Report: Microsoft 'Held Meetings' With Sony Last Week To Discuss Activision Blizzard Deal

Why can't Activision put their games onto gamepass now anyway? There's nothing stopping them, surely sony don't have existing deals for past call of duties still to this day.

I thought the deadline for all of this is 1st March 2023? If Sony declined the 10 year offer to begin with I can't see them agreeing to whatever Microsoft offers again.

@FraserG Not on the topic, but did you guys see this?

Nintendo Switch was the best-selling games console during UK Black Friday,
But down year-on-year and closely followed by Xbox

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/nintendo-switch-was-the-best-selling-games-console-during-uk-black-friday

its staying on PS.

not enough would go out and buy xbox (makes a loss) to cover not having on PS.

people arent exactly rushing out to buy Xbox's in readyness.

tbh MS knew they would make concessions around the deal, sure they happy focus is on king

@raftos ouch, not outselling switch even with massive savings

Here is a little US secret: federal agencies might as well not exist between Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November for those who may not know when we celebrate it) and New Year. So many people take off.

So this whole thing about the FTC announcing any kind of meeting or decision-making process at this point are pretty much at home playing their Xboxes and PlayStations for a month and a half and then coming back to give a thumbs up or down when they come back in January.

NOTE: Joke...ish.

Why would Microsoft hold a meeting with Sony? Did they split the cost of the Activision acquisition? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

If the deal goes through and Xbox don’t put CoD on Gamepass then I see it as a Sony win. Imagine spending that much dollar and not being able to do what you want with your IP because the dominant competition farted when they realised they can’t produce anything to compete.

@Fenbops large market changing mergers generally come with compromises. CoD is actually a small part for MS.

this deal is largely about king. thats where the $$ is

@stvevan CoD is the only part of the deal Sony are concerned about though no matter how ‘small’ that part may be. As soon as they realised it could be taken away they started dropping chunks.

@Fenbops but that is exactly what they have to do, it is their job to do that.

MS are happy to 'share' cod. but neither company look good in any of this.

@stvevan
Careful mate, you are talking too much sense! That will never do in a comment section

@Romans12
'Why would Microsoft hold a meeting with Sony?'
I think this is bonkers too! Its the regulators that need appeasing not Sony.
I guess they are not allowed to go and pitch to the regulators, so they figure if they can allay Sony's fears then that may hold some sway, but it does seem pretty crazy

@stvevan you ain’t wrong they both look bad.

I'm curious to see if Sony finally realises that ABK are responsible and have ownership of more than a single game / IP, I shan't hold my breath though.

To be a fly on the wall in that meeting…. Hopefully the two companies can resolve the issues but I’m not holding my breath. There has been some childish behavior over this acquisition.

@UltimateOtaku91 It would look bad to regulators. Better to wait until the deal is closed. ABK declined to put games on GamePass prior to the initiation of the acquisition process.

That must have been a fun meeting.

Jim: Can you not buy Activision?
Phil: No.
Jim: Can you keep giving us exclusive features and modes in CoD then?
Phil: No.
Jim: But you might have exclusive features and modes and that's unfair!
Phil: ..........
Jim: Won't someone think of the poor PS fans?
Phil: Want GamePass? Well put it on PS and all the CoDs are included.
Jim: No.
Phil: Ok, well, that wraps things up here. By the way, GoW:R is great!
Jim: ...... I talked to the Bungie guys about Halo Infinite...
Phil: ...... Want some exclusive modes and features in CoD?

@GamingFan4Lyf When they want to push something unpopular through they do it at midnight on Christmas Eve, though so nobody knows it happened until the 12 year appeals process has to apply.

@themightyant Should have done it. The S is a nice companion for the X. Like having a Vita with your PS4. Except there's games for it.

@Fenbops There was never a moment Sony ever thought CoD could be taken away. This is about losing status as the default platform for the biggest game, it was never about believing the biggest game would leave the biggest platform. Ever. It would actually be worrisome to watch were it not for the fact that Sony has already been doing for a decade through kickbacks and questionable rebate type arrangements what they're accusing MS would be doing as the IP owner. They claim unfair market position but what they really mean is "that's supposed to be us!"

@Romans12 @Titntin I can't speak for EU/UK, but for FTC, Sony is the impinged principal the regulators are raising concerns regarding. If Sony withdraws their arguments as settled, there's no concerns of affected parties for regulators to investigate. The regulators are exploring Sony's concerns mainly as they're the only one really making claims of market interference. If it were Epic and Valve and CDPR too it might be different, but right now, nobody really seems to have a problem with it other than Sony. Which is ironic because it's a grave they dug themselves and didn't need to, and they're not even the real focus of the buyout.

@Titntin If Sony decides to drop their complaints, what happens then? That would look pretty suspicious if the CMA turns around and says, "Never mind. We have no further objections." 🤨

@NEStalgia
'The regulators are exploring Sony's concerns mainly as they're the only one really making claims of market interference.'

Really? https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/11/report-suggests-google-isnt-keen-on-xboxs-attempt-to-buy-activision-blizzard.
Cant be bothered to find the other one, but there are others who also have concerns, they are just not the most affected.

Not saying that their concerns are valid, but I believe you are wrong that Sony is the only company with concerns....

@theduckofdeath Yeah that would have crazy optics!

