UK Regulator Blocks Microsoft's $70 Billion Activision Blizzard Acquisition

[erikkfi]

Preventing huge mergers like this is exactly what governments should be doing to prevent unnecessary consolidation. I don't understand why people are so upset about this when Call of Duty and all other Activision Blizzard titles will continue to remain available on Xbox platforms.

 

[Choco Taco]

There's a huge difference between buying small studios, who subsequently go onto make very successful games, most of which were brand new IP than going out and buying a huge studio with existing massive IP.

I don’t know why people are disagreeing with your comment. I guess logic and sense are frustrating things to some people.

 

[Spock]

When this was first announced, I knew that it would not get approved. It would have been bad for Sony and Nintendo and I think they were fighting it despite the promises made by Microsoft to still make games for other platforms.

 

[GMShadow]

The check from Sony must have cleared.

Jim Ryan is a scumbag who is *absolutely* not above bribery.

 

[Bustycat]

So unless Apple puts Vulkan on macOS and actually puts game industry focused execs in charge and get on their hands and knees begging gamedevs to come back, they're not gonna.

"You have the superior Apple Arcade!"

 

[tubular]

Developers aren't gonna support the Mac even with how great Apple Silicon is, and the reason is simple: Apple. Apple is really out of touch with the game industry. They divested OpenGL and refused to adopt Vulkan, they killed 32 bit app support which nuked the majority of all Mac ports, they want everyone to use Metal when Vulkan is the new standard everyone wants, and Apple has made it clear they look down on the AAA game industry.

Exactly. Apple lost the AAA game wars at the API level. Though they're raking it in with casual gaming on Arcade, so they don't see it as a problem.

Edit: I bought a gaming PC for playing Diablo III back in 2016, my first Windows machine *ever*, back when the Mac lineup was in a world of hurt. That turns out to have been a steal of a deal, and just maybe I can stretch it out to Diablo IV.

 

[RammyXX]

The Playstation fanboys easily self report themselves it's so easy.

Says the Xbox fanboy. 😅

 

[tubular]

kotick is getting the chute either way. We just have to let that one go. But the sooner he is sent into retirement and out of power, the better. ActiBlizz has gone waaaaaay downhill the last few years in just about every way. I don’t see Microsoft doing any worse.

Maybe they can find a job for him at Wizards of the Coasting on Old Franchises.

 

[britboyj]

I'm sure the people in here saying "F U Microsoft!" will applaud similar anti-competition decisions against Apple in the coming months? Surely there must be intellectual consistency on their thoughts on monopolies...

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Says the Xbox fanboy. 😅

I'm a PC elitist Sony Pony.

Just for calling me an Xbox fanboy we're taking another one of your precious exclusives. Ghost of Tsushima is gonna look pretty sweet in 4K 144 FPS.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I'm sure the people in here saying "F U Microsoft!" will applaud similar anti-competition decisions against Apple in the coming months? Surely there must be intellectual consistency on their thoughts on monopolies...

Welcome to MacRumors.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I'm sure the people in here saying "F U Microsoft!" will applaud similar anti-competition decisions

I don't applaud the decision to block Microsoft from their Activision deal. Sony is NO better than Microsoft in this matter. They employ anti-competitive tactics in Japan making it difficult for Microsoft to compete. Members of Congress have begun to ask questions and are looking into the matter.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

Simply: The acquisition was a failure = D4 is screwed.

 

[Realityck]

Simply: The acquisition was a failure = D4 is screwed.

As they say until there is separation and goodbyes it's not over.

 

[kellyrev]

Now this is a move I can get behind. Microsoft could have used the leverage to restrict quality games on other platforms. Google should have never been allowed to buy double click and YouTube.

Not as big as Activision. Imagine MS making COD and WoW exclusive to Xbox.

Clearly you have not read anything about this merger. MS already signed 10 year deals with other game companies to ensure that COD continues to be in even more places than it is already. (and before you say 'why only 10 years'.. because no company signs a contract for eternity). And lowering the quality anywhere would hurt sales. lol. They're trying to sell more games not less. Absolutely absurd comment.

