Activision Blizzard acquisition approved by UK

It begins.

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  1. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Activision will die
    finally

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >playstation will die
      FTFY

      t. Jim ryan

  2. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    bwahahaha

    that's another 40k in profit for me
    mom said i'd never make money off video games ahahahaha

  3. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >chin chin chang
    >yoou ran pray gayme??

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      You lost, snoy.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >chong chin chin

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Phil claimed Xbox will never surpass Sony or Nintendo. Your leader conceded

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          >Phil says Xbox is in a bad position
          >LOLOLOLOLO
          >buys Zenimax
          >Phil says Xbox lost the console wars
          >LOLOLOLOLO
          >buys Activision
          Can't wait for Phil to lose again.

  4. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Link pls I don't have twatter and I always have trouble with finding these posts.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-microsoft-activision-deal-addresses-previous-cma-concerns-in-cloud-gaming

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Thanks, I just found it. At least one thing MS could accomplish. It would have been extremely bad if they lost this late. It was expected it will go through but still.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          PS5 acts smug, but JUST ONE GAME.

  5. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Is this really still going on? I thought it finished up months ago

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Microsoft had to threaten their government first. Their Games workshop GDP wasn't enough to hold them at bay.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      it did
      for some reason microsoft was playing nice with garbage island

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        They had to otherwise if they foreclose on them, later on they could also try to block further acquisitions. Bet they will buy Crystal Dynamics and Eidos since both companies are working on Xbox games. Embracer is in a bad spot. They'll likely be willing to sell them.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          the UK government runs on microsoft crapware
          would be a lot funnier if microsoft just invalidated their license and then sued them for software piracy

          • 8 months ago
            Anonymous

            This was never going to happen. Microsoft was never going to pull out of a territory as big as the UK just to prop up the Xbox of all things.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          The acquisition spree is about to begin for Microsoft. You haven't seen anything yet. Now they've got their publishers they'll be going for the biggest independent studios.

          • 8 months ago
            Anonymous

            I know, we already got a sweet deal for Game Pass for our ten-year-old game.
            And somehow on Gamepass it even lets you have direct cross-play between PC and Xbox without a server.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          They could just buy all of Embracer.

          • 8 months ago
            Anonymous

            Too much dead weight with that. Just get the more talented studios and worthwhile IP's from Embracer. Maybe Dambuster (ex Timesplitters devs) with the Dead Island IP would be worth getting besides Crystal Dynamics and Eidos devs.

            • 8 months ago
              Anonymous

              Embracer is cutting all of its dead weight currently, most of what has value are the few big studios (Eidos/Saber/Gearbox/Plaion), and some multimedia and mobile companies (which Microsoft would likely sell off, or which Embracer would sell off before being acquired).
              By the way, the ex Timsplitters devs aren't at Dambuster anymore, they were allowed to create a new studio (again called Free Radical Design) to work on a new Timsplitters.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Out of all the big corpos, Microsoft is the "nicest" out of all of them because they have previous history of people trying to break them up and a lot of people with grudges on them. So when EU tells them to change things, they will do it immediately without any issues unlike Apple, Amazon, Google and etc that try to do everything in their power to avoid regulators.

        The activision deal is something that MS has every right to do and if they get blocked on this one, they'll face bigger troubles down the line on smaller purchases which is why they had to do everything they can to win fairly.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        ESL cope

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        the UK government runs on microsoft crapware
        would be a lot funnier if microsoft just invalidated their license and then sued them for software piracy

        There was absolutely no reason for Microsoft to force the UK unless they were cornered. It would leave bad taste in the mouth for further dealings. Business is about compromises, the largest companies understand this the best. Sony not accepting anything made them look unreasonable and when they agreed then weak. Meanwhile MS pushed this through with relatively large support from even the non Xbox community it looked like they were saving Activision from le evil Bobby. Until they don't interfere with the PS Call of Duty (much) there is no reason for the casuals to care much either.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        It's realyla bout the long game. They could have just bmrushed over the oibruvs but that would mean more trouble in future aquisitions. So just play nice now, even got the cma to change with better appeals and government regulation and future will be easier for them.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >for some reason
        Microsoft has been close to getting fricked by antitrust laws.
        So they play nice and achieve their goals in the long run. When they want to do something, some people might complain, they peddle back and will get to do the thing in 5-10 years anyways and nobody will even give a frick

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      They had to agree to sell of some of the cloud business before the CMA would agree to it.