I don't believe that the concerns will evaporate if Sony plays ball, but I think it would have influence, which is why they are having talks I guess?

@stvevan switch is unbeatable, at this point. I regret not buying one when I could...

Microsoft outplayed Sony brilliantly. Sony couldn't care less about a 10 or 30 year deal to keep COD on PS, they just want the deal killed stone dead, because they don't want to compete with Game Pass.
Microsoft has simply gone to the regulators and stated they will happily sign up to agree to a 10 year deal at least for COD on PS, and they can of course then force Sony to accept it, or allow the merger with no concessions if Sony refuses as Sonys entire argument has been about COD pretty much.

@Titntin Formally, Sony is the principal impinged party as a direct competitor and market leader with an existing contract relationship with the acting parties. There are other parties that raise concerns but none have standing to halt proceedings or pose credible basis to do so. Parties that would have standing have already approved. Other objections of credible basis could have come from others with a competing platform or sales and distribution relationship with Activision. Valve, CDPR, Epic, EA, Amazon, Nintendo, etc. License holders of licensed content Activision handles. etc. Directly affected parties aggrieved by a consolidation of distribution, licensing, or services. Apple, and Google have a stake via King, however, that integrates nothing because MS otherwise has no significant presence on mobile, and Google's awkward objection doesn't relate the the only area they're actually directly involved (Play Store.)

If Sony withdrew concerns, it's unlikely regulatory bodies, especially in the US, would act alone with no objecting parties of credible basis, so if MS can coax Sony to settle, most of the roadblock vanishes.

That Google claim is.....an interesting one on many levels. As bad as Sony has looked through this process, Google managed to make them look reasonable and professional.

They are building a case that they are earnestly trying to work with the competition to make this work. It will look good to regulators that MS offered 3 years and Sony called it inadequate, so they offered 10 years and Sony didn't respond, so then they hold private meetings to discuss it further. It is beginning to look like Sony is the one unwilling to work with competition.

Like how can regulators or anyone see this and still think they are lying when they say Call Of Duty will remain on PS?

Chances are regulators will see this as a chance to "force" MS to sign something that COD will not be exclusive and look like they did something. This is not really a concession since it has always been the plan for MS.

As long as this goes through awesome! There’s a lot about this deal I’m looking forward to and it’s not all about exclusivity. Gamepass additions are an obvious positive. But more than anything I want resources put back into Spyro, Crash, Tony Hawk, and others. That won’t happen in the current Activision state. I truly believe with the gamepass model MS will bring these series (and new IP potentially?) out of Activision. That’s why I desperately want this ti go through.

No one is talking much about the bitterness and vindictiveness fostered by the fight over this deal. ABK towards Sony and Microsoft towards Sony. That is whether the deal goes through or not. If it is somehow blocked (China?) there will likely be retribution and corporate vengeance. 😄

ABK's stock will take a big hit, they will still need a buyer and the options have narrowed. MS will have about $65 billion free to buy studios and Sony-style timed-exclusives (if they see fit) with no chance of being outbid.

Sony: the over-entitled crybabies of the industry.

@UltimateOtaku91 cause it wouldnt make sense to. They are the top selling games. Why put on a service for -a quarter of the revenue

@Snake_V5 we don’t know the full details, just what Jim Liesyean keep saying, but if there is any honesty behind his public statements so far, his complaints are that the offers don’t give a more long therm deal, and MS does not offer an infinite one because it could be a death trap if the series was to die down.

With more actual negotiations, a proper contract can be made that addresses all that, with clauses like “we reserve the right to no longer make CoD games if the series becomes unviable” or if the PlayStation platform by any chance naturally went down the way of the Wii U. Basically: death trap escape clauses, while reassuring all Sony concerns.

@Snake_V5 this mentions 'Activisions games' instead of just call of duty hopefully that means crash & spyro will still be multi platform

@Would_you_kindly
'this mentions 'Activisions games' instead of just call of duty hopefully'

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice.
I read comments in here suggesting that Microsoft has always been looking to make games multi platform, but that simply is not true, and every month they seem to move a little more towards appeasing the regulators.
Whatever you think of the regulations and the mechanisms in which they are delivered, its clear they are having an affect on how this deal will go down.

I find that reassuring, but I do understand some others have found it infuriating.

Either way, I'm hoping that eventually the Deal can be grudgingly accepted by all and Activision can be turned around to be a decent place to work. I've never forgotten that the management teams Microsoft are buying have presided over some of the worst worker treatment, and they don't become absolved from that simply because someone other than Bobby will be paying the paycheque. I want to see the deal go down so that this culture can be dismantled properly and a respectful work culture can take its place...... I could then consider playing one of their games

@Titntin Microsoft is wanting to make their games pc & Xbox & then any device with gamepass on it but I'm not a fan of subscriptions or cloud gaming so I couldn't care less about streaming the games on my mobile or whatever & I'm not sure they will fire Bobby with Phil being all buddy buddy with him in that interview they did & they've said he'll be staying on for a while after the acquisition

@Would_you_kindly Yeah, the thing with Bobby is giving me the creeps.
If Microsoft don't deal properly with Bobby, they will go from Heroes to Zero's in a lot of peoples eyes, as they will then be responsible for one of the most abusive work cultures in the industry, and they have even insisted in their argument for the merger, that one of its benefits is to completely change the culture. You don't change anything if you keep the chief abuser in place.