Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard Discussion Thread (Part 1)

[Doncabesa]

@Bits-N-Pieces

Stop with the tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy nonsense.

[No-1HoloLens-Fan]

More fuel for the roller coaster

FTC's Lina Khan could greenlight Activision merger to avoid split vote fallout

[TheBrightestSun]

@No-1HoloLens-Fan

More fuel for the roller coaster

It is a based on NY Post article

[Staffy]

@anon85340516

It’s real and not a parody. I think he is just spitballing ideas the ftc could ask, that doesn’t mean Microsoft have to accept it. From day 1 he has been saying this deal passes with concessions.

It would be outrageous if these would have to be the concessions, lol. They would already keep CoD on PS, that should be enough. But ok, they can have CoD and Bethesda games. Can we get at least the MCU games by Insomniac too then? While we’re at it, let’s get Uncharted, TLOU too. After all ND was a studio that was eventually acquired by Sony.

[MasterChief]

About Lina Khan… “ At least one Democrat on the four-member panel has recently taken a sympathetic view of the merger, according to a source close to the situation. That, in turn, could create a difficult path for FTC Chair Lina Khan — who according to insiders has eyed Microsoft’s deal as a major target as she looks to burnish her credentials as a trustbuster of Big Tech.”

Some it is possible that some regulators are just trying to use the deal to make a name for themselves…

You can’t just block a deal because you want a name for yourself, what is if with so many of these government appointees being so careerist and not caring about anything else…?

[Shadowgasm]

@CallMeCraig

On one hand yes, on the other hand the FTC has currently hundreds of open investigations. And they said themselves they are a bit overloaded. They can’t just open lawsuits en masse and then lose them all.

They can try, but I agree with the sentiment that there isn’t a winnable case here. Since they’re more likely to lose if it goes to court, I can see them either letting the deal pass as is, or rattle their sabers in an attempt to get concessions from MS (which they’re already agreeable to with COD).

@MasterChief

You can’t just block a deal because you want a name for yourself, what is if with so many of these government appointees being so careerist and not caring about anything else…?

I feel like 99% of people who get into politics or serve in government are doing so for reasons other than serving their country/community. Whether it’s a form of idealism (Lina’s supposed hate boner for big tech), greed or simply narcissism, it’s often not about what it’s supposed to be about.

[AllianceOfficer]

@MasterChief

You can’t just block a deal because you want a name for yourself, what is if with so many of these government appointees being so careerist and not caring about anything else…?

Ironically, the democrat that would approve the deal may also be looking to make a name for themselves with the biden administration who reportedly want this to pass. Future positions are in play here.

[MasterChief]

@AllianceOfficer

Ironically, the democrat that would approve the deal may also be looking to make a name for themselves with the biden administration who reportedly want this to pass. Future positions are in play here.

I didn’t think about it like this but probably true as well

@Shadowgasm

I feel like 99% of people who get into politics or serve in government are doing so for reasons other than serving their country/community. Whether it’s a form of idealism (Lina’s supposed hate boner for big tech), greed or simply narcissism, it’s often not about what it’s supposed to be about.

That’s definitely true for a lot of politicians but I truly believe many get into politics because they want to help their community and do good for their country, a council member where I live is a great man and always helps out whenever you call him, he is very popular around here because of it but many times people like him do become corrupt the higher they climb in their career.

I may have been too harsh on Lina, she probably has good intentions and has seen what letting Facebook buy Whatsapp and Instagram has done to the social media platforms but that’s where she is wrong because this is a very different industry and much much bigger than Xbox plus ABK combined so letting this pass even without concessions won’t have a negative impact on competition, at worst PlayStation and Xbox become 50/50 again like the 7th gen and that would be the best outcome IMO.

[Rondras]

@MasterChief

…ny get into politics because they want to help their community and do good for their country, a council member where I live is a great man and always helps out whenever you call him, he is very popular around here because of it but many times people like him do become corrupt the higher they climb in their career. I may have been too harsh on Lina, she probably has good intentions and has seen what letting Facebook buy Whatsapp and Instagram has done to the social media platforms but that’s where she is wrong because this is a very different industry and much much bigger than Xbox plus ABK combined so letting this pass even without concessions won’t have a negative impact on competition, at worst PlayStation and Xbox become 50/50 again like the 7th gen and that would be the best outcome IMO.

You might get into politics to help, but you dont go far by doing so. At the end of the day its a job as any other and you want to go up the ladder.

[Proven]

CWA

CWA

[MasterChief]

@Proven

That is a strong statement, good!

[Biggzy]

@Proven

Microsoft knew what they were doing when they reached the agreement with the CWA.

[TheBrightestSun]

@Proven

Hope people pinged Hoeg, so that he could include that in his video

[Infamy]

Hoeg is going to have a field day with this, and rightfully so. So many fanboys called his credibility into question when he is an actual M&A lawyer with two decades of experience, even going so far as to say he is biased which is laughable (and he has had a good laugh at that thought many times because it’s so absurdly silly to see the hoops a console warriors mind will take them through).

Yet in the end, he practically predicted how this thing is playing out right before our eyes. I’m sure he’s loving the additional revenue Youtube has been generating for him, lol.

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@Proven

Interesting timing with this coming so soon after that article about the democrat leaning towards the deal

MS piling on pressure?

[TheBrightestSun]

@Proven

Last paragraphs though

Sony, which currently has the largest share of the video game console market, has been one of the few vocal opponents of the merger. It is a stark contrast of interests: If the merger is approved and the labor deal with Microsoft is effectuated, Activision Blizzard workers across the United States fighting sexual harassment and other poor working conditions stand to finally have a voice on the job and a chance to shape working conditions throughout the industry, and gamers will have allies inside a corporation with real protections for speaking out in consumers’ interests. If the merger is disapproved, the power relations within the gaming industry for labor stay the same, Sony protects its very profitable position as the industry leader, and consumers will have to wait and see if subscription services mature into a viable gaming option.

FTC chair Lina Khan has been a strong advocate for an antitrust policy that takes workers’ interests and fair market functioning into account. Thanks to her leadership and the outreach and interest of the FTC staff, labor is now part of the national antitrust conversation. Approving this merger with the labor agreement that we fashioned with Microsoft to protect collective bargaining rights would send a game-changing message to corporate America that workers do indeed have a seat at the table and their concerns matter and must be addressed.

It’s time to seal the deal, not blow it up.

[Biggzy]

@TheBrightestSun

The CWA is basically telling Khan to back up what she has advocated in the past.

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@Biggzy

The CWA is basically telling Khan to back up what she has advocated in the past.

They’d be wise to take whatever concessions MS are offering

If they try to block this, not only could they end up with no concessions but they’ll have shown the whole “pro worker/union” stance they have would be looking very sus

Get the concessions, look like the good guys for workers and use the concessions as a way of saying you got one over on MS/big tech

[proelitedota]

@TheBrightSun was actually right about no concessions, in the US at least.

Dark Brandon seeing to that!

Light and dark allied on this deal.

[Sparda3g]

Bloomberg Technology