Microsoft 'Likely' To Offer Remedies Soon For Activision Blizzard Deal In Europe, Claims Report

Sony cried like the spoiled brats they are and are getting what they want.

I have both a ps5 and a series X but my god playstation have come across as hypocritical nobs in all this...and we all know it has nothing to do with the 'players' ... Pooping themselves about losing money on cod

I would rather M$ use the money to invest in the studios they already have. Maybe actually hire competent management and some more staff to get games out. No reason why the studios they have can't be expanded so they can make more titles at once.

All these studios and they can't get one decent game out in a year. Obviously just trying to buy themselves to the top taking the easy option instead of hard work.

This money could be better used elsewhere.

Is there a way Microsoft can pull out of this deal? They're buying Activision Blizzard above its pre-recession value, and Sony and various commissions are forcing them to make the deal less and less lucrative.

With the budget from an Activision Blizzard fallout, they could buy a dozen smaller studios (focus entertainment, remedy, crystal dynamics, CDPR to name a few) and still have billions of dollars to weather this recession without laying off their current workforce.

I would bet a pretty penny Microsoft was willing to offer this from the moment they decided to buy Activision. It's negotiating 101. Low-ball the first offer and give in to an acceptable offer later on. The EU was going to demand some sort of agreement and Microsoft looks good giving in to something they were willing to do all along.

Perhaps Sony can unlock Spider-Man and we can have multi platform Spider-Man games again, like there used to be.
Sony do like to have their cake and eat it.

Would have liked Microsoft to have purchased crystal dynamics, remedy, crytek and CDPR and made their games exclusive to Xbox ecosystem rather than COD though.
Tomb raider, Alan wake, control, cyber punk, The Witcher and Crysis to name a few, what a catch that would have been.

I bet Sony rejects the 10 year offer. They made it clear they want Xbox to have no special perks (like Sony enjoys now) and for cod to never come to game pass

it's been claimed that Microsoft is "likely" why are people so mad over a rumour lol

@Gr81 'They made it clear they want Xbox to have no special perks (like Sony enjoys now) ' .. Microsoft had perks when it came to cod & could've had them again by outbidding Sony when the marketing deal was up for grabs again but they decided it wasn't worth it lol

@would_you_kindly 100% but if Microsoft owns the ip who is Sony to say that any special perks are anti competitive now. Seems a bit hypocritical imo

@Cyberpsycho “Maybe actually hire competent management and some more staff to get games out.”

Where do they get that management from? Where do they get the talent to expand? They’re already paying good money to their management. Then you say they are poorly ran by management, AND you want them to expand. Maybe these acquisitions are about getting some better studio management and devs. Where should they get this top tier management and talent to expand? All the best devs and management are already tied up with other studios, so this is probably the best way to get top tier talent.

@Gr81 whilst I don't like the idea of these perks from marketing deals I think it's better than than the alternative of just buying the entire publisher & then having all the IPs subject to Microsofts terms

@uptownsoul no company does an infinite deal better known as in perpetuity. No one knows what the future holds. For example McDonald’s has to renew their licenses for their drinks from time to time with sprite etc. it is not in perpetuity or a forever contract. That’s why HI-C went away for a period of time. Same concept. It’s not back tracking and is dramatically longer than most contracts. After that Sony can re-negotiate to renew just like any other contact.

@Would_you_kindly I 100% agree with that too and would have honestly preferred them buy crystal dynamics instead of embracer. But it’s still not anti competitive for Xbox to have perks if they are still getting the same game otherwise

And what if Sony doesn't want this 10 year offer? They already said no before.

@Would_you_kindly
You right but thats the thing here,
Microsoft didn't cry when Sony done the exclusive deal with Activision, when they took spiderman and made the ip exclusive (even if Microsoft said no before)
And same goes for final fantasy.

So yes Microsoft had deals before but they never said something against ps deals.
*I have both consoles and I prefer micro to buy other companies but still this Sony thing.. 🤮

Hopefully this will please the regulators. I just want the deal to be finalized. It’s crazy because I don’t touch COD. I’m just not into them so it’s not a big deal to me, but I’m amazed just how big it is to everybody else. One franchise can either make it or break it.

