Lame
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to block technology giant Microsoft Corp. from acquiring leading video game developer Activision Blizzard, Inc. and its blockbuster gaming franchises such as Call of Duty, alleging that the $69 billion deal, Microsoftâs largest ever and the largest ever in the video gaming industry, would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.
In a complaint issued today, the FTC pointed to Microsoftâs record of acquiring and using valuable gaming content to suppress competition from rival consoles, including its acquisition of ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (a well-known game developer). Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesdaâs titles including Starfieldand Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles.
âMicrosoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,â said Holly Vedova, Director of the FTCâs Bureau of Competition. âToday we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets.â
Microsoftâs Xbox Series S and Series X are one of only two types of high performance video game consoles. Importantly, Microsoft also offers a leading video game content subscription service called Xbox Game Pass, as well as a cutting-edge cloud-based video game streaming service, according to the complaint.
Activision is one of only a very small number of top video game developers in the world that create and publish high-quality video games for multiple devices, including video game consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. It produces some of the most iconic and popular video game titles, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, andOverwatch, and has a combined 154 million monthly active users around the world, according to the FTCâs complaint. Activision currently has a strategy of offering its games on many devices regardless of producer.
But that could change if the deal is allowed to proceed. With control over Activisionâs blockbuster franchises, Microsoft would have both the means and motive to harm competition by manipulating Activisionâs pricing, degrading Activisionâs game quality or player experience on rival consoles and gaming services, changing the terms and timing of access to Activisionâs content, or withholding content from competitors entirely, resulting in harm to consumers.
The Commission vote to issue the complaint was 3-1, with Commissioner Christine S. Wilson voting no. A copy of the administrative complaint will be available shortly.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has âreason to believeâ that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The issuance of the administrative complaint marks the beginning of a proceeding in which the allegations will be tried in a formal hearing before an administrative law judge.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about how competition benefits consumers or file an antitrust complaint. For the latest news and resources, follow the FTC on social media, subscribe to press releases and read our blog.
Direct all Activision Blizard King acquisition discussion to the OT:
Good to know. Thanks.
Those are all confirmed, heh.
Dunno if it was posted but saw this on my timeline the other day.
Ugh if it doesnât show click here
Just found out I have to go to a figure skating show tomorrow. There goes my Friday.
Why not say pc gamepass? The game isnt coming to xbox. Dont mislead.
Yes. They should have said PC GamePass or GamePass Ultimate instead.
Exactly. They did the same for Age of Empires last year when it was PC only. Very confusing to consumers.
PS4 went 7 years minimum between itâs release and PS5. Switch hasnât even hit 6 years yet. Nintendo can easily wait until 2025 to release Switch 2.
Now that The Game Awards has concluded, the first half of 2023 stacked for me with a whopping 12 games that now have an official release date -
- Monster Hunter Rise (January 20th, game pass)
- Forspoken (January 24th)
- Dead Space (January 27th)
- Hogwarts Legacy (February 10th)
- Atomic Heart (February 21st, game pass)
- Scars Above (February 28th)
- Star Wars: Jedi Survivor (March 17th)
- Resident Evil 4 (March 24th)
- Dead Island 2 (April 28th)
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (May 26th)
- Diablo IV (June 6th)
- Final Fantasy XVI (June 23rd)
You gone play all that? or just play but drop most of them lol
Weâll see. Iâm definitely interested in all of them. The only game that I may just drop off the list is Dead Island 2. Watching the gameplay trailer the other day, it was too comedic similar to Saints Row and we all know how that turned out. The rest im very confident I will play and complete.
Monster Hunter Rise & Hogwarts Legacy are like both 100 plus hours game, Diablo IV is probably to and even FF16. I have a hard time seeing you beat all that unless you only speedrun the story lol
Xbox is in the middle of the biggest gaming purchase ever. I believe it has something to do with it.
Or they will have a event in like Febuary or March for their up coming games in the 1st half of 2023.
It is even worse when you think about Redfall, a game that would have beneffited MASSIVELY from the Game Awards exposure. Just wack.