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Microsoft / Activision Deal Approval Watch |OT| (MS/ABK close)

Do you believe the deal will be approved?


  • Total voters
    886
  • Poll closed .
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HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
It will. The damage is chipping away slowly. Xbox is the undertaker and will bury COD after death by a thousand cuts.
The damage is chipping away slowly?

This last COD set all kinds of early sales records and had 1B in sales in 10 days

Like adamsapple adamsapple said we have been hearing the death of COD for years

Tomorrow is going to be a complete shitshow on here :messenger_tears_of_joy: The gloating and the rage will be both unbearable and unmissable. The spin will be dizzying from the “losing” side, whoever that may be.

I know what I’m expecting the outcome to be, but still wary of the maybe 1% chance of a shock twist. Maybe a CMA official will have the hots for Lina after all and make a play for her affections, however unlikely that may sound.

Excited Comedy Central GIF by For(bes) The Culture


Mods tomorrow

banning super mario GIF
 
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Lasha

Member
Tomorrow is going to be a complete shitshow on here :messenger_tears_of_joy: The gloating and the rage will be both unbearable and unmissable. The spin will be dizzying from the “losing” side, whoever that may be.

I know what I’m expecting the outcome to be, but still wary of the maybe 1% chance of a shock twist. Maybe a CMA official will have the hots for Lina after all and make a play for her affections, however unlikely that may sound.

I live for the drama. Best case is approval because I can taste tears of frustration while making a windfall. Rejection will probably not be as exciting because of the split in favor of ps here.
 
I live for the drama. Best case is approval because I can taste tears of frustration while making a windfall. Rejection will probably not be as exciting because of the split in favor of ps here.
It’s going to be something to behold whatever happens. I’m not sure weight of numbers really matters. Look at the poll - over 81% voted that the deal would be approved in some form, but I bet if you analysed the most used phrase across the 872 pages it would be ‘the deal is dead’.

That 18% is relentless and LOUD :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
It’s going to be something to behold whatever happens. I’m not sure weight of numbers really matters. Look at the poll - over 81% voted that the deal would be approved in some form, but I bet if you analysed the most used phrase across the 872 pages it would be ‘the deal is dead’.

That 18% is relentless and LOUD :messenger_tears_of_joy:
After pages and pages of essays, posts, comments, diatribes, etc I don't think they have managed to convince a single person that the deal is bad who thought otherwise.
 
MS will wish him well as he moves on to his next adventure. Kotick is looking at a payday of up to half a billion dollars. There's no way he's staying to rattle around the halls in Redmond. He's gonna have his titties out on the beach somewhere.
I think I said it ITT a while ago that the world doesn't exist where Bobby Kotick doesn't get to fuck off into the sunset, with a pair of big-tittied whores in each arm on a horse made of money.

It sucks, but that's the reality of the situation.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
The damage is chipping away slowly?

This last COD set all kinds of early sales records and had 1B in sales in 10 days

Like adamsapple adamsapple said we have been hearing the death of COD for years

Apparently CoD peaked in 2012, don't tell anyone 🤫

 
I live for the drama. Best case is approval because I can taste tears of frustration while making a windfall. Rejection will probably not be as exciting because of the split in favor of ps here.

I got into ATVI at $74ish, so looking good so far. Hedging my bets and holding the stock until after regulatory rulings. MS favourable result = selling and cashing in at $95ish. MS not favourable result = hold on longer for appeals etc and see what happens long term.
 

Lasha

Member
I got into ATVI at $74ish, so looking good so far. Hedging my bets and holding the stock until after regulatory rulings. MS favourable result = selling and cashing in at $95ish. MS not favourable result = hold on longer for appeals etc and see what happens long term.

I've been into the stock for ages. I bought hard when the deal was announced since I was already happy to hold the stock. A breakup of the merger is going to inject a stack of cash into a company which is already on a roll. Win win.
 
I do think approval will cause lots of salt. but clearly non-approval is the underdog. and lots of people have money on the line over it.

After the CMA made a 180 degree turn the decision seems pretty set at this point. It really depends on how strong their concessions are. But at this time it doesn't seem their initial requirement of divestiture is a requirement.

