S1ayeR74

@Moonglow That's what I said? You didn't read all I typed, I clearly stated Microsoft will re-negotiate a new deal with ease to not require the UK approval. "CURRENTLY" the deal IS blocked because it's in black and white on the terms that ALL regulators must approve for the deal to go through.

@Jenkinss The only thing that would upset the CMA is the lack of taxes American giants pay, but then MPs keep those tax loopholes in place as they use them themselves. They really couldn't care less about Biden I suspect.

@pip_muzz It won't be a 'national scandal' because they provided a definitive answer to that question, which came across as pretty believable, also as they said they could not speak to other regulators about certain parts of in depth as the parties involved, Microsoft Activision etc, would not allow it. Watch the interview the Microsoft questioning is only about 15 minutes long.

Lol, the reaction to this is hilarious. I believe it's just part of their process, they are always going to these reviews it's part of the trade regulations and laws in the UK. They didn't really ask many questions and didn't really give much in the way of answer. But if you listen to all the meeting it's quite interesting what they do do, and the conclusions they reach, like an app for UK residents to find out in real time the cheapest petroleum prices in any area they are. And how they have found one supermarket to be price gouging their customers, to which one MP basically said so what, and their reply was well if no one else in the market is doing it it's not fair in the consumers.
But they have blocked the deal, they didn't provide any real evidence as to what they found, and as it stands the deal needs all regulators to agree for it to pass, that's what the share holders voted on, so it will need work around a or re-negotiations if the CMA doesn't change its mind. Which I don't think they will but we shall see.
Kudos to Pusher2021 for providing the link to the meeting in the other thread:

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/625b836d-971f-47ee-b4b5-e537eca5d70f

As to what happens next. It entirely depends on how the appeal goes. Rishi can't overturn it as he has to be independent, and cannot be seen at least to be in the pockets of foreign global giant corporations. But as I said as it stands the deal is blocked, globally. MS will no doubt change that easily enough, but they obviously want the approval hence the appeal process being followed.

@Pusher2021 Very interesting. Shame they didn't really give much evidence, only the structure and how the decision was met. And that the concessions MS were offering weren't enough, it comes across as though they are not a big department and sound very excited to be employing 200 new staff, and using a more and more AI to help with the workload.

I think if it is passed back to them they will give it a proper look again but don't know if they would change their decision.

@Pusher2021 Thanks I will have a watch of that. But I can see the point the CMA has, that MS can dictate the terms of the license it was proposing. However surely that's why the EU forced them to licence all ActiBliz games for free on cloud services for 10 years?

One thing I don’t get is why the CMA felt the need t9 issue a response? Did they want to remind everyone don’t celebrate doesn’t matter because WE have blocked the deal anyway? Very odd and a tad arrogant. They must have had a flood of responses from Xbox fans and a mountainous tsunami from PS fans when they asked for responses….

@RadioHedgeFund No Microsoft bought them all for King Mobile, plain and simple they want to get a major foothold in the mobile games market, using the Xbox brand and King is their doorway into that. The mobile games market dwarfs any PC or console market, it’s worth billions and billions and is a growth market too. The rest of it all is a nice bonus for us all 😀 I certainly am not going to complain about getting COD on Game Pass every year!

Looking forward to this one, it's on PSN Plus at the moment, so I wonder if it'll be on Game Pass?

@Sol4ris Why are you dragging down the entire British race when some things are down to government and politicians and civil servants? Over a games company merger?

@Widey85 Thanks for that, I just scanned it but it is there, in the legal mumbo jumbo terminology.
As for what they do next I don't always rely on what influencers say, because laws differ between countries. I think the appeal may have a chance, but also that it'll only go back to the CMA for review again.

@Widey85 Is it written into the terms though? I googled it and could not actually find that anywhere as a black and white fact, so I'm not sure if it is a requirement.
Do you have a link to where it was officially stated it is a requirement?

@Kaloudz Ah that means nothing, ignore it, that's when they have a bunch of MPs sat round a table grilling who ever they have in, can be anyone and they still lie, Boris did, several company executives have, they are usually televised and boring. Still maybe something will come out of it? It's basically a bunch of lying scum lying to each other for a half a day. Seen several of them and all a waste of time.