@Snake_V5 if Sony gonna said it again the regulator can prove the deal without the 10years so it's kind of gamble.

The best thing for them is saying yes and working on a new shooter or prey the regulator not approve the deal.

@Snake_V5 I think at that point Sony has no more leverage and it would be pretty clear that this whole CoD nonsense has absolutely nothing to do with "CoD on PlayStation" but continuing to have the leverage to maintain exclusive content with an independent Activision to give PlayStation a leg up over Xbox for the massive amounts of CoD fans out there. In others, Sony still wants the hold it has on CoD.

I don't blame them for fighting it since I am sure the PS4's success has been tied to CoD agreements (among other great decisions on the Sony front); but it would be clear the fight has nothing to do with any concern about player choice from Sony's end if it declines an unprecedented formal agreement.

No company (including an independent Activision) would even put a "Lifetime" contract in place. 10 years is pretty crazy.

Good lord. If this deal does not go through it is time for scorched earth. I cannot believe the craziness and one sidedness with this deal. Are European regulators that obtuse. What does Sony have over them. How many are being paid off?

I'm sick to the back teeth of this and now I think sod em ,basically it's Sony saying they should stop this cause they will do what we have been doing and we don't want it ....oh no competition!!!! Thier basically throwing a childish tantrum ,get supernanny involved and make em sit on the naughty step

@Would_you_kindly Dude, I have never heard someone spout such garbage. You and your constant passive aggressive comments are quite annoying and take away from every conversation on this board. Are you sure you are on the right board?

Microsoft are offering more than generous concessions to everyone, with really good plans.

Sony meanwhile are calling them vipers and declaring that they'll upend the market with this deal.

I could see Sony asking for the same weighted deal to remain in place for the foreseeable future, no 3 years, 7 years, 10 years or whatever Microsoft simply agrees to continue to give Sony overly generous perks and get nothing for itself with CoD, and any plans to put Crash, Spyro and Overwatch 2 perks on Game Pass are cancelled forthwith unless equivalent perks are offered to Playstation owners.

They want to effectively squeeze every perk possible out of ABK before they'll let the ink dry, and watch the value spiral lower and lower as they continue to make it so Microsoft will end up unable to make much of a profit if any off the sale.

@cburg what exactly did I say that is garbage or are we only supposed to comment on this site if we're praising Microsoft or demonising Sony

@jamescrowx I think marvel offered Microsoft the opportunity to make a spider-man game & they turned it down before offering it to insomniac / Sony

@Would_you_kindly Read your own comments and come back to me. Every comment you make is snide, curt and brings nothing to the discussion. Everything has a negative connotation with the obligatory LOL at the end.

@cburg there's nothing 'snide' about my comments I'm just offering a different perspective sounds like you just don't like hearing different opinions from your own & would rather this site be an echo chamber of Microsoft good Sony bad , I'm sure you're aware that there is an ignore button I suggest you use it instead of getting offended on other people's behalves when they've been nothing but polite.

@Would_you_kindly considering I own both consoles, a switch and a gaming PC that is not the case. There is no echo chamber, only in your naive and obtuse mind. Your perspective is self serving. Let’s run along now.

Spencer isgreat but too nice to do what needs to be done.
Drop this boring acquisition. Pay the 3billion get out clause.
Buy EVERY exclusive available. All the marketing deals, all the dlc, all silly perks & every one of them on gamepass.
Probably still wouldn't cost anywhere near 68 billion, and Sony is destroyed.
And after all their nonsense lately, they would deserve it too.
But nope. Spencers going to give them cod, agree not to put it on gamepass - Probably and, at this rate, I'd not be surprised if they even got to keep their precious perks & marketing.
I don't particularly like Jim Ryan but he's playing Microsoft like his very own puppet. They fall on their knees to his every word. It's disgusting.
And dont get me started on those incompetents at regulatory level around the globe. Pathetic pandering to Sony. Nothing they highlight is legally relevant to the law of competition. Not when allowing the deal has been proven to keep xbox in third place.
I'd argue that, given that, the deal actually increases competition in the market.

I can't wait for it to be over.