      Microsoft had to threaten their government first. Their Games workshop GDP wasn't enough to hold them at bay.

      The CMA has nothing to do with the goverment.

  6. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Metzen back
    >Blizzard bankrolled by Microsoft
    >Phil Spencer won't let a franchise as massive as WoW die
    >Less wokeshit as a result, more devs and more money
    Too big to fail.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      how are you sure there's even a possibility that things get better, I'll wait

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >Metzen back
      I get his successors are worse but are you too young to remember the damage he did?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >Less wokeshit as a result
      Play Starfield. Remember to trust the science.

  7. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Yep. The golden age of gaming is here.

  8. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >It begins.
    We're about to enter the golden age of gaming. More resources than ever before. More synergies than ever before. We're going to be seeing games that blow our fricking socks right off

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >implying more ressources make better games
      Have you been asleep in the last 20 years?

  9. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Ah Phillip. I've heard about the total thrashing you and and Microsoft took over the week thanks to that accidental leak. But don't worry good chap, I've tightened the collar on the CMA, you should be clear to close the deal soon.
    >And thanks again for the donation to the family back in India, my nephews were starting to wonder if they could even afford to fly out to Dubai next year to shit on a pornstar.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      What accidental leak?

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Where have you been?
        Microsoft accidentally leaked their entire plans pre covid in their current case against the FTC.
        It's where the stuff about Phil wanting to buy Nintendo and Valve came from and Microsoft leaving the gaming industry in 2028 if Gamepass didn't do well.
        Outdated plans sure, but stuff like the entire upcoming Bethesda line up including F3 and Oblivion remasters pre covid got leaked.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      kek
      sunak here was just too busy destroying internet anonymity last week, please understand

  10. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    They were moronic to block it in the first place
    >B-But I want to pathetically mald over rich people existing/I'm a seething manchild with a brand loyalty to Brand Y
    Yeah, yeah, I get it, but part of the brexit platform was being free to deregulate tech to attract investors

  11. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    I can't believe I've lived long enough to see the beginning of another gaming crash.

  12. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Can't wait for one of USA's top military contractors to own all of gaming.
    Surely they will use this for the greater good.

  13. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    How does acquiring Act-Blizz even make sense from a financial perspective? Are they really still printing money like they were a decade ago? I can understand COD still making money but aren't they at all afraid of brand fatigue? They're going to be overpaying by a significant amount and for what exactly? Are they looking at it from the perspective of
    >at worst it'll be a major write-off asset for tax purposes

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Microsoft is desperate to establish monopoly is the actual reason, they themselves aren't doing shit in the gaming market otherwise.
      They can't actually get a good grasp and are basically throwing money around wildly, they don't have that much of a plan.

      Its for the dream of eventually locking down consoles. One that is just a fever dream at that.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Its not just Acti-Blizz
      Its Acti-Blizz-King
      King makes a gorillion dollars a second from bored women on their phones

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Act-blizz is literally one of the biggest publishers on the planet and they want to sell. They have major games on PC, console and mobile which are all things that MS needs to cover up their weaknesses as well as a robust playerbase on mobile that MS can use to launch new mobile initiatives since that's the fastest growing marketing for gaming right now.

  14. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Update from the greatest businessman in America, according to US court law.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >To gather third-party feedback.
      ENTER

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Biggest blunder of the ftc.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          She'll find a way to convince the CMA to stall again, until it's their turn.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        It's time for her redemption arc.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >Pajeeta defending Sony monopoly
        Good morning mam! Show bob and vagene you bloody bastard b***h.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          >Monopoly
          People not wanting a Transbox doesn't make Sony monopolist.