Likely outcome is very minimal concessions (maybe none at all?) to perhaps some long-term contractual arrangements that extend even beyond Microsoft's 10 year deal, although I would say given the recent language by the CMA even this is not likely. It seems like the CMA is convinced that MS has no incentive to forceclose CoD, and if Sony hasn't convinced them otherwise in the last month then there may be no significant concessions at all.

FTC will fold. I think they were banking on the CMA doing the dirty work. Now that they don't have global backing, they will likely fall in line like the rest.
 
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Don't worry. If it passes, COD will slowly die under Xbox. Look at Halo, when the talent left to Bungie. Major talents will leave Acti/Bliz once the deal goes through and that talent will disperse to form new studios, join other companies across the industry. There is something wrong with Microsoft/Xbox's managing, career incentives, etc whatever it is, talented people don't want to be a part of it.

Sony will drop their advertisement deals with COD and put their focus on the new and hottest FPS and that FPS will overtake COD. Maybe the rebirth of Battlefield or Xdefience, or Deviation games, Bungie's marathon, Firewalk, etc..

Just look at Minecraft and its fall from grace, just look at Halo, just look at Gears..When the talent leaves, the soul of the games leave with it and eventually it will be an empty husk like Halo, and Gears. Minecraft is on its way there. Then COD is next. Xbox/Microsoft has not proven to make games better and re-invent franchises after they buy the I.P and the trend will continue with COD.
Oh my gawd, the copium.
Yes, let's look at Gears. The Coalition are the best developers using Unreal Engine, to the point that Epic goes to them for advice.
Gears 5 was a stunning looking game and got an 84 Meta. The Huvebusters DLC got an 82. Yeah, Gears is suffering from the lack of talent at The Coalition.

Halo Infinite campaign was excellent, the best one since Halo 3 in my eyes.
Universally acclaimed as a good game with a Meta of 87. To many it was their GOTY.
They fucked up the multyplayer expansions, but the campaign was excellent.

Activision is one of the most toxic workplaces under the current regime, and their devs can't wait to go under Microsoft. If anything, they will gain more talent and stop the flow of talent out of the company.

Minecraft is still one of the biggest franchisees in the world and makes a shit ton of money for MS.

The bitterness is just dripping off your fingers as you typed that. Get over it. ABK will be a part of Xbox.
 
Tomorrow is going to be a complete shitshow on here :messenger_tears_of_joy: The gloating and the rage will be both unbearable and unmissable. The spin will be dizzying from the “losing” side, whoever that may be.

I know what I’m expecting the outcome to be, but still wary of the maybe 1% chance of a shock twist. Maybe a CMA official will have the hots for Lina after all and make a play for her affections, however unlikely that may sound.
Most of us are pretty resigned to whatever outcome happens at this point, including our worst case scenarios. If there's a shitshow, it will be from people who never posted here before who drive by just to post once and are never seen again after. I won't be surprised by any outcome tomorrow. It could be total regulator capitulation where the deal is approved without any remedies and they also pre-approve the acquisitions of every other company just because they don't want to deal with this shit another 6 times. It could be the deal is completely blocked unconditionally and MS is told to go pound sand. More likely, the deal will be approved with some light behavioral remedies which might or might not even be related to consoles. Either way, I doubt many of us will be shitting ourselves after more than a year of this shit dragging itself out. It's about as exciting as another Presidential election where the two candidates are Biden and Trump, and both outcomes are equally unpleasant so honestly fuck it either way.
 
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mrmustard

Banned
It’s going to be something to behold whatever happens. I’m not sure weight of numbers really matters. Look at the poll - over 81% voted that the deal would be approved in some form, but I bet if you analysed the most used phrase across the 872 pages it would be ‘the deal is dead’.

That 18% is relentless and LOUD :messenger_tears_of_joy:
I think the poll was added later and most warriors and opponents already reached stage 5 of grief by that time.
 

Varteras

Gold Member
I'm so excited for the outcome of this that I may not sleep until it hits. I don't even think I could rub enough out to put me down for the night!

Sick Flu Season GIF by Emma Darvick
 
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reksveks

Member
Tencent is ramping up overseas investment in gaming assets, seeking to diversify away from China even as Beijing lifts punishing restrictions on the industry.

China's largest listed company by market capitalisation is aiming to invest in or purchase gaming studios after slowing the pace of new investments towards the end of 2022, according to four people familiar with the matter. European gaming studios are the primary target, they said.