@Dezzy70 perhaps Phil Spencer could have not turned down marvel when they offered xbox a chance to make a marvel game.

Microsoft just purchase the UK government and be over with it. The price should be cheaper than the Act/Blizz deal

@Boogaloo_Jenkins None of those have Call of Duty or a prominent mobile developer creators of the most popular game on mobile platforms (Candy Crush).

With this deal they’re getting the most popular franchise on consoles (Call of Duty), the most popular franchise on mobile (Candy Crush) and some of the most popular franchises on PC with Blizzard, it just fits extremely well with Microsoft’s strategy, but y’all think it’s all about COD, big factor yes, but definitely not everything.

@jamescrowx
Microsoft didn't cry on many dirt things Sony does, to not let games on Xbox.

The main remedy, according to one source, is a "10-year licensing deal to PlayStation owner Sony

If COD will be day one on Gamepass, than this remedy will be an insignificant concession on Microsoft’s part to make, having COD day and date on your service is very significant. Add the entire AB catalogue of IP and GamePass becomes a force to be reckoned with.

@Would_you_kindly
Yes and I wrote about it, still Microsoft didn't say nothing about sony make this ip exclusive (only on console) after it was multiplatform.

I fully expect Sony's objection to any mention of day one COD Gamepass release as part of the deal. They are scared s**tlles of the changes and effects subscription services will have on their status quo and, instead of improving their own subscription, they are choosing self-righteous indignation.

@grumpypotato yes I'm here to incite console wars on an article that's clearly stirring the pot with the first comment being far more fanboyish than anything I've said 🤡

@Boogaloo_Jenkins CDPR aren’t just a studio they are a publisher and they won’t put themselves on the market

@Sol4ris remove COD and what have they really got ? GP gonna be a 360 service 🤣

@ValentineMeikin When Sony have purchased publishers which btw they haven’t done for over a decade the games have remained available on all platforms they were previously available on its only when they buy individual studios that the games become exclusive. Microsoft/Xbox have already shown that they plan on buying publishers and individual studios with the sole intention of locking them to Xbox.

@Shaun2018098

remove COD and what have they really got ? GP gonna be a 360 service 🤣

A quick glance at Gamepass will immediately show the fallacy in your post, but hey, why bother with facts when you can peddle false narratives. Anyway I don't plan on debating with someone who alleges - Xbox has no Gamez lolz, lolz.

@Sol4ris Looked at it apart from like 3 games all the good games are two generations old 💀💀

Do these “remedies” come in big, brown envelopes!!??? 🤑🤑🤑😂😂😂

@themightyant
No point in even trying to explain it to kids. They see Sony as the enemy and anybody who doesn't jump to the MS trillions as paid shills.
So few here seem to understand why this is being looked at by the regulators, its really quite pathetic, but regardless of who gets asked for their views, this kind of huge acquisition is quite rightly looked at to ensure it doesn't make the market anti-competitive, and as MS have some form of using their huge wealth to strangle competition and eliminate it, its quite right that they look into it, its what they are there for.

Glad to see competition commissions actually doing their jobs rather than just rubber stamping big mergers and monopolies.

Though it seems all the focus is on one franchise (CoD) rather than the wider implications of existing and new IP. It could be that Microsoft would be willing to take a hit to one franchise to allow them leeway with others. Hopefully the officials are taking a wider view than the press.

I find it funny when people like @StylesT and @cburg use the argument of owning both consoles to try to convey no bias. That's like when a white person says "I'm not racist because I have a black friend."

@bpomber Looks at your picture...looks at you comment history....bahaha okay mate

@themightyant Yeah. CoD may be big right now, but imagine if MS or Sony had bought EA twenty years ago, and gave assurance about the availability of Medal of Honor games just before Call of Duty was released and ate its lunch.

@StylesT I do have a bias towards PlayStation because I prefer their games, for the most part. Some of my favourite games of all-time happen to be PlayStation IP. I'm not trying to hide that fact. But that doesn't mean I automatically hate Xbox.

I can also look at your comment history and see that you have a bias towards Xbox, which is fine. But why try to hide it? Is it because you will have more acceptance from other users on this site because your opinion will seem unbiased and more valued?

