The cloud issue was always the biggest one to resolve IMHO. Not console. Cloud is a nascent market and the CMA focus heavily on those and also have an even stronger bias against behavioural remedies.
However, its clear that there is a reasonable chance the steps MS are committing to will be sufficient or a modified version of them.
Fingers crossed.
Glad to be wrong about the CMA, great news. At least the regulators at our European brethren side is logical about this deal. Cant say the same with our activist FTC, but anyhow, only cloud gaming issues remains and a divestment doesnât make sense on this case, and its easier to solve behaviorally than console SLC.
That meme is doing so much work and itâs barely a week.
My opinion is that the CMA wont move to block the deal over cloud concerns.
Blocking the deal could potentially prevent that market from ever developing.
The competitors in that industry are in favor it.
Microsoft wemt far beyond anything the CMA anticipated with their concession, offering their full gambit of games. Not just ABK games.
There are a large amount of RCB that are now massively outweighing potential SLC of Cloud Gaming.
If Cloud Gaming takes off with this acquisition, Microsoft will have incentive to support other cloud gaming devices after building them up for 10 years. At that point if Cloud Gaming did take off, the impact to people is that their games are widely available, so potential for consumer harm is relatively low.
Uh no the cloud issue was a minor thing that came up way later then the Console SLC. And it looks like MS already addressed the cloud concerns.
Its time to drop the Doomer mode on this deal. Also MS can close the deal BEFORE an FTC decision it is not dependent on it.
The console SLC from the CMA was the only realistic way this deal would get blocked and now that is not a conern. Its over, time to start thinking about all the cool stuff hitting Gamepass soon.
I disagree with your analysis as the cloud stuff was always more tricky to navigate - but MS have made great strides in doing so.
The FTC are irrelevant in this and I fully expect MS to close as soon as (or IF) they receive the ok from CMA and EU. No point worrying about the FTC as MS will crush them in court.
It just hit me Sony might have royally screwed the pooch on this one, not only did they overreacted which lead the regulators down a weird ass path but from day 1 of this deal they painted Microsoft as the bad guys that will do anything.
Sony said Microsoft would do this that and the other, even came up whacky reasons like glitches in the last level or no vibration in their controller. Not only this but Microsoft have said they wouldnât do all of this and gave Sony a chance to sign a deal to prevent anything like this but Sony didnât want any of it.
Now if Microsoft doesnât sign a deal with Sony and it gets approved and then Microsoft keeps to their word and does nothing Sony said they would do, oooh boy is that going to look bad the next time Sony tries that shit with regulators, Microsoft could point to all of this and say it is just typical Sony behaviour.
You know the sad part is, people were actually counting on CMA to be idiots and not look at the factual data. Think about that.
We back in the building. You thought we was goneâŚ
People are getting permabanned on OtherEra for having absolute meltdowns right now 
âIndustry consolidation is fine because my favorite box is getting everything after years of being in the mud.â
Legit dunno how a fanboy mouthpiece like you isnât banned from this forum. Actually, is not a surprise considering the joke the administration is here. How can someone expect good moderation in a thread like this when most of them benefit from having this acquisition going through?
I definitely was thinking the deal was going to be blocked as the CMA had some irrational thinking that I didnât see them backpeddaling on even though they were wrong. Shocked they changed their minds about it in all honestly. Didnât see them actually admitting they were wrong.
Theyâre also not the same because Nvidia would have had a literally monopoly over ARM development and production. The people trying to equate the two were always morons, itâs that simple.
CMA on Xbox buying ABK
This is awesome news!!! This deal can finally wrap up, we can move on (to the next acquisition) and wait for Diablo IV coming to Game Pass baby!!!
They absolutely do. Iâve always argued for a strong FTC, and regulation in general, but this ideological buzzword-driven crusade by people like Khan have done the American people and businesses a massive disservice.
I do think some areas of Big Tech need more regulation, absolutely, but those tax dollars would be far better served by funneling them to cases like preventing Kroger and Albertsons from merging. That case especially has a direct effect on competition and consumers, as that would allow Kroger to effectively gain a monopoly in the American grocery market.
I probably wouldnât close over an existing FTC case either. However, I donât have a July 30th deadline like Microsoft has, billions of dollars waiting to become mine, or the best lawyers on Earth.
I think its a reasonable expectation that Microsoft will try to get it thrown out first, however, I dont think its difficult to see them force the FTCs hand into trying to get an injunction.
âDid they smarten up?â At least thatâs how I read it.
