[News] Microsoft To Acquire Activision Blizzard

NY Times
Washington Post
CNN

This is a pretty big move. I've seen a lot of discussion/concerns about monopolies, Xbox exclusivity, etc.

Thoughts?

"Activision Blizzard games exist on a variety of platforms today, and we plan to continue supporting those communities moving forward. The acquisition is about increasing the availability of Activision Blizzard content across more platforms, including mobile".

This is what a Microsoft representative mentioned. I go this quote from: https://www.dualshockers.com/what-does-microsofts-acquisition-of-activision-mean-for-playstation/

But the question is: is Microsoft breaking any anti-trust laws. That could derail this whole purchase. In the comments section of the article I posted, someone is claiming that Jason Schreier said this deal raises quite a few antitrust issues.

Major news. Needs to be finalised/approved but I would be surprised if it doesn't, given money speaks and all.

Looks like it's leading up to only a few major players dominating everything. MS def pushing the long game here with their buying power.

I'm more concerned about the lawsuit with this purchase than anything else.

Two months later, Microsoft's acquisition arrives alongside the news that Kotick will continue as Activision's CEO despite calls for his resignation.

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Sigh. :( I guess it's no surprise that getting this guy out won't be easy.

Edit: Oh wait! https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1483560789202067462?s=21 So maybe he is leaving with this deal after all?

Sheep said:

Edit: Oh wait! https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1483560789202067462?s=21 So maybe he is leaving with this deal after all?

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It seems like he will be leaving yeah. I don't think Microsoft can afford to not get rid of a few people while Activision is still in the middle of a scandal.

But I don't really expect things to get better either regarding the toxic work culture. Even if it somehow does, there's still the big issue of corporate consolidation never being a good thing, especially in the case of a giant like MS buying one of the largest game developer companies.

Honestly... I don't know if this will get them to finally change for the better or not. All we can really do is hope that it does. It could still make things worse though.

Other than that... I don't really care as long as I can continue to play Crash and Spyro on my PS4/PS5

I'm not sure how I feel about this. For a start I think this will be better for the employees, Activision Blizzard has had a terrible time with their workplace culture so hopefully Microsoft will sort things out, although Microsoft is a huge corporation with corporate interests, so I wonder how much will be improved.

As for the games, my hope is that they focus on the smaller IPs like Crash and Spyro. We may see COD instalments every couple of years or so instead of annually, so if you're a COD fan (who owns an Xbox) then this should be better for you. As for COD and other Activision franchises being exclusive, well Phil Spencer was very careful with his words - almost as if it was "lawyered up" (I'm a lawyer, so I recognise lawyer speak when I see it). His words were ambigious because he said Microsoft would honour all existing contractual agreements, but we don't know what they are. Could it mean that for the time being, games like COD will be on the Playstation? will Microsoft make the games exclusive to Xbox? they just spent $70 billion so there's a good chance these games will end up being exclusive, but I imagine Microsoft will want to keep the big titles like COD multi-platform until they are able to sell more Xboxes.

https://time.com/6293730/microsoft-activision-blizzard-deal/

it's really cute how the Activision-Blizzard CEO says that the merge will "benefit consumers and workers" and "enable competition" when corporate mergers have always been anti-consumer/worker and anti-competition

Welp we now will wait for the official announcement of the layoffs that is going to happen now that the courts sided with Microsoft, It will not be long till key franchises that are not cod will be made exclusive. Because Microsoft don't keep there word and the judge should have known that Microsoft never keeps there word. And I don't think the judge got the email that they plan on spending their competitors out of business.

I don't want to talk about this honestly. I'm sick of seeing and hearing about it. but there is now a youtube video available on my channel if you want to know badly enough what my official 'stance' on it is

I already talked about it a little on the Discord server and I'm not repeating this on the forums.

I don't like it. But clearly I'm going to have to just get the f over it. Can't wait for Microsoft to continue with their real strategy to 'spend Sony out of business'. What a f-ing joke. Give me a break.

Neither company are 100% innocent in all of this. Only time will tell where this goes and if Xbox 'stops' or not or if Sony 'revenge buys' someone or not.

But I don't think it's a good thing and I don't like it.

Just me. And no I'm not a 'Sony Pony' or an 'Xbot'