Sony and Microsoft are two multi-billion dollar corporations who do not care about you and I. I don't see why you and people on this site feel the need to get so worked up to defend Microsoft and criticize Sony. Both companies have their strengths and weaknesses.

@bpomber Who ever said I didn't prefer Xbox? You are the one who got triggered because I pointed out ps have been a joke over this whole takeover situation

@StylesT That's my point. You clearly prefer Xbox, which is fine. No need to start off by saying "I own both a PS5 and Series X" as if that has any relevancy to the topic unless you are trying to convey a seemingly unbiased opinion. Why else would you say it?

And trust me, I'm not triggered that you think Sony is a joke. Like I said, Sony is a multi-billion dollar corporation who does not care about me. Sony will be fine no matter what you and this user base (which is an extremely niche section of the gaming market) think of them.

@bpomber Yet you have several times done the same thing In principal saying I use both purexbox and pushsquare

@StylesT Yes and every time I've mentioned that in other comments I go on to say that both sites have their issues and that this site is no better than what goes on over on PushSquare. I didn't say that to seem unbiased (I even specifically said I use PushSquare more) and then take one side. Both sites suck, but both sites are great at the same time. I have a love-hate relationship with them lol.. But anyway, now I'm getting way off topic.

@bpomber You comment is so off base and ridiculous. There is a difference between bias and realism.

@Would_you_kindly
Sony OWNS the Spiderman IP. Was never going to MS.

@Arcnail they own the rights for movies

@cburg For real, this is making the EU regulators look very bought and paid for. It's odd how they are so overly concerned about Sony and doing everything they can to help ensure their success.

@grumpypotato Seems like Sony fans have been the immature kids of the industry since the PS4 became a thing. Always trying to instigate console wars and picking fights with anyone who isn't on their side. Ironically they used to always brag about how Sony has all the best exclusives and how nobody else in the industry can compete until this deal started. I guess exclusivity and a lack of competition is different when Sony does it.

@themightyant One important factor with ABK specifically is their heyday of many IPs was really dead over a decade ago and they funneled everything into CoD alone. The rest of their high value IPs are very PC centric. They're huge by value and staff, but they've been massively declining outside one series for a long time, backed by 3 series that are PC-only or PC primarily. That does change the equation of what damage is done to the industry, they're not the activision that they used to be, even if they're richer.

I also think if it gets blocked it's also even worse for the industry. MS isn't going to take the blow, they're going to take their checkbook and go on a buying spree of unblockable big acquisitions. If they can't buy #6, they' can buy #9, #12, #15, #16, #18, 2 #21s, large size, and number #28-42. Instead of one titan that a lot of us don't even care about they'll start devouring dozens of mid-size companies we do care about.

spidermaaaaaaaaaaan

Honestly don't know what the fuss is about. There have been far stupider deals go through before this.

And as far as this one is concerned I don't know how a company that is perpetually finishing third in console sales (and will after this) is being challenged. Sony and Nintendo are firmly above XB in the console space. In the gaming space in general Tencent has way more revenues. All this is doing is gimping what is happening in the console space and Sony is being aloud to buy studios left right and center while MS is being told they can't. It is inconsistent and dumb.

@Cyberpsycho i have no issue with whats happening at xbox studios as long as the games are good, they could easily go the Ninty route, take your time only release good games....thats Nintendos strategy, what MS has to do is get all their studios on the same page so games come out more consistently...but that takes lots of time and more time with more studios to coordinate when things will come ot.

@NeoRatt buying independent studios is completely different to buying publishers

@themightyant
I am not missing the point Sony is being aloud to expand the number of studios they have through acquisitions and MS is being critiqued. Even with this massive acquisition MS still does not compare revenue wise to either Sony or Tencent in the gaming market. They only become competitive with them.

After this acquisition MS still will be third in consoles. And they will be third in gaming in general. I don't know how any rationale person would come to the conclusion that MS remotely becomes dominant because of this exercise.

As long as Tencent is deeply impeded in online gaming and Sony continues to produce games like Uncharted, Horizon, God of War, Spider-man, etc. Nothing changes except the publisher label on Activision-Blizzard games.

