News Gamers Sue to Block Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Deal

[Admin]

A group of 10 gamers from three states are suing to block Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Gamers Sue to Block Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Deal : Read more

 

[bigdragon]

Consolidation of the big gaming industry publishers and studios needs to be stopped. These acquisitions always turn into disasters a few years after they complete. Less games, lower quality shipped products, and more monetization always results. I hate Bobby Kotick, but I don't want to like a bad merger deal with Microsoft as the way to get rid of him. Good on these gamers for wasting spending their time trying to stop the Microsoft acquisition of ABK.

 

[atomicWAR]

Consolidation of the big gaming industry publishers and studios needs to be stopped.

Probably BUT...Sony and their ponies dug this ditch themselves. Screaming from the roof tops how Sony had console supremacy through game exclusivity. And they were right about exclusives and now that MS is trying to remedy the situation all of a sudden its unfair? When Sony has been buy exclusivity for years through contracts or studios purchases of their own. Sony has been doing the same thing since PS1 era. So NO, I have zero sympathy for Sony or its ponies. Let MS make the purchase... then lets tackle games industry being bought up. Sony made their bed now they need to lie in it. End of story from my perspective. I fanboy no one but this isn't on MS, yet.

 

[olavgm]

Where were they when Sony bought Bungie?

I guess they're not agains consolidation, they just draw an arbitrary line between what Microsoft and Sony do.

 

[kaalus]

This is just tinkering at the edges. Who is to decide which company can swallow another, and why limit ourselves just to the gaming industry? What about energy companies, chemical giants, pharmaceuticals, food conglomerates, social media platforms, and countless others?

We need a systemic solution: progressive corporation tax. The more market a company controls, the larger its tax. Anything above 10% of market share should be taxed at 99%. Then you don't need antitrust laws.

Can you imagine the boost to competitiveness and quality of software if Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Intel, AMD, Ebay, PayPal were forced to split into numerous competing companies? We would have Windows 20 next year, and it would not be snooping on you any more.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I have been a gamer since the early 90's. This is just a progression of every business model. Prior to Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo buying studios the industry was consolidating from within. I remember in the late 90's and early 2000's you could find at least 4 different baseball, football, hockey, basketball games. Now that has dwindled down to one of each.

This is what happens to an industry that has hit its limits and has reached diminishing returns and saturation. When EA purchased the NFL license in 2005 I saw the beginning of the end and I am convinced that was the turning point. Because it blocked others out from competing in the sports genre.

Then I watched as Sony began to payoff publishers to keep games away from the upstart XBOX. Then I watched as Microsoft paid publishers to make exclusive Japanese RPG's for the XBOX 360.

Then Sony countered by paying publishers for timed exclusives, then they paid for exclusive DLC, then it was timed DLC. I then watched Microsoft do the same. Does anyone spot a trend here? I do and that is they are all guilty of what they are accusing Microsoft of doing.

The difference is that Microsoft sees the current business model of buying hardware and going to the store to buy a physical game as reaching its limits. Microsoft wants to move the business model in the direction of digital access which Sony had no problems with until XBOX Game Pass was introduced.

Now Sony is trying to protect its island from erosion at all cost so they are now crying foul. If Sony had the money Microsoft has, I have NO doubt they would be doing the same thing because Sony's business model is stuck in the late 90's where Microsoft's business model allows you to play their games on devices they don't make.

Even Apple was threatened by XBOX Game Pass that they refused it on their devices.

 

[bigdragon]

Probably BUT...Sony and their ponies dug this ditch themselves.

Sony shouldn't have been allowed to acquire Bungie or the other studios they've been gobbling up recently. Likewise, Microsoft shouldn't have been allowed to acquire Bethesda. I cannot recall a time where these kind of large acquisitions led to more or better games. Investors get rich while gamers and consumers are left with PvP multiplayer spam, overly monetized, predatory, low-effort, grind games. This isn't a Sony vs Microsoft situation -- it's a big corporation vs consumers situation.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Question: How many of those gamers in the class action lawsuit are Sony fanboys and fangirls?