          • 8 months ago
            Anonymous

            >ESL Snoy malding
            kek

            • 8 months ago
              Anonymous

              What are you gonna do? Beg the government to subsidize Transbox? You're done by 2027 kek

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                >ESL snoy volcanoing
                Beautiful

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                sir please

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      >With graditude, signed, Bobby "I'll have you killed" Kotick

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Even the way he types is like a slimy reptilian israelite.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      filthy parasite must be purged

  15. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    dear microsoft,
    please bring back hots
    crapfully yours

  16. 8 months ago
    Anonymous
    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Was wondering when this cope line would pop up

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >cope line
        ?

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          it's just some bot, m8, ignore.

  17. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    woo market consolidation truly we have entered The Golden Years (tm)

  18. 8 months ago
    Anonymous
  19. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Remember the hundreds of threads spammed by Snoys when CMA blocked the deal?

  20. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Remember when anti-trust laws were enforce? Oh wait, me neither... Corporations are just gonna keep consolidating until they get too big to fail and that's just how it's going to be for the rest of your life and nothing you do can change this.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      no

  21. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Can somebody explain to me why the frick UK has to approve something if both companies are American?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Does this American company do business in another country? If so, then they need approval from each regulator for an acquisition of this size to go through. At the start of the process, Microsoft stated if they couldn't get the FTC, CMA and EU to approve then they'd have to give up on the deal.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      they're free to close the deal, but without UK's approval, that market is closed to them and they would operate there illegally

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        so does every country in the world need to approve?
        did Germany for example approve?

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          germany is part of the EU and the EU already approved the deal

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          The big three were America, the European Union and the UK. Microsoft needed these three to approve.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          The ruling authority of every country where ABK operates will have to make a decision. In the case of Europe they're all combined under the European Union so they're the ones who make the decision. UK are no longer in the EU because of brexit which is why they're making their own independent decision. Think of it like the federal government making a decision on behalf of all US states instead of each state making their own individual decisions. That's essentially what the EU is.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          EU is the hardest one to please, they tend to wienerblock all the big corporations all the time and force them to change things in favour of consumer protection. The fact that they said the deal was no problem and how it was good to consumers was what pushed the deal through massively.

          • 8 months ago
            Anonymous

            They did force Microsoft to make a concession around cloud gaming to which MS did. They didn't just roll over and approve it. The UK just blocked Microsoft outright over cloud gaming until Microsoft gave up all rights to Activision games on the cloud.

            • 8 months ago
              Anonymous

              yes and now Brits will have the worst XCloud experience on the planet thanks to their government

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                The Ubisoft cloud deal covers all territories apart from the EU. I actually think it's a better deal as it allows Ubisoft to put Activision games on multiple cloud services like Geforce Now, Amazon Luna, PS+ and XCloud. Meanwhile EU gamers can only stream Activision games through Xcloud.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                >Meanwhile EU gamers can only stream Activision games through Xcloud.
                No the EU specifically made Microsoft sign a deal with competing providers to stream abk games at no added fee. They signed multiple deals with streaming companies in Ukraine and Spain. Now this new pivot means those companies have to pay ubisoft for that privilege and only get free access in the EU zone when before it was free on a global scale.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                Under the previous deal, you wouldn't be able to play Activision games on your PS5 or Switch 2.

