Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard Discussion Thread (Part 1)

[GamingFirefighter]

@Boosted_Gear

I still think there is a chance, it is just that in Phase 2, MS will take their time demolishing every arguments the CMA may have.

That’s if the CMA approves the acquisition in Phase 2 because if not this will most likely go to court. And court hearings could take up to 6 months sometimes.

[Boosted_Gear]

@GamingFirefighter

That’s if the CMA approves the acquisition in Phase 2 because if not this will most likely go to court. And court hearings could take up to 6 months sometimes.

I have zero doubt they will give the ok in Phase 2.

[Staffy]

Xbox Calls Out The CMA's "Misplaced" PlayStation Defense

[TavishHill]

@No-1HoloLens-Fan

This is getting tiring

Not because the conversation keeps on dragging

But, due to lack of competence CMA is showing in the investigation is just laughable

They are making such stupid and false claims which are outright lies

Deathloop came to ps+ before it even arrived on Gamepass

They will be ripped apart if this case ever went to court

I hope there are some mindful people at CMA in phase 2 which won’t let this happen and save the institute some embarassment

CMA does make some very fair arguments wrt MS seemingly misleading them on certain financial arguments. What is really troubling is that these are nuanced, sophisticated arguments showing CMA was happy to dig into the weeds when it wanted to, and yet there are a couple other arguments they lean on where there was very definitely zero effort applied to factcheck basic claims by 3rd parties. They should be highly skeptical of MS’s claims and less skeptical of claims by 3rd parties for the phase 1 part, but they should have at least checked to see if easily falsifiable claims are true before leaning on them.

[Cairnst (Bill Cairns)]

@TavishHill

All prior to MS buying them, but they did keep them on the service. Worth noting their phrasing is that none are available on other services, not that they did not authorize them to be on other services themselves. At best, it is super sloppy and misses several notable titles and at worst the claim was not given a second look at all.

I did start looking it up as well but searching through stadia news sites felt, well, sad . You’re got a point though, as content available on other services this all serves to disprove the CMA’s argument.

[TheBrightestSun]

@KakkaKarrotKake

I wonder, do MS just give the CMA whatever they want to get the deal done?

No, highly doubt. Why would Microsoft concede? It would give CMA too much leverage then. In fact it would give even more pressure on CMA to pass the deal.

@GamingFirefighter

With how out of touch the CMA is with the gaming industry I would be surprised if the acquisition even finalizes before the end of the fiscal year.

I think it will close before the end of fiscal year. It will pass with “minor irritation”

@BRiT

On point comment about these CMA Tweets:

Well, CMA is trying to be “cool” on Twitter.

[AllianceOfficer]

@TavishHill

CMA does make some very fair arguments wrt MS seemingly misleading them on certain financial arguments. What is really troubling is that these are nuanced, sophisticated arguments showing CMA was happy to dig into the weeds when it wanted to, and yet there are a couple other arguments they lean on where there was very definitely zero effort applied to factcheck basic claims by 3rd parties. They should be highly skeptical of MS’s claims and less skeptical of claims by 3rd parties for the phase 1 part, but they should have at least checked to see if easily falsifiable claims are true before leaning on them

The CMA could also point out they are misled by Sony in their financial claims as well. Sony basically used napkin math in a filing with the CMA lol.

[MJ_INC]

I think people are very much over reacting to the news. Look through all the CMA filings and there are plenty of cases where the CMA has listed issues in phase 1 and then in phase 2 cleared the deal. The three issues they have(console market, subscription and cloud) can be pretty simply answered.

[TavishHill]

@AllianceOfficer

The CMA could also point out they are misled by Sony in their financial claims as well. Sony basically used napkin math in a filing with the CMA lol.

Not sure where you got that from. It was moreso MS engaging in that based on their decision’s call outs. And those call outs seemed entirely fair imho. Do you have a specific calculation you are referencing here?

[Daniel]

@MJ_INC

I think people are very much over reacting to the news. Look through all the CMA filings and there are plenty of cases where the CMA has listed issues in phase 1 and then in phase 2 cleared the deal. The three issues they have(console market, subscription and cloud) can be pretty simply answered.

Phase 1 for this deal is easy to get into phase 2 pretty much it just needs to be big enough. Phase 2 is when they actually do proper research and not just repost complaints from competitors pretty much.