@Kaloudz I thought it was a condition of the merger for ALL regulators to pass it, but I googled it and couldn't find anything on it? I only ever heard that from You Tubers so it may well be total tosh.
I wouldn't pay much attention to what the PM says as he has to remain independent, plus he's a liar.
When you say the CMA is in court, in what aspect? It's not one of these councils of MP's grilling someone that's streamed on the TV? Like Boris over Party Gate etc?

Interesting first paragraph, they are going to appeal so we will have to see how it goes I guess. But good to hear we could still get the games on Game Pass, if the EU blocked the deal it would have been stone dead! And Phil's business plans right up the split lol.

@Martsmall Now it's part of the job requirements. My grandad worked for the council back in the day and they used to do of for free, now the elected scum earn more then the PM.

@Stamnoso You don't understand politics. On both sides. Brexit was never going to work purely because the politicians would never have allowed it to.

@NEStalgia Please don't give them ideas! Not sending the CMA a photo of my tackle that's for sure!

@Kaloudz "Besides, even if they stand firm, MS will just release ABK on Game Pass in the UK but prevent cloud play. I can live with that."

Is that possible though? I'd be happy with that but can MS just ignore the main complaint in the UK when the entire deal has been blocked?

@Kaloudz Nnnooooo save your sanity!

@Wheatly That maybe but they will also stop consumer choice and innovation in the games market as they have effectively handed the 'high end' UK console market to Sony, with their decision, now the EU has approved it, the UK will be the only country in the planet with a different Xbox structure and NO Activision Blizzard games on Game Pass!!

@abe_hikura I recall that but don't think anyone understand it fully, either they don't think it's in their remit, or they can't be bothered to do their jobs which isn't much of a reason..
Still I think MS did not offer the same concessions the EU got, it forced the automatic free licensing apparently into MS, so we will be screwed unless the appeal is successful. And for that to happen MS has to successfully argue the CMA were incompetent, which in law is very difficult I believe.

"were the same remedies proposed to the UK authority as well?"

EXACTLY what I want to know... if they were I want to know why the CMA rejected them, if not then MS deserved to be blocked by the CMA and can offer the UK CMA the exact same concessions to get the deal approved surely.

@Grumblevolcano I consider 10 years in gaming to be very long actually. Will be keen to see what happens with the appeal.

@Tharsman That’s what I don’t get? Reading that what complain’t did the CMA have, or, why did Microsoft not offer those concessions to the CMA and UK market? It changes the optics somewhat…..

@Moonglow but if they close the deal that soon, won’t they then have to change their UK business structure, licenses, legal entities (as some were saying they’d have to set up independent offices) etc etc which can take months, as they will have closed a deal banned in the UK.

@Kaloudz The CAT is no guarantee though, they may not even approve an appeal yet. A lot of see how it goes.

However I think the UK market ‘may’ be dead to Xbox, not many will hang around if every other market on the planet gets COD in Game Pass and they don’t, Sony will be able to hoover up what’s left. But as I said a lot of see how it goes.

"A free license to consumers in the EEA that would allow them to stream, via any cloud game streaming services of their choice, all current and future Activision Blizzard PC and console games for which they have a license."
"A corresponding free license to cloud game streaming service providers to allow EEA-based gamers to stream any Activision Blizzard's PC and console games."

Ok so now I REALLY want to know the CMAs argument in full against this, or were MS not offering them the same terms? Hmm I may go and read that 400 page report from them. I want COD on Game Pass damn it.

But… isn’t the deal still going to be delayed for months and months due to the CMA’s blocks and the appeal process? And the FTC suing?

Interesting….. I do hope the decision was because they have enough concessions and it wasn’t to stick it to the UK, knowing Brussels.
Wonder how the CMA appeal will go now? Being in Britain that’s all I care about lol, unless I move to the EU of course.

I shall look forward to the evidence given by Microsoft and the CMA compared to the EU, if we ever get to see it.

@NEStalgia I'll be fascinated to see who gobbles up ABK if Microsoft's deal fails, will they increase the price or lower it for example? Not many consoles use have that money.
I checked as in the back of my mind I'm sure the date wasn't today and it is t, the EU in March set back its date to next Monday. For some reason the media has forgotten about that and is claiming a decision is 'likely' today, or in other words they are covering themselves in case the EU decides to change its mind.