"Martin has been banging the table on the M&A front again," said one person close to Tencent, referring to the group's president Martin Lau, who is in charge of its overseas expansion.

While Tencent has been building up its portfolio of overseas gaming studios for several years, the majority of its investments had still been in China before the crackdown on gaming.

"Prior to 2020, Tencent's gaming investments used to be heavily slanted towards Chinese companies. Now it's getting to the point where the majority of investments are overseas," said Daniel Ahmad, gaming analyst at Niko Partners.

Company insiders fear this trend could provoke regulatory scrutiny, with government officials pressuring companies to focus on bolstering the domestic economy. "It's only a matter of time before regulators begin reviewing and scrutinising overseas investment portfolios," said one Tencent manager.

Tencent faces a new deep-pocketed competitor in snapping up gaming assets. Through its Public Investment Fund, the Saudi Arabian government is investing $38bn to develop and acquire hit games as part of a broader push to become less dependent on oil sales.

Analysts said Tencent's industry expertise made it an attractive investor partner. "Tencent has a far greater ability to work with and help studios it acquires, but the emergence of new bidders could make deals more expensive for Tencent," said Bernstein's Zhu.

The Saudi Arabian fund's entry will not deter the Chinese internet giant, as its domestic empire is being forced to downsize under regulatory pressure.

With Chinese regulators wary of Tencent's large domestic market share, it has no alternative but to go overseas, said one person close to the company's management team.
Source: https://www.ft.com/content/6921a1cc-9874-4258-8fe8-3d01f5648a1e
 

Edmund

is waiting for Starfield 7
As a self-confessed Sony Pony, I know today won't be a great day so I decided to cook Oven roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus drizzled with lemon juice and Garlic Butter basted pan seared A5 Grade Wagyu Steak with Thyme.

Before

NLtNXrD.jpg



With my trusty meat thermometer so my steak is medium rare perfection.

pDyKxch.jpg


After

BoojElT.jpg
 
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Ozriel

M$FT
Have you seen the ratings of the last 2 Mineraft? You think that wont have an effect on it at all?

The minecraft spin-offs? What’s that got to do with anything?

Have you see how much Minecraft sells to this day? how much it’s sold since Microsoft bought the IP? The expansion into schools via Education editions, the VR versions…among others? The current MAUs?

You have no clue at all.
 

Makoto-Yuki

Gold Member
So what time is it being announced at UK time?

I think some people are going to be having a bad day :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Can't for all this to be over. Never seen fanboy wars so bad.
 

Calverz

Member
I am a civil servant and I’ve been in the office since half 7 :messenger_tears_of_joy: there’s no statutory Wednesday meeting either. I think this will have been combed over to death and ready for release first thing.
Ah fair enough. Maybe not all departments in fairness do the Wednesday meeting thing. Half 7 early man!
 

Lasha

Member
As a self-confessed Sony Pony, I know today won't be a great day so I decided to cook Oven roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus drizzled with lemon juice and Garlic Butter basted pan seared A5 Grade Wagyu Steak with Thyme.

Before

NLtNXrD.jpg



With my trusty meat thermometer so my steak is medium rare perfection.

pDyKxch.jpg


After

BoojElT.jpg

Can't be that upset if you have the money to buy that steak in Singapore.
 

Edmund

is waiting for Starfield 7
Can't be that upset if you have the money to buy that steak in Singapore.

Piano/Violin teachers earn quite well. My friend with a masters degree in Violin charges $100 per hour. And she's only in her late 20s.

If you're a musician in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra or a top tier teacher with a PHD like Benjamin Low, Min Lee or Foo Say Ming, your fees can easily go up to $220-250 per hour. It's obscene how much they are earning.

Alright. Off to teach now and will be back to watch the drama.
 

Lasha

Member
Piano/Violin teachers earn quite well. My friend with a masters degree in Violin charges $100 per hour. And she's only in her late 20s.

If you're a musician in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra or a top tier teacher with a PHD like Benjamin Low, Min Lee or Foo Say Ming, your fees can easily go up to $220-250 per hour. It's obscene how much they are earning.

Alright. Off to teach now and will be back to watch the drama.

I believe it. Thats why my kids CCA is Guzheng.
 
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