[No-1HoloLens-Fan]

@Cairnst

I did start looking it up as well but searching through stadia news sites felt, well, sad . You’re got a point though, as content available on other services this all serves to disprove the CMA’s argument.

I am not talking about there fair points… But what they are talking about no games on other subscription service is completely false

There isn’t even an argument here… There statement is completely false

A lot can be debated upon, but this is completely false statement

[ForwardPushing]

Just saw someone make a good point about Microsoft putting Rare games on Nintendo’s Online Service. The CMA is seriously looking incredibly inept.

[GamingFirefighter]

@Boosted_Gear

I have zero doubt they will give the ok in Phase 2.

I would hope so as well but the recent comments by the CMA make it seem like it won’t go through easily.

@TheBrightestSun

I think it will close before the end of fiscal year. It will pass with “minor irritation”

It’s going to be a battle regardless with the comments the CMA is addressing in Phase 1

[MJ_INC]

@Daniel

Phase 1 for this deal is easy to get into phase 2 pretty much it just needs to be big enough. Phase 2 is when they actually do proper research and not just repost complaints from competitors pretty much.

Very much so and the issues aren’t just the results but the starting points. Things like dismissing Nintendo as a competitor or doing a qualitive assessment instead of quantitive. How they can complain about subscription services when no one else is actually investing in it or how it’s in fact an alternative to the traditional model. Sony and Nintendo have their models that work for them and Microsoft want to go in a different direction. Even now that it’s showing signs of success neither of the other two console makers is trying to really grow their subscriptions. As for the cloud, almost all the talk is it’s going to be complimentary for the foreseeable future and it’s impossible to predict if it’s ever going to be the predominant way people play their games. For all those reasons I just can’t see the deal getting blocked unless the regulator is more worried about big tech then the actual deal

[GamingFirefighter]

Benji-Sales

[TavishHill]

@ForwardPushing

Just saw someone make a good point about Microsoft putting Rare games on Nintendo’s Online Service. The CMA is seriously looking incredibly inept.

Shit, I didn’t even think about that. Yup…another good point. That particular argument from CMA is just beyond repair, lol.

Their claim about MS holding back Bethesda titles is also bogus. I agree with a lot of what they concluded/argued but these areas are not immaterial and the claims are easily checked to be false. Not a good look at all.

[Daniel]

@MJ_INC

…o as a competitor or doing a qualitive assessment instead of quantitive. How they can complain about subscription services when no one else is actually investing in it or how it’s in fact an alternative to the traditional model. Sony and Nintendo have their models that work for them and Microsoft want to go in a different direction and even now that it shows signs of success neither of the other two console makers are trying to really grow there subscriptions. As for the cloud, almost all the talk is it’s going to be complimentary for the foreseeable future and it’s impossible to predict if it’s ever going to be the predominant way people play their games. For all those reasons I just can’t see the deal getting blocked unless the regulator is more worried about big tech then the actual deal

All the wording is could, may, might, potentially and if’s. This is why phase 2 was always going to happen because right now they need to prove those coulds, may, and potentially theories and this is where they are going to find it very hard to find actual fears.

[Knottian (Daniel)]

@MJ_INC

I think people are very much over reacting to the news. Look through all the CMA filings and there are plenty of cases where the CMA has listed issues in phase 1 and then in phase 2 cleared the deal. The three issues they have(console market, subscription and cloud) can be pretty simply answered.

Literally what I’ve been saying in our discord lol.

[Cayde4Ever (Cayde)]

@No-1HoloLens-Fan

I am not talking about there fair points… But what they are talking about no games on other subscription service is completely false

There isn’t even an argument here… There statement is completely false

A lot can be debated upon, but this is completely false statement

I don’t understand what the CMA’s plan here is. So there going to argue that Xbox’s games are not on other subscription services (which yes is false). But even if that was true, so what? You don’t see Netflix’s series or movies on HBO. You don’t see Disney giving Pixar movies to Paramount+. It’s just a bizarre point to argue against the deal

[TheBrightestSun]

@Cayde4Ever

I don’t understand what the CMA’s plan here is. So there going to argue that Xbox’s games are not on other subscription services (which yes is false). But even if that was true, so what? You don’t see Netflix’s series or movies on HBO. You don’t see Disney giving Pixar movies to Paramount+. It’s just a bizarre point to argue against the deal

CMA just throws all the possible concerns at the wall and parroting Sony’s arguments. November will be interesting.