 

[Coffee Fueled Curmudgeon]

The FTC has a hill to climb here owing to the political complications. A 75% Democrat FTC team where the single Republican supports the acquisition, reportedly one Democrat more interested in concessions to ensure the deal goes ahead and the CWA Union also overwhelmingly supporting and lobbying for the acquisition.

The FTC blocking it potentially leads to Microsoft pulling billions in donations to the Democratic Party, very likely results in legal action from the CWA and any FTC decision would ultimately be set aside if it reaches the Supreme Court because, well, partisan opportunity.

Class action lawsuits full of faux outrage by angry fanboys/girls are always comedy though.

 

[vanadiel007]

The answer is simple: stop giving them your money and they will either drop the price, or go bankrupt. Let your wallet speak, instead of joining the masses complaining about this or that.

 

[PiranhaTech]

Question: How many of those gamers in the class action lawsuit are Sony fanboys and fangirls?

The lawsuit itself lists everyone as a gamer, specifically naming PlayStation gaming. It makes me wondering if it's genuine or a PR stunt

 

[hotaru251]

The lawsuit was filed by ten gamers from California, New Jersey, and New Mexico, who allege “the video game industry may lose substantial competition, and Microsoft may have far-outsized market power, with the ability to foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition.”

raise prices? everyone is & MS wasnt near 1st to join that bandwagon.
limit output & consumer choice? having option to play on pc, console, or stream to newer tvs that support gamepass is not limiting. its expanding.

The lawsuit points out Microsoft's past acquisitions of Mojang Studios,

this is just a stupid bit as MS has still allowed Minecraft on ps and nintendo stuff for ages.

It contends that Microsoft would inevitably erode the quality of games, cut off access to competitors like Sony and Nintendo, raise prices and alter terms regarding access to Activision content.

assumptions are bad.

“Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,”

....and Sony doesnt? Nintendo doesnt?

For its part, Microsoft says that many concerns about its proposal to acquire Activision Blizzard are unfounded and that it has taken steps to address concerns regarding competition in the video game space.

“We continue to believe that our deal to acquire Activision Blizzard will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers,” said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft.

Exclusives are basically dead.
They do more harm than good. The more platforms your content reaches means that much larger of a customer base thus increased profits.



and Sony's claim of "COD on PS is too risky to lose" is pointless as AV could literally still decide to nto support PS at any point. If your entire console relieso n 1 IP thats not anyones fault bu t your own.

 

[atomicWAR]

Sony shouldn't have been allowed to acquire Bungie or the other studios they've been gobbling up recently. Likewise, Microsoft shouldn't have been allowed to acquire Bethesda. I cannot recall a time where these kind of large acquisitions led to more or better games. Investors get rich while gamers and consumers are left with PvP multiplayer spam, overly monetized, predatory, low-effort, grind games. This isn't a Sony vs Microsoft situation -- it's a big corporation vs consumers situation.

I don't disagree. I just believe this merger should pass though as a lesson to Sony. Sony has monopolized console gaming for far to long. Ironic MS is at the other end of the monopoly stick for a change, I do get that. Anyways then the FTC needs to tell MS, Sony, I'll say Nintendo too though they're far less bad and all other big publishers... that all future consolidations will be met with very stiff resistence for the next X number of years to give the 3rd party industry time to recover. You're not wrong these studio purchases are bad for the consumers BUT Sony has become big enough they need knocking down several pegs to even the playing field therefore I am ok with this purchase going through as I see it as way to do that. Tough times, tough love... even if I finds the means distasteful. But I do get where you're coming from and why...

