Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard Discussion Thread |OT3| - Sony bends the knee!

Speak for yourself,

There is a 0% chance the CMA would allow that deal, if they use the same horrible logic

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Nah, I mean in general. No $20B Nuance purchases…that would lead to MS having an unstoppable lead in AI or Windows. No Linkedin…that would lead to an unstoppable lead in the nascent digital Resume market…CMA is making up reasons to block. If this slides they always will cos they know they can get away with it.

Satya can’t let Microsofts global future be decided by a handful of brits who don’t do their research.

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Exactly

Their conclusions are already stupid and illogical but they are going with them anyway, nothing stopping them from doing the exact same again

You know, you could always just ignore this thread. :smile:

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Dude lol, all this, is just entertainment. You shouldn’t let it affect you so much. If it doesn’t go through then oh well,

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CDPR doesn’t own The Witcher or Cyberpunk IP’s so I don’t see what the issue would be when they own nothing. All they control is the gaming rights to both franchises which isn’t the same thing as owning the actual IP’s.

This is a colossally bad opinion that is representative of the short-term, focused on next quarter’s earning mentality that is all too common from those on Wall Street. These are the same types of bozos who didn’t want MSFT wasting money on Bing, didn’t want MSFT shifting to a subscription model for Office, etc. They are incapable of thinking strategically and incapable of forecasting more than a few months into the future.

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Doesn’t matter. In the end CMA will just say it strengthens Microsoft hold on cloud gaming therefore blocked. That’s the issue with how they ruled and why is so bad for the industry actually any industry as the CMA can make up any market they want and claim a monopoly and block deals.

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Obviously, we know Microsoft is going to appeal to the CAT. If CAT rules in Microsoft’s favor, what happens then?

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I was very invested in this deal, but Im kind of surprised by how little I care about the block. I think it I’m more embarrassed I put so much energy into something I have zero control over.

It sucks it’s going to drag on further, was kind of hoping this would be the end of it one way or the other.

Apparently the decision is up to the CMA, so it’s an endless loop. The deal seems compromised. I am generally optimistic, but from what I have read on the internet, there is very little chance that it will be validated.

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It goes back to the CMA. If it was rules that the theories were irrational, they have to form a new argument

Can’t Microsoft appeal to members of the government who were precisely concerned about Sony’s dominant position? It’s crazy that Western authorities want to protect the Japanese industry leader so much by preventing two American companies from merging to be competitive. The cloud argument is ridiculous and raises serious political questions. It is not just the ABK agreement that is at stake. The US government should be seriously concerned about this situation and seek to protect its interests. It is not a takeover or a monopoly. Blocking this deal is meaningless.

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This case is already unprecedented. It’s the first vertical tech merger to be scrutinized where the buyer is much behind the market leader in the overwhelming market of console.

It’s the second phase 2 PF to be open to behavioral remedies.

It’s the first case where a SLC was dropped in Phase 2.

It’s the first case where the harshest remedy suggested by the CMA in the PF is picked.

So anything goes right now.

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Technically if Microsoft wanted to close with the EU. Only thing the CMA could do is fine them which they can’t even enforce because America has no trade deal with them. I don’t think it would be worth all the hassle but in reality, there is actually nothing the CMA can do about it. Maybe they should challenge it to force some kind action between the governments.

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The CMA is basically corrupt or ignorant. Being cordial with remedies didnt help one iota, so whats the point in being nice? Could have said from the outset “All these games, especially CoD will be Xbox exclusive” and it would have made as much difference.

The FTC and CMA are just content to invent markets for purposes of creating monopolies where none exist to block deals. FTC can be beaten in court, CMA is self fulfilling. It really needs to be brought down.

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Okay…so what if CMA comes up with another excuse to block the deal…can Microsoft appeal it again? If so, is it just a repeat of the first appeal?

Since there is only one SLC, it depends on how much of that SLC was toppled.

If the CAT said you can’t assume ABK games is going to the cloud, then MS deals would be RCBs that significantly outweigh the SLC.

As it is I would argue to the CAT that CMA dismissed the RCBs irrationally.

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From the CMA report. It looks like Microsoft considered acquiring one of the three companies: Activision, Take Two or EA.

One report by an investment advisor from January 2021 received by Microsoft assesses investment opportunities in Activision, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two. The document states that ‘Activision Blizzard is the bestpositioned company in our coverage space with regard to broader gaming industry trends. The company’s broad and diverse portfolio of fully-owned intellectual property across multiple platforms allows Activision Blizzard to capitalize on industry trends’. The document also states that Activision’s IP is a ‘must-have for any broad gaming library service, allowing them to command advantageous terms’.

It also looks like Microsoft attempted to acquire another mobile publisher

We note Microsoft’s submission that Activision has significant strength in mobile gaming, and consider that the presence of Activision’s games on any mobile gaming store would enhance its competitiveness. However, we also consider that this could be achieved by less anti-competitive means than the Merger, and Microsoft could acquire ‘attractive content and experience with player engagement and acquisition’ by buying a different mobile games publisher. This appears to have been Microsoft’s strategy – it attempted to buy [REDACTED] in [REDACTED], and said [REDACTED] .

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