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I will be surprised if this gets approved, how is this not a monopoly? Microsoft will own just about every major game studio and will restrict games to its own platforms. Isn't that kind of what a monopoly is?
 
I will be surprised if this gets approved, how is this not a monopoly? Microsoft will own just about every major game studio and will restrict games to its own platforms. Isn't that kind of what a monopoly is?
This is why its not a monopoly
If the deal closes it would make them the third largest game company behind Sony #2 and Tencent #1. It will pass antitrust.
 
I'm gonna say it and leave it here.

The smartest big tech CEO in history, will be the one who buys Nintendo.

*Looking at you Tim*
 
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Apple keeps missing the boat. There will be no game dev houses left to buy and M1 Max Macbook Pro gamers will be playing nothing but phone games forever. Can anyone seriously compare Apple Arcade to Game Pass and not laugh their ass off?
You can play Game Pass on an Apple device. What’s the problem?
 
I agree with what others have said about Apple ignoring the gaming space. It’s a mistake given the industry they’re in. Instead of Apple TV+, which is essentially an ego project for the executives, they should have been making company purchases like this one. Gaming makes much, much more sense for Apple over TV and exercise. Imagine Apple offering WoW free to Apple Arcade subscribers and could be played, in some form, on all devices. Yeah, it’s old and its popularity has waned, but that would be a huge boost and would attract people to at least try Apple Arcade. Call of Duty and Diablo would be huge upsides. Given that Candy Crush and Hearthstone are already big on the iPhone, these would just be fantastic additions to Apple’s portfolio. Instead we get a second season of crappy TV shows for a very limited audience trying to compete with much better streaming services making more appealing content.
 
Blizzard sailed with Blizzard North, what we have today is a massive cartoonish cash grab. While it could be a good purchase in the long run, imo it's not even close to be worth what MS is paying.
 
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Microsoft just bought some major IPs AND events, including Blizzcon.

Interesting to see what the stance is from other hardware vendors. Sounds like it has some anti-trust cases potentially down the line if it honest still benefit them.
 
Huge amount

That’s likely also going to be the end of native Mac apps from Blizzard. They usually had a good track record in making native mac games
Yeah because there is no Microsoft software on Mac's??? I am a huge Apple/Mac fan but without Microsoft software on the Mac, you would have at least 1/3 less Mac users and way less iOS users.
 
While I understand that concept at first glance... I have a question.

Why would a studio/publisher want to cut their addressable market in half?

Actually it's more than half... since there are more Playstations out in the world than XBoxen.

?
Obvious answer it to grow your market. If you are on the fence right now about which next gen console to buy this may tip you in the Microsoft direction. Gamepass is a fantastic value.
 
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I agree with what others have said about Apple ignoring the gaming space. It’s a mistake given the industry they’re in.
Apple is heavily oriented around mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is now larger in terms of revenue than PC gaming and console gaming combined. How does that qualify as "ignoring" gaming? Apple is a big player in the largest segment of the industry as it currently exists.
 
Huge amount

That’s likely also going to be the end of native Mac apps from Blizzard. They usually had a good track record in making native mac games
Lol, most new games aren't even released for Mac. Any decent game studio ditched Apple already, games get broken with every OS update pretty much and Apple couldn't care less, they don't care about their own users, imagine game studios ?
 
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FYI: mobile gaming revenue is larger than PC and console gaming revenue combined.
Gaming period is bigger than the movie and sporting industries. I am quite surprised that Apple has not made a serious effort into gaming.

If they just took the Apple TV and beefed it up with a M1, created their own controller and sold it as a gaming console, it would be great move. Any game ported to it would be available for the M1 Mac's.
 
I'm gonna say it and leave it here.

The smartest big tech CEO in history, will be the one who buys Nintendo.

*Looking at you Tim*

Microsoft already tried that once and were (allegedly) laughed out of the room.
 
Gaming period is bigger than the movie and sporting industries. I am quite surprised that Apple has not made a serious effort into gaming.

If they just took the Apple TV and beefed it up with a M1, created their own controller and sold it as a gaming console, it would be great move. Any game ported to it would be available for the M1 Mac's.
This is a big understatement. The M1 Macs are incredibly powerful and efficient, but are not fully exploited for gaming which is a shame.
 


Microsoft today announced that it will purchase the game studio Activision Blizzard, the maker of hit games such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, World of Warcraft, and more, for almost $70 billion. Microsoft says this purchase will help it "bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone, across every device."

microsoft-purchases-Activision.jpeg

The seismic purchase for Microsoft will see several of Activision's games move to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's gaming subscription service.
Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is available on the iPhone and iPad through Safari, but not the App Store. While Apple does allow all-in-one gaming subscriptions services to be on the platform, every game offered on the service must be submitted individually for approval through the App Store review process.

Apple's equivalent games subscription service to Xbox Game Pass is Apple Arcade. Launched in 2019, Apple Arcade has continued to add new games to its catalog for users to play across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. The purchase of Activision and the addition of more hit games to Xbox Game Pass may put more pressure on Apple to bolster ‌Apple Arcade‌'s offerings.

Article Link: Microsoft to Acquire Game Studio Activision Blizzard for $68.7 Billion
Hopefully this means that CEO who wants to take the fun out of making games gets ousted.
 
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Gaming period is bigger than the movie and sporting industries. I am quite surprised that Apple has not made a serious effort into gaming.
You ignored the main point: PC/console gaming revenue COMBINED is smaller than mobile gaming revenue now. Apple is a major player in the largest revenue segment of the gaming market as it exists today. PC/console domination of the gaming market is in the past.
 
Apple is heavily oriented around mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is now larger in terms of revenue than PC gaming and console gaming combined. How does that qualify as "ignoring" gaming? Apple is a big player in the largest segment of the industry as it currently exists.
Mobile and PC games will combine into one category once AR becomes mainstream.

You will be wearing an AR glasses that you carry everywhere with you like a mobile phone, while playing games at the equivalent of 24"-32" monitor that is suitable for any PC or Mobile game.
 
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While I understand that concept at first glance... I have a question.

Why would a studio/publisher want to cut their addressable market in half?

Actually it's more than half... since there are more Playstations out in the world than XBoxen.

?
Because they force a user into buying an xbox.

And if you have an xbox instead of a PS5 (or 6, etc) then you'll buy all of your other games on the xbox too. So they end up gaining sales for everyone who switches, compared to leaving it on the Play Station as well.
 
The profit margins are tiny compared to other sectors. I don't think it makes sense for them to spend billions upon billions for gaming on the mac. People mention apple should buy a AAA publisher - what's available now? The market has moved on from mac gaming
Electronic Arts for half the price. Good catalogue. That would help establish some competitive alternative to the Microsoft hegemony in gaming.
 
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