 

[husker]

I'm not a lawyer but if I were I'd say that Microsoft will win this. Creating a game is not a limited resource so there isn't really any kind of a monopoly situation here. Microsoft owns all the popular franchises? Well, boo hoo, then go create a better one. This situation is very different from industries like railroads (limited infrastructure) or mining (limited resources), or utilities like phone and cable (consumers have no choice) which is where the real danger of monopolies exist and why such laws were created in the first place. Something like gaming - no that does not apply because there are other options out there. If I don't subscribe to Disney+ then I'm missing out on all the Star Wars content. Is that a monopoly or is it just me not getting what I want because I don't want to pay for it?

 

[bit_user]

We need a systemic solution: progressive corporation tax. The more market a company controls, the larger its tax. Anything above 10% of market share should be taxed at 99%. Then you don't need antitrust laws.

Interesting idea, but I wouldn't have a cliff and I wouldn't put it at 10%. What if there were a supplementary tax and it were merely proportional to the market share?

Still, how you define the market can dramatically affect market share. The concept would probably be too fuzzy to implement, but the general direction seems good.

 

[bit_user]

Probably BUT...Sony and their ponies dug this ditch themselves. Screaming from the roof tops how Sony had console supremacy through game exclusivity. And they were right about exclusives and now that MS is trying to remedy the situation all of a sudden its unfair?

Two wrongs don't make a right. If Sony is abusing its market position, then the FTC should bring a case against it. We don't need to let MS gobble up the rest of the gaming market, just so it can counter Sony.

Then I watched as Sony began to payoff publishers to keep games away from the upstart XBOX. Then I watched as Microsoft paid publishers to make exclusive Japanese RPG's for the XBOX 360.

Then Sony countered by paying publishers for timed exclusives, then they paid for exclusive DLC, then it was timed DLC. I then watched Microsoft do the same. Does anyone spot a trend here? I do and that is they are all guilty of what they are accusing Microsoft of doing.

In my ideal world, content producers and content delivery businesses would have to remain independent. This would extend to all media: audio, video, and games.

Perhaps you could also have some limits placed on things like exclusivity agreements and kickbacks.

 

[atomicWAR]

Two wrongs don't make a right. If Sony is abusing its market position, then the FTC should bring a case against it. We don't need to let MS gobble up the rest of the gaming market, just so it can counter Sony.


In my ideal world, content producers and content delivery businesses would have to remain independent. This would extend to all media: audio, video, and games.

Perhaps you could also have some limits placed on things like exclusivity agreements and kickbacks.

While I applaud your vision of a perfect world, we don't live in one. And as much as I agree in theory that two wrongs don't make a right (something I'd teach a kid)...in business the reality is much different. Either the FTC brings suit/charges against Sony IMMEDIATELY for their monopolistic behavior (they won't though) OR let this purchase go through as is and let it be the weapon to help level the playing field. Regardless this is more about Sony than MS at this point in my eyes. Sony needs to taken on one way or another at the end of the day. Letting MS have this purchase is just the quickest way to get things done IMHO.

 

[atomicWAR]

This isn't a Sony vs Microsoft situation -- it's a big corporation vs consumers situation.

Make no mistake it's both...and unless the FTC is ready to file charges against Sony effective immediately (they won't), than MS should be allowed to make this purchase. Sony has been monopolistic for far to long. Something needs to be done even if it sucks for some or all consumers. Maybe then the FTC will take a hard look at Sony and start to fix things.

 

[TerryLaze]

We need a systemic solution: progressive corporation tax. The more market a company controls, the larger its tax. Anything above 10% of market share should be taxed at 99%. Then you don't need antitrust laws.

Can you imagine the boost to competitiveness and quality of software if Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Intel, AMD, Ebay, PayPal were forced to split into numerous competing companies? We would have Windows 20 next year, and it would not be snooping on you any more.

Have you been around through the 90ies?
Because that's what competition does to smaller companies, we had like a dozen or so CPU makers and only intel and AMD survived.

If you stop companies from getting big by putting up a huge tax and also don't help support small companies then your whole economy will break down.
(And also all the big companies will just leave your country because your country might like being poor but there are plenty others that do like money)
If all the companies you listed had to break up into smaller ones then most of them would not be able to survive and we would lose them.