I think if anything you need to have a bigger picture view. We and I say we as citizens of our respected governments in our various countries. Have to be able to trust that the people we place in power are putting the correct people in power and they are making rational and fair decisions based on sound judgment in regards to the merits and facts of the materials being presented to them.
It is incredibly concerning to have regulatory bodies inventing information and facts. Creating markets, and having teams of people doing the math wrong on deals worth billions of dollars and effects not just silly games but the jobs and livelihoods of people.
Thats concerning. As if we have a regulatory body that can create facts and create markets of concern then truly anything can be blocked if it doesnât fit someones agenda.
That should concern you and that has nothing to do with videogames. Just on the merit of you need to be able to trust the people put in place by the governments of this world to be above reproach. What we are seeing here brings into question past decisions and future decisions.
The CMA are a disgrace. U.K. regulation is mess. I agree.
Itâs massively concerning.
It needs changing.
But all that wonât change the decision that has been made. Thatâs my point. And things wonât change because of this entirely or by big tech doing what people expect and behaving badly.
We need fundamental change here but that will be brought about through changes in power and hopefully at some point returning to the EU.
I hope that MS can overturn this via the CAT but we have to be realistic that if that doesnât happen we need big changes and that will take legislation new people in power and time.
For it comes down to the fact that the CMA are acting as world police by blocking a massive merger between two companies from two other countries and stipulating that nothing they do for consumers within your country matters, it must apply world wide.
The idea that this is an acceptable way for things to work going forwards is ridiculous. Worse than that, they have been setup without proper scrutiny or oversight and no recourse to fight in court if they are acting as they are now.
This is a country were the Prime Minister recently lost in court when he tried to close parliament early. The leader of the country is accountable to the laws of the land and our Supreme Court but the CMA isnât. A few hidden figures can do quite literally what they want and blame a market that doesnât exist.
I donât think MS will pull out of the UK or anything like that but this simply cannot be allowed to stand without them using every single tool at their disposal. Something is going to have to give and even if it doesnât save this merger it might help the next time.
Every regulator has the right to block, otherwise you do not ask. And any company has the right to withdraw from a country, this is not a breach of trust or confidence. When a deal is blocked, the message is âconform of leave, or pay finesâ. The company has the right to choose either path.
I do not believe they will leave, but do not assume this is not possible. Since it is MS and the ramifications it implies, it looks silly, but the company has the choice.
Why? if they were to leave the UK. They have to pull out everything. Why not just the gaming division.
I seriously do not understand how that logic even works. It make little sense.
If you donât want to have ABK in our country, you have to pull out everything. Itâs some 3rd world dictator logic.
Exactly these absolutes are nonsensical. This idea that the world is in unity is nothing more than a fantasy otherwise you wonât have one jurisdiction lording it over the rest. Pulling out doesnât seem likely but it certainly seems like a clear message Microsoft is sending to the UK either as a threat, bluff or whatever. The tech sector and a lot of businesses are probably cheering Microsoft in hopes of changing things.
One thing is pretty clear. Microsoft is very serious about this and are not seeing it as just another video game acquisition but maybe a core to big part of their future.
Also if the CMA succeed in blocking this deal, they will do it again. Letâs say if MS wants to buy EA, the CMA will block as well for the same reasons.
The CMAâs handling of the Xbox-ABK deal is creating a political headache for the UK government | Windows Central\The idea of reigning in should be to steer in the right direction not punish unjustly. This whole CMA facade has cost them more than they bargained for. I fear even approving wouldnât be enough to assuage concerns but a proper deregulation where the CMA is accountable, and their evidence is vetted in court and not through some menial judicial review that doesnât question and assess everything.
Nah. They would have blocked Bethesda in that case. I just think Activision is that huge it went under scrutiny. If they tried to acquire a Japanese company the CMA have 0 grounds for doing anything because those software are tiny compared to ABK.
