I just want this few to close! I’m Ubisoft We trust! I guess no one is going to buy Ubisoft now! Xbox has deals with Sega and Ubisoft with cloud!
A source familiar with Microsoft’s plans tells The Verge that the company now isn’t expecting to be able to close its Activision Blizzard deal until early October.”
I won’t say this 100% guarantees anything but the CMA’s biggest complaints were exclusive access to ABK content would put Microsoft in a dominant position in that market while there offer to license out the cloud rights would still give them the ability to dictate the market. This deal answers those concerns. The only real worry I have is that the CMA could complain that 15 years is still enough but I’m hoping that Microsoft had conversations on the time frames already with the CMA.
Heh this aged real well
6 Likes
https://x.com/lulumeservey/status/1693867805932769740?s=46&t=h5h6GxWqqnXg4c-MYVr6qg I want this end asap like many of you and think CMA may try to stall again. But ABK literally said their integration management team is working to prepare for a smooth close. Still a matter of “when” to me😃
5 Likes
Thats been the plan from day 1.
Did not see this coming at all. This is way bigger than divesting streaming rights in the UK only.
I really wonder what happened behind the scenes to lead to this outcome.
1 Like
Correct me if I am wrong, but Ubisoft will have the rights to stream all ABK games but Microsoft can still make native games exclusive to their system?
For example, Microsoft can make a Prototype 3 and make it an exclusive to Xbox, however Sony can pay Ubisoft for streaming access to the game but it will only ever be playable on PlayStation as a cloud game, never a native game.
Is this correct?
Thank goodness Starfield is out soon. I can’t take anymore of this absolute nonsense. There’s no reason to do a long phase 1 for this…
Yes but it would have to be through Ubisoft’s cloud gaming service. If they wanted to do it through PS plus deluxe, they would have to convert their server blades to PC’s and buy the license to stream from ubisoft
The deal seems to be that Ubisoft might request a conversion of a given game to other systems so that they don’t have to stream it off Windows PCs. Most likely it means MS will ensure that the games run natively on Linux on the Vulkan API or perhaps even stable performance via the Proton emulation would be enough for Ubisoft.
Some people are conjuring scenarios where Sony only allows games to be streamed to Playstation if they also run natively on Playstation, so that it would handcuff Microsoft into developing Playstation versions of all games. In reality, if Sony enforces such policy, porting a game to Playstation just to make sure a few people can stream it off Ubisoft+ would not be a profitable endevour for Ubisoft at all. You can imagine majority of Playstation owners want to play games natively, not stream them. Additionally, it would be a huge headache for Ubisoft as it would require them to rent servers from Sony just to stream to Playstation owners, instead of using existing Ubisoft’s infrastructure.
Moreover, Sony is yet to allow competing streaming services at all, so it’s not really relevant at the moment.
Logically it just doesn’t make sense. You are suggesting that territories that have already reviewed and approved the deal in it’s entirety would waste time and money re-reviewing it just because it has been made more pro-competitive. Unlikely.
And for the few that are opposed this development just makes their cases weaker by a long way.
I don’t predict any significant movement based off this other than in the UK where as we’ve seen most of it is a scramble by incompetent people to cover their owns arses.
2 Likes
I don’t understand why they’ve had to divest cloud streaming for the entire world?
1 Like
Not if they’ve approved it but Canada never have. Nor have Australia.
It is what the CMA required,
Because CMA is a chump. Microsoft will still be the only one with the means to offer ABK releases and Cloud day one.
Microsoft knows this trumps any BYG+ streaming option. Ubisoft+ is $17.99 a month.
And they will get it all back in 2038, or if Ubisoft goes under or is sold.
I assume that it was required by the CMA. It would be very hard to carve out U.K. streaming rights anyway in sensible and practical terms…how could you stop people streaming from other countries….
The way it’s worded suggests that for the next 15 years Ubisoft are required to offer a licensing agreement to Xbox anyway. Therefore I doubt much will change as Xbox will essentially include this new licensing agreement with Ubisoft in our GamePass subscription costs.
I imagine behind closed doors MS and Ubisoft have already agreed favourable terms for this 15 year deal, then after the 15 years Microsoft will regain control.
My only query now is what will happen to the rights Ubisoft obtained within those 15 years. Will Microsoft continue to license those games on cloud after the 15 years, buy them back from Ubisoft or drop them altogether.
2 Likes
Meh I really don’t care about cloud gaming, if you’re too cheap to buy a Series S you’re probably too cheap to spend money on games.
This was a smart move from Microsoft.
6 Likes
They don’t need to buy them back, its an automatic reversion. If the CMA permits the sale, they are accepting that as well, that by 2038 Microsoft gets the rights back non-gratis.
1 Like