                It stops Microsoft having control over the cloud market and denying games to Sony and Nintendo.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                >you wouldn't be able to play Activision games on your PS5 or Switch 2.
                Under the previous deal (you can literally read the docs yourself) Microsoft offered Sony the right to put cod on ps+ but Sony said it would be too expensive. We're talking about a native port that you can play locally. But Sony rejected it. Now the best they can get is a cloud version. You still won't be able to play ABK games on those platforms natively.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                Call of Duty will still be on PS5 natively for 10 years with parity with the Xbox version. It's the other Activision games that are cloud only.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                Yeah. It's not a good deal for Sony at all. Terrible deal actually. But they rejected the better deal earlier on so their fault I guess.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                For brits it won't make much of a difference I think because Microsoft will just pay the license to ubisoft to have these games on xcloud. Worst case they'll have to increase the price of gamepass ultimate in the UK. But the people who really suffer, or rather the companies, are the competing cloud streaming providers they originally signed a deal with to have allow free access to abk games on their services. Now those companies will have to pay ubisoft for that privilege globally and ubisoft can pick and choose who they sell the license to. It's a complete frick up by the CMA which is why I'm convinced the people behind the decision are playstation fans or have a soft spot for playstation because of their upbringing because it just doesn't make sense.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                >I think because Microsoft will just pay the license to ubisoft
                I'm sure Microsoft added a clause about them getting a perpetual, non-revokable royalty free license to use the games without paying Ubisoft anything in the deal, it would be really dumb if they didn't do that.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                They didn't. They can't have any leverage.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                The CMA would have rejected again if that happened. Microsoft can not have any control over what Ubisoft do with Activision games.

              • 8 months ago
                Anonymous

                >the worst XCloud experience on the planet
                lmao
                Who gives a frick. Are you that baldhead that went to all major companies Sony (PS3), MS (X1) and Google (Stadia) to spearhead that moronic cloud gaming idea and fail each time and almost takes down the department with him?

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          Yes but people usually only care about the big countries because the smaller ones tend to fall in line.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Because these american companies have employees in the UK and sell their products in the UK. So their merger can affect those employees and/or the competition in the market those products are sold in, in the UK.

  22. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >buying dying company for billions because it had glory in the past
    Many such cases

  23. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    So is this the correct current rundown of events

    FTC lost because they had to stand up for poor little Sony.
    Ignoring that Sony has the largest shares in the console market space already.
    Ignoring that MS was willing to make an agreement to allow Acti-Blizz games on Sony for a decade and it is on them if they couldn't make a competitor to Sony despite them owning like half a fricking dozen dormant FPS IPs. The new deal Sony accepted is only limited to Call of Duty now.

    CMA tried to stop them because they will get a monopoly on the cloud gaming market.
    Ignoring that nobody gives a remote frick on the cloud gaming market, least of all MS where leaked documents shows that their perspective on the market is that it's a fricking dud that bleeds money. It's such a tiny market in general that it's not even worth considering, which is why MS gave cloud gaming related rights to fricking Ubisoft of all companies.

    How much tax payers money did the out of touch morons in US and UK waste.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      The FTC/CMA lost because they blindly relied on Sony completely to make their case. Sony ultimately lost because the case was a complete role reversal of what happens in the video game industry. MS is ultra competent badass on the business side and Sony was arguing on the level of the average Redditor. All Sony/FTC/CMA achieved is dragging on this case for at least 6 months if not more.

  24. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Death to Blizzard.
    Death to Activision.
    This is a good thing. Nobody plays Xbox. They'll just fade into nothingness lol

  25. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Now what?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      We wait to see when they close after the 6th of October. Then Phil Spencer does the press tours. Gives a speech at this years Blizzcon about welcoming Blizzard and Activision into the Xbox family, announces how he's going to work with Mike Ybarra to insure Blizzard are properly supported in the forth coming years. Shows up to The Game Awards, maybe gives a speech and then we're back to waiting to see who makes the next major play in the console wars until the FTC can manage to try and sue MS, which they'll likely lose the case of.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >Gives a speech at this years Blizzcon about welcoming Blizzard and Activision into the Xbox family, announces how he's going to work with Mike Ybarra to insure Blizzard are properly supported in the forth coming years.
        Can't wait for all the booing

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          >implying anyone with the capacity for critical thought goes to blizzcon anymore

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        >Gives a speech at this years Blizzcon about welcoming Blizzard and Activision into the Xbox family, announces how he's going to work with Mike Ybarra to insure Blizzard are properly supported in the forth coming years.
        Can't wait for all the booing

        >implying anyone with the capacity for critical thought goes to blizzcon anymore

        You know what's funny? During the early 360 days Microsoft wanted to purchase Blizzard solely for console game development then the Blizzard higher ups panicked later merged with Activision

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        It is very likely MS also drops a bunch of Activision titles in Game Pass shortly. Maybe not all but a few dozen. Phil already talked about how people shouldn't expect every game right now, probably to go ahead of the "where is my call of duty Sony still has contracts for?" questions.

