This is where I stand - With their existing acquisitions they are already huge, and they’re just going to keep getting bigger and bigger with Activision and anyone else they pick up in the future. They’re redefining what it means to be a first party publisher. I think so long as they have enough exclusives to draw people to the platform they can start to look at their wider library for opportunities where the benefits of being multiplatform outweigh the benefits of being exclusive. Like Call of Duty where they’re going to be making boatloads of money.
Ultimately I think whether a game is exclusive or multiplatform - it still benefits the Xbox ecosystem and it’ll still be on game pass. So as consumers we win either way.
Once this deal goes through I doubt Microsoft will go after another big publisher but who knows. I could definitely see them going after studios like IO interactive, moon studios, larian.
If they did go after a publisher I think they shouldn’t press their luck going after EA. CD project red looks good though.
Btw what’s the date the deal needs to be closed by? It’s in July right?
Personally, anything that’s not connected to the 10 year legally binding contract should be exclusive to the Xbox platform and eco-system because while getting the games on Game Pass day one is great, the problem is that those who own a PlayStation and can get these games on that platform aren’t going to spend hundreds of dollars on a secondary console just to play the game on Game Pass. Plus, if you need to stay subscribed or have Gold every month to play COD for example, it’s simply far easier and far cheaper to just buy the game for $70 on PlayStation.
Making everything multi-platform that isn’t under a legally binding contract also makes every future acquisition - studio or publisher - have the same questions and issues. Nah. Screw that. Sony has their ways and do their shit. Microsoft needs to be allowed to do theirs. Let both of them be free OR stop them both. No in-between bullshit.
One good thing about all this drama about cloud is it forced MS to do this which is really only a good thing because it gives us more choice. I sort of expect Geforce Now to almost always be the leader in cloud in terms of quality because they can throw 4090’s in there while xCloud is limited to what the Xbox can do.
Bethesda works independently too, I think you’re reading into that too much. I think Microsoft means the company won’t be dissolved into Microsoft and be a complete mess to try and seperate if it came down to it later.
Well Starfield is exclusive and look at how well it’s already going, sure it’s not a known quantity but they’re obviously losing money by not having it everywhere but we’ve been down this path so many times. Sony is losing money by not having Spider-Man 2 on all platforms but it makes people buy a PS5 or into their ecosystem.
I’m not quite sure a judge can give a legal ruling on something like this because they feel bad.
Considering the recent position of FTC with respect to their own administrative judges, relegating them to a advisory position, making them pointless, considering then this value contempt, I do not see many judges to be sympathetic to FTC.
ps : to be clear, FTC just said “we want to be the final rulers of our own claims”. This is also something to understand, the trial in August if it happens can be won by FTC because the judge can not decide by himself. I do not see the federal judge be very cool to this power abuse.
I’m starting to think maybe the CMA and FTC are working to 1) keep the power they have (CMA) and 2) gain more power (FTC) by siding with each other, if the CMA win then the FTC can say we want that sort of power just look how well they work in the UK. The CMA will then be able to say our powers are perfectly fine FTC are fighting for what we have because they just work at stopping big tech.
All in all this whole saga has been so fun to watch and the FTC are toast.
“Gee I know a $70B deal is on the line with a mountain of evidence proving that it wouldnt cause any anti trust issues but I better grant that PI just to because i feel sorry for the FTC even though they’re incompetent”
When has the FTC ever successfully won in court against all odds and against mountains of evidence because the judge felt “sympathy”
Sympathy also goes two ways. One of the things Foss mentioned is the judge has to balance equities. The judge has to consider whats on the line here
Judge Corley is familiar with the case and she knows exactly whats on the line here. Shes going to give the FTC a fighting chance to prove their case but if they cant, have no evidence or compelling arguments then thats it, she isnt going to grant a PI based off crackpot FTC theories of harm that they cant even come close to proving
This is why i feel that CAT is going to have to throw some cold water on the CMA to avoid setting a bad precedent
In the US you would simply see companies close over open cases every time to either force a PI or not.
We also saw the Supreme court pave the way to constituionality challenges to the internal adjudicative process this spring. Theyll take the next case they can and rule adjudicative processes unconstitutional.
In regards to MS keeping ATVI “independent”, I believe they’ve structured most of their acquisitions this way. The idea is if things go south for whatever reason, the studio/publisher can buy their independence back (like Bungie did) or they can be spun off without having to close them.
Gforce now even with xbox support is still garbage. And 99 percent of those people will use xclpud over gforce now for xbox games because you dont need to fully buy those games. Nows library is pitiful. Otherwise id subscribe.
Any MP game wont be exclusive. I dont think ms give a shit about exclusivity for a live service game. Otherwise minecraft expansions would be exclusive.
I don’t know if you know this or not but GeForce Now is getting PC Game Pass support, meaning you can play GP games on GeForce Now with the sub, which is why I think Geforce Now is gonna be good. Starfield on a 4090 streaming from Geforce Now would be cool.
Edit: completely missread what you said I think GP support is massive for Geforce Now, I know there’s more chance me signing up after this news than before.
I think FTC is ready and prepared to lose. Their argument is weak, but that is not all. Their claim is badly written, their state of art (see Stadia) is not up to data, whereas MS has the best lawyers money can buy.
In my opinion, FTC wants to lose, to push the arguments that law is bad and needs to be changed.
It’s the variables in every possible case. A good or bad day for a team of lawyers or an important witness or catching the judge on a good/bad day. All Microsoft’s lawyers can do is be as prepared ad possible
Funny turn of events. The judge is the same as for the gamer lawsuit, which was dismissed. This gamer lawsuit was most surely prepared together with Sony to annoy MS. The end result is a well prepared judge that knows very well the case for many months and will not be blind to the FTC arguments.
She also most certainly followed the events between the two cases, since she knew she will handle this trial in case of FTC complain.
This may backfire a lot to what MS/ABK opponents thought in advance. When you push too much a door, do not be surprised the door slams you in return.
Seriously!! Can’t believe my guy even suggested such a thing. The judge should be sympathetic to a powerful and incompetent group of people…for reasons?
Oh, yeah! Those are DEFINITELY the kind of political persons I want looking out for my rights and dollars! Sign me up!
I think GP support is massive for Geforce Now, I know there’s more chance me signing up after this news than before.