It doesn’t really change much as if you were willing to play an ABK game via streaming you would have had the ability to do so before this deal anyway.
Worst case cloud doesn’t grow much beyond what it is now or proves out to be not necessaray as devices continue to get smaller and more powerful.
Best case cloud services grow and if more people are playing abk game via cloud its still more money for microsoft. As you generally need to buy the game for most services and any mtx purchases would still go to microsoft.
Agreed , I think we all have to realize technology advances and it’s adapt or perish. Right now there’s a shift in AI possibly making many jobs redundant. So of course a possibly within 15 years steaming is a seamless experience to replace consoles for many . As much as some might hate to hear it, it’s all valid concerns
I just see this deal as a way to make Xbox and the gaming division more independent with their funding(for more AAA exclusives, Gamepass deals etc.) and less about exclusives. If this makes the Xbox division more profitable and less likely to get scuffled in the future, I’m fine with this. Just want this drama to end though so MS can actually buy studios that can make exclusive content for them without heavy regulatory scrutiny.
This is not going to end well politically, this basically pit the UK and the EU against each other in trying to be the leader of global antitrust enforcement. Also, this new restructured deal also gives Ubisoft a lot of power in the cloud gaming space in Europe. I can see why the EU would be pissed about this as while the CMA managed to remove Microsoft from “dominating” the space, they f*cked over the smaller cloud gaming companies as they will lose out against bigger ones when bidding for the rights(Ubisoft wants money). Is this really the best for the market though?
Only for current games and games out within 15 years, beyond 15 years is Microsoft’s and streaming only so Microsoft will have rights for native games.
Microsoft still have the cloud license for ABK games on Gamepass Ultimate via Xcloud. Ubisoft now hold the rights to distribute the ABK games on Ubisoft+.
The CMA has ensured Microsoft could not develop a monopoly on a future mode of gaming distribution. As a customer you can in the future subscribe to Ubisoft+ to stream ABK games without having to buy an Xbox or subscribing to Gamepass Ultimate.
Oh god October now. Get this over with already. Also does this mean let’s say activision makes an exclusive crash game for Xbox you can only buy that game on Xbox pc/ gamepass but u can still stream it on ps with ubisoft plus
No I’m pretty sure all games from now to 15 years will have to be licensed by Ubisoft, after 15 years all future games are back in MS hands, games from the past and up till 2038 will be under Ubisofts control for cloud streaming forever.
Thats only really applicable to another massive IP like CoD. GTA or Fortnite are two examples. The CMA would have to explain to everyone how they have no issues with CoD being exclusive on consoles, but they would with Sonic or Monster Hunter, despite massive revenue differences.
And the FTC outright failed. Microsoft can buy almost anyone at this point.
Yes there can be exclusives, Ubisoft only has control over streaming distribution and as far as i know there isnt a way to stream games to the ps5 outside of their ps streaming which requires the game to have a ps version
How can Microsoft pay for a license to an IP they own? They have basically agreed to sell the 3rd party distrution rights to Ubisoft for ABK games outside of the Xbox ecosystem.
Microsoft still own the right to put their ABK IPs on Xcloud via Gamepass Ultimate.
Nope, that’s not what this is saying at all. They’re straight up selling the rights to UBI for 15 years, and are having to lease them back from them during that time
Xbox wont develop PS5 versions of some games, the only way they’ll be on PS5 is if Ubi is allowed to put a non PS streaming service on the PS ecosystem which has about a snowballs chance in hell