.

[Whistler]

@Ulster36thDiv

I meant the US regulatory body.

Well that’s the thing. The FTC would lose in court that is why they are hoping the CMA blocks the deal. If the CMA causes MS to abandon the deal the FTC will act like they “won” because MS probably won’t bother fighting them if they can’t close in the UK.

[AllianceOfficer]

I want to see the FTC put one piece of evidence forward that this acquisition significantly reduces competition. They say it all over their document but not how or how much. They list a bunch of speculative potential dystopian futures again unsupported by data. I honestly feel like its fantasyland.

[Don-Vito (Vito)]

Khan is desperate at this point I don’t see her lasting to much longer soon as she comes off leave they are coming for her ass wouldn’t be shocked if she just doesn’t come back period.

FTC-Unpaid-Consultant-Letter-1019202235.pdf

[commanderbuck]

@AllianceOfficer

I want to see the FTC put one piece of evidence forward that this acquisition significantly reduces competition. They say it all over their document but not how or how much. They list a bunch of speculative potential dystopian futures again unsupported by data. I honestly feel like its fantasyland.

I agree with you. Seems like they are putting too much stock in stopping big tech and zero thought to what this would mean for consumers and workers at ABK. It’s sad and unfortunate.

[Bexti6]

Looks like TES VI will be on Playstation

Decisions regarding mid-sized games are not evidence of Microsoft’s incentives as they relate to Call of Duty: The games that the Phase 1 Decision cites as evidence of prior conduct are fundamentally different to Minecraft or Call of Duty and cannot be used as evidence of Microsoft’s “broad incentives” as they relate to Call of Duty. 214 • Titles such as Elder Scrolls VI (which is not expected to be released before [] with the last instalment in the series being released in 2011), as well as other future titles, will not involve Microsoft forgoing ca. USD [] per annum of revenue from PlayStation customers or disenfranchising ca. [] million MAU on PlayStation

[Zip]

@Bexti6

…Looks like TES VI will be on Playstation

Decisions regarding mid-sized games are not evidence of Microsoft’s incentives as they relate to Call of Duty: The games that the Phase 1 Decision cites as evidence of prior conduct are fundamentally different to Minecraft or Call of Duty and cannot be used as evidence of Microsoft’s “broad incentives” as they relate to Call of Duty. 214 • Titles such as Elder Scrolls VI (which is not expected to be released before [] with the last instalment in the series being released in 2011), as well as other future titles, will not involve Microsoft forgoing ca. USD [] per annum of revenue from PlayStation customers or disenfranchising ca. [] million MAU on PlayStation

Not necessarily, this could also be read as saying that Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t as big of a title and wouldn’t impact as many people as something like Call of Duty.

I’m not saying that your reading is definitely wrong, but I think there are 2 ways of interpreting that statement. I personally think it’s saying what I said above, that removal of Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t as impactful and would be a smaller impact to revenues and customer base on PS.

[proelitedota (Andrew)]

@TheBrightestSun

Yeah, that sounds ideological Also laughing at “illegal mergers”

No merger are illegal unless blocked in court.

[Jorge_Alexander_Acos (Jorge Alexander Acosta Duarte)]

@Bexti6

…Looks like TES VI will be on Playstation

Decisions regarding mid-sized games are not evidence of Microsoft’s incentives as they relate to Call of Duty: The games that the Phase 1 Decision cites as evidence of prior conduct are fundamentally different to Minecraft or Call of Duty and cannot be used as evidence of Microsoft’s “broad incentives” as they relate to Call of Duty. 214 • Titles such as Elder Scrolls VI (which is not expected to be released before [] with the last instalment in the series being released in 2011), as well as other future titles, will not involve Microsoft forgoing ca. USD [] per annum of revenue from PlayStation customers or disenfranchising ca. [] million MAU on PlayStation

Oof I think you are a couple of months late my friend. If Im not mistaken this was discussed in october with the last letter MS sent to the CMA we heard.

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@Bexti6

…Looks like TES VI will be on Playstation

Decisions regarding mid-sized games are not evidence of Microsoft’s incentives as they relate to Call of Duty: The games that the Phase 1 Decision cites as evidence of prior conduct are fundamentally different to Minecraft or Call of Duty and cannot be used as evidence of Microsoft’s “broad incentives” as they relate to Call of Duty. 214 • Titles such as Elder Scrolls VI (which is not expected to be released before [] with the last instalment in the series being released in 2011), as well as other future titles, will not involve Microsoft forgoing ca. USD [] per annum of revenue from PlayStation customers or disenfranchising ca. [] million MAU on PlayStation

I don’t think that’s saying what you think it is

Would also go against what Spencer said