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

[TechnicPuppet]

@SteadyMercury

…The other thing with COD, aside from a whole discussion around affordability etc. is that by virtue of COD being on nearly every platform you deny a competitor a place to build and foster a real competitor. Pull COD off PlayStation and you give someone else a large market, plus demand from a platform holder, to create a true alternative competitor. If COD is everywhere, a full priced experience, readily available on streaming services, a hard drive space hog, full of grind challenges etc. it’s that much harder to snag the audience away. To me it’s not really about the money to be made on PlayStation, which is obviously nice on it’s own. It’s a security move to help secure the value of the IP into the future.

Very good points I agree completely.

[AustinFordGames (Austin Douglas Ford)]

@EldenDarkwraith

…I see Bungie has dropped Destiny Beyond Light onto PS plus this month. If I recall, Bungie is supposed to be autonomous? But we all know this is not true. Why aren’t the destiny expansions on Xbox live gold or GamePass ? As soon as the Bungie deal was confirmed, Destiny content left GamePass, and the destiny content on PC GamePass didnt last long soon after. Why is Sony, the market leader, allowed to basically do whatever they want but Microsoft isn’t allowed to have exclusives ? Logic has been defied throughout this whole process, and I hate to use the term but this is clown world territory Microsoft shouldn’t need to give a 10 year deal for anything, they should be allowed to make CoD or anything else for that matter exclusive if they so desire, if they own the IP.

Some really solid points! I will clarify that Bungie isn’t autonomous, Destiny the IP is Bungie’s to do with what they want (though I imagine that is somewhat dictated by contracts that we’ll never get to see as far as which services it’s allowed to be on). They’ve come out and said that Destiny will continue to grow and be available on any platform, but time will tell if we ever see it come back to something like GamePass.

I’ll be working on something about this for the site. Stay tuned

[howlingmosquito (mosquito)]

@strawman

They’re spending $69B, but they’re spending one asset (cash) into another (video games publisher with strong brands). Diminishing the value of the newly acquired asset would be brazen in case they need to sell the asset.

I doubt diminishing the share to zero on Playstation would affect Call of Duty in any meaningful way. You would just have to get an Xbox.

@SteadyMercury

The other thing with COD, aside from a whole discussion around affordability etc. is that by virtue of COD being on nearly every platform you deny a competitor a place to build and foster a real competitor. Pull COD off PlayStation and you give someone else a large market, plus demand from a platform holder, to create a true alternative competitor.

They have pulled Starfield off Playstation and Forza Horizon was never on Playstation…and yet no IP on Playstation has appeared to take their places despite the market being there.

@SteadyMercury

Pull COD off PlayStation and you give someone else a large market, plus demand from a platform holder, to create a true alternative competitor.

Sony had incentive to make a CoD killer for 17 years now and never did. If Microsoft pulled CoD off Playstation I doubt the platform would ever recover.

@EldenDarkwraith

Why is Sony, the market leader, allowed to basically do whatever they want but Microsoft isn’t allowed to have exclusives?

Pretty sure all of ABK will be Xbox exclusive ASAP and 10 years down the road Call of Duty shall follow.

[binarymelon]

@howlingmosquito

I doubt diminishing the share to zero on Playstation would affect Call of Duty in any meaningful way. You would just have to get an Xbox.

…

Sony had incentive to make a CoD killer for 17 years now and never did. If Microsoft pulled CoD off Playstation I doubt the platform would ever recover.

I’m not really sure what leap of logic gets those conclusions, but if they were true (they’re not) then the deal should honestly be blocked (I don’t think it should).

[pg2g]

@howlingmosquito

I doubt diminishing the share to zero on Playstation would affect Call of Duty in any meaningful way. You would just have to get an Xbox.

Some game would come along and fill that void on Playstation, and bring cross-platform would likely result in pulling players from CoD so folks can play with their friends.

[Deus (Encyclopaedia Ludica)]

Lulu Cheng Meservey

Lulu Cheng Meservey

Lulu Cheng Meservey

[Sparda3g]

@Deus

She’s not wrong. PS will literally be fine without CoD marketing. They will take a hit but not like they will burn down. It can be extinguished.

[AllianceOfficer]

@Sparda3g

She’s not wrong. PS will literally be fine without CoD marketing. They will take a hit but not like they will burn down. It can be extinguished.

And Playstation taking a hit leads to increased competition. Xbox would be more competitive and Playstation would be forced to innovate and invest in order to retain marketshare. Its literally a pro-competitive situation for gaming.

[commanderbuck]

@Deus

LOL that was an epic reply that too many people in the comments missed the point.

[AllianceOfficer]

@commanderbuck

LOL that was an epic reply that too many people in the comments missed the point.

All of otherera is missing the point. Not that thats unusual for them

[commanderbuck]

@AllianceOfficer

All of otherera is missing the point. Not that thats unusual for them

It’s funny that I spotted it in 2 seconds and immediately laughed.

[leburn98]

@AllianceOfficer

All of otherera is missing the point. Not that thats unusual for them

I had to roll my eyes after seeing the replies over there. Like how they can not understand that she is essentially saying that even in the worst scenario, the PlayStation brand would be alright based on the strength of their IP? The Last of US series is proof that their brand and IP holds incredible weight.

[strawman]

I understood her tweets as ‘Sony uses its corporate synergies to make great products to gain marketshare. MS using its corporate synergies to make great products to gain marketshare, shouldn’t be worrying either’

[BRiT]

It somehow instantly removes any and all common sense from you…

[AllianceOfficer]

@strawman

I understood her tweets as ‘Sony uses its corporate synergies to make great products to gain marketshare. MS using its corporate synergies to make great products to gain marketshare, shouldn’t be worrying either’

Great, concise summary. Spot on.

[ShinMegamiTenseiX]

@Kals_Els

That is such a shitty trade.

Indeed. But one sony wont accept. Also sony dont give a shit about ps plus.

[LeeLayfield (Lee)]

Waiting for the EC & CMA updates or any updates has me like this.

Puff gone puff never here puff just puff

[EldenDarkwraith]

Surely we get some updates today ?

I’m over waiting for this deal to pass or fail, it’s been over a year, feels like we are stuck in limbo.

I just want to move on from ABK and start thinking about Capcom or Nintendo

[Infamy]

@EldenDarkwraith

I just want to move on from ABK and start thinking about Capcom or Nintendo

[Infamy]

Wait…did Sony just file for a second time extension or am I reading this incorrectly? Posted by Idas:

While we wait for it :p, new notice of appearance from Sony’s lawyers and the order granting the second extension of time.

Now Sony has until Wednesday to respond to the subpoena from MS.