I'd like MS to just concentrate on its existing studios, ditch this hands off approach they've adopted. And get a new Gears game out!

FYI everyone, no guarantee you will get a ruling from the EU this week, they did push back their date for a final decision in March to May 22nd which is next Monday. But for some reason the media are reporting a decision is 'likely' to be announced today, so not a certainty.

@NEStalgia Well the first part of your comment makes sense. I just read others seeing it differently.
As for buying all the competition, I guess I meant the ones that matter, not many games bigger than COD, maybe Fortnite and PUBG which are in mobile anyway I think?
But COD is a massive game in players sales and monetary terms, and gives Microsoft a huge advantage. Still you could argue that's on mobile too, even if it's by fermium games.
I don't get your last comment is implying the EU will approve the deal, otherwise all those 10 year deals are invalid I guess.
I am pretty confident the CMA won't change their rulling, but if the EU passes it maybe it'll impact the appeal against them.

@Kaloudz Well I won't be as I do not know what the EU will do, my argument has been about the CMA? No where have I stated the EU 'will' block this deal so no humble pie for me.

@NEStalgia Analysts from what I’ve actually call the merger as both vertical and horizontal, because they will use the games to boost cloud gaming and grow that market, the CMA would of had experts and analysts as well as Microsoft provide information, business plans and future growth targets, which we won’t see, and that most likely where the complaint came from I’d imagine. Millions of documents were submitted right? You cannot grow a market that’s young by buying all the resources up locking out your competitors in the process either. I doubt very much that the CMA will change their mind, I was under the impression that would kill the deal stone dead, but as per usual, don’t pay attention to You Tubers as Googling it I could not find one single verified reference confirming test three deal needs all regulators to approve it for it to go through, that idea seems to only live in the minds of tech You Tubers.
Monday will be a very interesting day….

@gmbbr Ok, looking at the posts you are the only one using insults I think, and now your claiming I'm accusing people of terrorism? Added to my ignore list... you haven't added anything to the conversation, just singled myself and another poster out and made no sense.

The new Star Wars Jedi Survivor, it's drawn me in, runs super smooth in quality mode too on Series X and my 4K OLED.

@PsykoRobot reading that you are just as bad with your assumptions as you are accusing the CMA of being.

@PsykoRobot How do you know that? Your other post was TLDR.

@NEStalgia So you are claiming let Microsoft grow its current monopoly in cloud streaming services, because they have discussed the cloud as an important part of their plans, because no competition exists right now. And let MS buy all the companies they like, they should only be regulated if competition exists? Funnily enough that was how they grew Windows, no real competition.

@Kaloudz Microsoft right now has a 60 to 70% global share of game streaming 'services', it is the second richest company on the planet thanks to having an almost 100% monopoly on computer operating systems, and you just want to let it grow a market as it likes, buy whoever they like to grow that market and you see nothing wrong with that? But you believe British companies now or in the future will compete when not even Sony can now?

Please do tell, what exactly do you think is going to stop Microsoft from forming this monopoly, well in fact growing the monopoly it already has? If you allow them to do as they want? Is it competition? Where from exactly? If you can't say then your argument is as valid as the CMA's is.

@Kaloudz Oh Jesus, you REALLY don't understand where the CMA are coming from. Your comment above quite literally defines and verifies the CMA's concerns....

@theduckofdeath I was using it as an example. Nothing more, but the history exists, the company is not any of holding monopolies and still gets fined for their actions as do others.
I don't know if it weighed on the CMA's decision of course.

@Kaloudz What? You literally said why can't companies invest now, I said what if the companies don't exist and your reply is companies should be held back? I give up with you... you don't understand what the CMA has stated at all.
Let's revisit on Monday.

@Moonglow The post I replied to stated no one was objecting the cloud aspect, Google were, in fact NVIDIA were too until they got their deal. Hence my comment, they don’t care as they did care about the merger and cloud gaming as was reported, until they got a deal from Microsoft and then Nvidia’s complaints went away. Now as we do not know the contents of the deal we can only speculate but considering all Nvidia’s complaints stopped I think it’s safe to say they got very favourable terms. Hence don’t care about any monopoly.