@Shaun2018098
So if MS goes and buy 100 independent development studios varying in size from 50 to 500 people taking over 80% of major indie studios that would be ok?

There are thousands of independent studios so yes if they chose to buy 100 of them it would be fine. Buying up major publishers is completely different

@NeoRatt and Xbox have already shown what their plans are when they took a successful multi platform game saw the success it had on PlayStation and locked its sequel to Xbox console exclusive

@Shaun2018098
MS taken Hellblade and made it exclusive. But, they also kept Minecraft multi-platform. To say you know what MS will do with Call of Duty is not at all an educated guess by anyone.

It is kind of funny I read a lot of gaming sites and the general consensus of comments before the Activision-Blizzard announcement was that CoD is mostly washed up and not as good as other major shooters. But, all of a sudden after this announcement, all of a sudden CoD is the center of the universe.

Also, didn't here MS complaining to regulators when Sony signed exclusivity and timed exclusivity deal for CoD the past decade. People can't have it both ways.

@Shaun2018098
That is kind of dumb. They would have more power buying that many independent studios then buying Activision-Blizzard. I would be more scared of MS dominance in the scenario where they bought 100 successful independent studios then the Activision-Blizzard deal.

@themightyant
I agree there needs to be scrutiny of the deal. But, any logical brain can see that MS would not be able to take these franchises especially CoD exclusive. If they did the lawsuits would fly everywhere. And frankly MS paying $70 bln for Activision-Blizzard.... I don't see any other way they make that back then keeping CoD multi-platform.

@NeoRatt Minecraft was already out on PC X360 Xone PS3 PS4 PSVita IOS and Android when Microsoft bought Mojang. They’d have had one hell of a lawsuit if they’d tried removing it from them.

@NeoRatt They couldn’t complain about PS having deals for exclusive content/timed exclusive content with COD since Xbox did it first going all the way back to the original Modern Warfare

@Shaun2018098
Sony was playing the exclusive deal card long before XB came into the picture. This was one of the reasons that Sega existed consoles.

@Shaun2018098
And that is why CoD won't be brought exclusive to XB. Minecraft was synonymous with multi-platform and so is CoD

@NeoRatt Since 1993 Sony have purchased 2 publishers Psygnosis and Bungie. Every other acquisition have been independent studios that have been actively asking for a publisher. And exclusives by studios that they didn’t own were where Sony put up the money for development. So in 29 years Sony have bought the same amount of publishers that Microsoft have in 4 years so you can’t even use that excuse

@NeoRatt Minecraft was already out on those platforms and hasn’t had a sequel. COD is released yearly so that excuse Is null and void because they can change it to exclusive at any point with Minecraft unless they make a sequel they can’t pull it from platforms it’s currently on without having to refund everyone who’s purchased it which they won’t do.

@Shaun2018098
First, it doesn't matter when they have bought studios or publishers. The purchase of studios or publishers is an effort to be more competitive and/or take advantage of an opportunity. Sony has been in the driver's seat of consoles for decades now. So, they have picked and chosen their purchases based on that. In addition, until MS started purchasing studios, Sony always had the most first party studios so why would they need to expand?

As for Minecraft, there is nothing stopping MS from saying, "as of <whatever date> other platforms will no longer receive updates". MS knows Minecraft is best as a multi-platform game and therefore keeps it that way. They are under zero obligation to upgrade the game on other platforms forever though. They are choosing to do that, not being forced to.

CoD won't be brought exclusive. This is fear mongering. MS has no financial incentive, and it would not get them to sell more consoles if they did make it exclusive. They paid $70 bln for Activision-Blizzard and Activision-Blizzard made $2.667 bln in 2021. There is no way the acquisition makes any sense making CoD exclusive. I actually doubt anything that isn't already multi-platform goes exclusive. MS just will never pay for the acquisition if they take most of the stuff exclusive.

@themightyant
I would argue MS does not do exclusives. All MS first party exclusives ship on both PC and XB so gamers have platform choice on playing all MS games... Unlike Nintendo and Sony who force you to buy their consoles to get to play their first party exclusives on day one.