After months of uncertainty, the United States Federal Trade Commission has officially filed a lawsuit to stop Microsoft from its $68.7 billion dollar purchase of Activision Blizzard. The attempt to block the acquisition is because the FTC believes that it would allow Microsoft to suppress competitors, especially due to the fact that Microsoft already acquired ZeniMax and made their IPs exclusive to Microsoft platforms despite stating to antitrust authorities that they would not do that.

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, Microsoft’s 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.

Microsoft says that it is prepared to take things to court and prove that its purchase of Activision will help competition rather than hurt it. They also made offers to Valve, Nintendo, and Sony that would allow for Activision's Call of Duty franchise to be available on competing platforms for up to 10 years.

Source

 

[urbanman2004]

FTC's a bunch of mf'ing M$ haters... Guess this is gonna take years to follow through now in court if it ever does...

 

[subcon959]

Explains why MS were quickly trying to make those deals now lol

 

[pedro702]

Explains why MS were quickly trying to make those deals now lol

yeah they tought that if they made a deal with nintendo and or playstation they wouldnt be blocked lol guess they didnt fell for it, now its up to the court so lets see how many years it will take to get a conclusion to this lol, activision will probably stay independant until ps5/xbsx successor arrives in 2028 waiting for the court tough.

 

[Bladexdsl]

the FTC really must not want COD on the switch!

 

[yoyoyo69]

Despite standing to gain short-term from this, in the form of access to the Activision library, I'm leaning in the same direction.

We've had several price increases lately, these corporations are making more money than they ever have and the market is still growing.

Price fixing is even more present as ever, putting all publishers and developers into fewer pots, only exasperates the issue.

 

[Ghassen-ga]

I really don't understand why is everyone in this forum pissed off and actually wants to create a monopoly, it's just mind puzzling.

Competition is always a good thing for consumers, put your fanboyism aside!!

 

[Spider_Man]

How is it going to help competition when it buys out the company that makes the main top selling shooter, then make it exclusive to its platform.

Ms should focus on its own studio making games than being lazy and just buy out all the other studios.

 

[RAHelllord]

Er, two of the mergers were under Obama, not one. Both the Marvel and Lucasfilm mergers were under his watch. Fox was under Trump's watch. Neither were under Bush Jr.'s watch.

You're right. I should really stop trying to use google before I had my coffee.

 

[CrazySquid]

So... FTC are Sony fanboys then?

 

[ZeroFX]

No, it's not okay.

Ok then, wikipedia .

 

[Menelkir]

Under the control of Trump, which staffed it with people that weren't interested in stopping giant mergers. Biden's picks on the other hand do indeed want to use the FTC to prevent more mergers that would hurt customers.

Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 and LucasFilm in 2012. Guess who was the president.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

Which outcome means that odious incompetent fat twat head of Activision f off and never returns? I'm backing that.

 

[digipimp75]

Under the control of Trump, which staffed it with people that weren't interested in stopping giant mergers. Biden's picks on the other hand do indeed want to use the FTC to prevent more mergers that would hurt customers.

Unbelievably wrong. Way to try and make it political though.

 

[FAST6191]

I really don't understand why is everyone in this forum pissed off and actually wants to create a monopoly, it's just mind puzzling.

Competition is always a good thing for consumers, put your fanboyism aside!!

Would it be a monopoly? I can't even get to it being a monopoly in the same way Steam enjoys a monopoly over the PC market.

 

[dude1]

I for one want this merger to happen.

current M$ is good for the gamer/customer with game pass compared to Sony's subscription tiers, censorship worse than Nintendo (this generation etc.)

could that change in the future? sure, it always tends to ebb and flow its been a cyclical cycle since gamings been a thing and massive mergers happened in the 70, 80 & 90's

but that's why people can vote with there wallets and either "sail the high seas" or buy from other studios, Indies etc.

the indie renaissance we've seen the last decade or so was largely because the big players (EA, UbiSoft, Take2 etc.) stopped listening to customers and got to formulayic so indie's started making games that were too "risky" etc.

what im curious of is why companies like M$ or Activision etc put up with the FTC and other US agencies being the world police/ using there mafiaso tactics.

Microsoft is a global conglomerate, sure primary Microsoft is a US based company and thus needs to follow US law but we already see all these multinationals legally skirt laws when it comes to for example taxes with foreign subsidiaries, why doesn't Microsoft Ireland or some other "non-US" based Microsoft proxy/subsidiary buy the company to dodge FTC jurisdiction.

 

[jeremy2020]

I really don't understand why is everyone in this forum pissed off and actually wants to create a monopoly, it's just mind puzzling.

Competition is always a good thing for consumers, put your fanboyism aside!!

I think most people view Microsoft as the lesser of two evil between them and Bobby.

 

[Kioku]

I really don't understand why is everyone in this forum pissed off and actually wants to create a monopoly, it's just mind puzzling.

Competition is always a good thing for consumers, put your fanboyism aside!!

Tell me you don't know what a monopoly is without telling me...

I'm actually pretty sure most of you parroting this are just repeating what Sony is saying at this point...

 

[r1vver]

hmm... what if Activision|Blizzard devs teach MS how to make good Windowses... It would be nice

 

[JaapDaniels]

hmm... what if Activision|Blizzard devs teach MS how to make good Windowses... It would be nice

doubt it they're better at the legalslation for those abusing licenses, or violate the UELA hidden details.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Microsoft smells. Bad.