        • 8 months ago
          Anonymous

          Only modern COD has a problem getting in due to Sony contracts but im sure they reworked their entire catalogue and is ready to drop most of it down the minute the deal is confirmed.

  26. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    so how long until I can play my codslop on gp?

  27. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Didn't the CMA force all this shit because they thought it would be unfair to cloud gaming?

  28. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Bingtendo and Valve next. Phils era is just beginning.

  29. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Mihoyo will die with Snoy. Unless they accept Xbox game pass and Steam. Playstation is Owacon. Mihoyo should accept xbox and steam if they want to Kill Jap games.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Considering how much money they're making, I doubt they have much to worry about it they're not on Xbox or Steam.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        But it is not on world's highest grossing media. No vestige of Mihoyo in this list.

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_media_franchises

  30. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Omfg this should have ended years ago. Just kill Activision already and Blizzard with it. Keep king since my mom likes candy crush

  31. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >ching chang cheng
    speak english Black person

  32. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Microsoft buying up a bunch of hasbeens who can't deliver
    >Sony is killing itself pushing awful western trash and closing down Sony Japan Studio
    >Nintendo is cashing on that remake train like there is no tomorrow, will most likely do the same with Switch 2

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Capcom, sega and fromsoftware are winning. 3rd party being played on pc was how God intended the world to be. Consoles are for cultists.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Isn't Sega basically bankrupt at this point.

  33. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Another thread where anons have no idea what the CMA is or what its role is, and have no idea what they were objecting to or what MS agreed to do.

  34. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Who will Sony buy to counter this?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Nobody, they have 15B acquisition budget for the whole company. Right now their cap is to pay for 1 year of exclusivity for 2-3 games

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      mobile game game merger
      im sure they'll get away with it.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      A rope

  35. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    it was already over months ago.

  36. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Are microsoft doing anything besides buying studios and letting them rot on dev hell projects?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      They are making a cloud hybrid console and an all digital xbox series x refresher with no disc option.
      Things are looking good
      >video games
      Now that Bethesda and Obsidian are shit I don't see any intresting games coming from Microsoft studios.
      Them buying Activiblizzard proves they want quantity over quality.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        So it's just MS throwing money to gain control over a massive part of the market without understanding or willing to give an actual shred of effort/skill?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      No one is googling basic info on all the dev projects for you.

      • 8 months ago
        Anonymous

        Yeah i looked, and they got nothing.

  37. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Fricking finally this is over.
    Back to buying smaller studios again for Phil.

  38. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Microsoft will fire everyone at Blizzard and replace them with low cost pajeets.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      I really don't see how Blizzard avoid major restructuring once MS has them. It's too big, too many staff, producing too little that's mediocre at best,

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      A friend of mine works at Rare and he says that Microsoft hires people for 18 months, lets them go and hires new people.

      It's bizarre and no wonder their franchises are in such disarray if they can't retain talent.

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Hopefully. At least they won't try to unionize and destroy the company.

  39. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Wow.
    2 companies whose games I haven't touched in over a decade.
    This will change so much.

  40. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    Does that mean minecraft is coming to playststion 5?

    • 8 months ago
      Anonymous

      Minecraft has been multiplat for years.

  41. 8 months ago
    Anonymous

    >even though you're paying the money for the business you're not allowed to control a component of it even though you're the smallest competitor in gaming and you're forced to make cloud ports of games for your rivals which means in this supposed rapidly accelerating market you're not allowed to have exclusives despite your bigger competitors being allowed to

    ????
    CMA logic 101

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