MS has kept or expanded where you can play Minecraft after the purchase of Mojang

 

[Realityck]

I'm a PC elitist Sony Pony.

Just for calling me an Xbox fanboy we're taking another one of your precious exclusives. Ghost of Tsushima is gonna look pretty sweet in 4K 144 FPS.

Console wars, ugh. Tell me something more exciting. Unless you love those controllers.

 

[tubular]

Simply: The acquisition was a failure = D4 is screwed.

Diablo's always screwed at first release (except the first one). Then they fix it.

 

[russell_314]

Thank the queen! Blizzard was already 💩 lately but combine that with M$ and it would be so much worse!

 

[cmward_nyc]

I feel that this will be turned over on appeal, MS has signed a lot of deals with cloud gaming partners that addresses concerns imo. Especially when so many other regulators have approved the deal

 

[cmward_nyc]

Clearly you have not read anything about this merger. MS already signed 10 year deals with other game companies to ensure that COD continues to be in even more places than it is already. (and before you say 'why only 10 years'.. because no company signs a contract for eternity). And lowering the quality anywhere would hurt sales. lol. They're trying to sell more games not less. Absolutely absurd comment.

MS has kept or expanded where you can play Minecraft after the purchase of Mojang

Also MS was going to bring some form of COD to Nintendo for 10 years, I feel that MS recognizes the money train that is COD and wants to get that to as many folks as possible

 

[Andres Cantu]

There's a huge difference between buying small studios, who subsequently go onto make very successful games, most of which were brand new IP than going out and buying a huge studio with existing massive IP.

Well said. Not gonna stop people from trying to make comparisons.

At the end of the day, Sony is still having all the momentum while Microsoft is losing the race yet again.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Console wars, ugh. Tell me something more exciting. Unless you love those controllers.

Well I saw the Ukranian Army using a Steam Deck to control a automated turret. Is that more exciting?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650884510806859777

 

[inhalexhale1]

Uh that is basically what Sony did, they just did it over a longer period with smaller studios.

What/when Sony acquired is not close to the scale buying Bethesda and Activision/Blizzard and MS making their games exclusive. Naughty Dog was acquired by Sony in 2001 when they were making Crash Bandicoot. Not close to the same, It's good this merger is blocked. MS should invest in smaller studios and help them grow in developing iconic, XBOX defining titles, as you said, Sony did with those smaller studios.

 

[JuicyGoomba]

People are so quick to jump on the outrage bandwagon. PlayStation was gaming's love child through the end of the PS3 and whole of the PS4 era. Microsoft are extremely clever with their "we're the little guy help us" mentality that their marketing department constantly throw around.

Anyone even moderately invested into the gaming scene can see from a mile off that if Microsoft gained such a huge acquisition then it would be the beginning of the end for competition in the space. The whole "10 year deal" thing was further proof of this. They would have obliged to churn out decent ports for the first few years and then quickly lower the quality and focus on their own consoles and services. Once that 10 years is up, they have an extremely large chunk of the market and no longer have to provide for other companies.

They were trying to play the long game, they persuaded most of the capitalists and Xbox evangelists to follow with anti-Sony pitchforks.

In reality? Anyone who shills for either company, or any company for that matter, should automatically have their opinions discredited. From a neutral business perspective, Microsoft were looking to try and swipe a major player in the gaming market knowing fine well that most governments don't even so much as blink when it comes to the industry. They don't care.

GG UK on finally having some sense for a change.

 

[cmward_nyc]

What/when Sony acquired is not close to the scale buying Bethesda and Activision/Blizzard and making their games exclusive. Naughty Dog was acquired in 2001 when they were making Crash Bandicoot. It's good this merger is blocked. MS should invest in smaller studios and help them grow in developing iconic titles, as you said, Sony did.

Sony buying IP is the same thing, just because bungee isn’t the same scale as Bethesda doesn’t make it any less worse for consumers when there is less choice.