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[HeisenbergFX4]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

It doesn't bother me if this happens as I am team Teal (think thats what green and blue make)

The pandoras box I am afraid this might open is what then stops that alien Zuck buying up these companies and making them Meta exclusive

That world does bother me

 

[Loxus]

The deal is done. Or sony accept 10 years of cod or they will be left with nothing after 2024.

Big move for MS. Biggest fps franchise ever and with Diablo Sony just have bioware and cdpr wrpgs now.

You know even with COD, if Sony was to dive back into the fps genre, Microsoft would be in high levels of trouble right?

Playstation isn't the dominant platform because of COD, it's because of their exclusives.

Without COD on Playstation, there isn't much competition for Sony to compete with on their platform.

TLOU Fractions with a fps mode withvr support, online co-op and battle royal is all Sony needs. It doesn't even have to be better than COD, it just need to be an alternative.

And it's not like it wasn't their plan either.
PlayStation plans to launch more than 10 live service games before March 2026

This imo is what Microsoft meant by competition. They know they can't complete on the single player front and the multi-player front isn't even debatable. Without COD, Sony will eat even more of the market share by time the PS6 releases.

And this ain't no joke either, cause Microsoft knows it.

 

[Astray]

You know even with COD, if Sony was to dive back into the fps genre, Microsoft would be in high levels of trouble right?

Playstation isn't the dominant platform because of COD, it's because of their exclusives.

Without COD on Playstation, there isn't much competition for Sony to compete with on their platform.

TLOU Fractions with a fps mode, online co-op and battle royal is all Sony needs. It doesn't even have to be better than COD, it just need to be an alternative.

And it's not like it wasn't their plan either.
PlayStation plans to launch more than 10 live service games before March 2026

This imo is what Microsoft meant by competition. They know they can't complete on the single player front and the multi-player front isn't even debatable. Without COD, Sony will eat even more of the market share by time the PS6 releases.

And this ain't no joke either, cause Microsoft knows it.

Their exclusives are largely funded through the guaranteed revenue of big games like COD FIFA etc, if you start taking away these games you wreck the incentive to make anything remotely risky in any way shape or form. A studio that's focused on making a COD replacement is one that can't produce the next big franchise that differentiates Sony from other companies.

 

[POKEYCLYDE]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

I've been of the opinion it should go through with behavioral remedies, maybe at one point I didn't believe it should have any concessions, but I also believed Microsoft were being honest when they said they would continue to release CoD on Playstation.

If Sony were to acquire or try to acquire Take Two, I'd hope for the same scrutiny this deal is getting. My assumption would be that GTA gets the same treatment Call of Duty gets, but other games would be free reign. A new Red Dead could possibly be exclusive. Sports games are weird.. wouldn't care but I could see the Sports games getting scrutiny.

I do remember the Chile Call of Duty gamer survey having GTA be of higher importance than CoD itself. Sony might run into more regulatory hurdles with GTA than Microsoft is with CoD. Especially from the clear market leader position.

I wouldn't be against Sony acquiring Take Two as long as they went through the same regulatory hurdles.

 

[adamsapple]

I wouldn't be against Sony acquiring Take Two as long as they went through the same regulatory hurdles.

And keep their games on multiple platforms. Wouldn't be a big issue then.

 

[ironmang]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

If it means a bunch of games end up on gamepass then idc. I have both consoles so it'd be a net positive for me. Take-Two games will be full price whether or not Sony acquires them.

 

[dorkimoe]

Microsoft needs to lobby more apparently and buy off some politicians. Because theyre the only company that ever gets stopped by this shit. Disney, Comcast etc own everything

 

[DForce]

The deal is done. Or sony accept 10 years of cod or they will be left with nothing after 2024.

Big move for MS. Biggest fps franchise ever and with Diablo Sony just have bioware and cdpr wrpgs now.

This comment is full of cringe. lol

 

[TheGodfather07]

You know even with COD, if Sony was to dive back into the fps genre, Microsoft would be in high levels of trouble right?

Playstation isn't the dominant platform because of COD, it's because of their exclusives.

Without COD on Playstation, there isn't much competition for Sony to compete with on their platform.

TLOU Fractions with a fps mode, online co-op and battle royal is all Sony needs. It doesn't even have to be better than COD, it just need to be an alternative.

And it's not like it wasn't their plan either.
PlayStation plans to launch more than 10 live service games before March 2026

This imo is what Microsoft meant by competition. They know they can't complete on the single player front and the multi-player front isn't even debatable. Without COD, Sony will eat even more of the market share by time the PS6 releases.

And this ain't no joke either, cause Microsoft knows it.

Microsoft can't have call of duty. The regulators won't let them. Even if they get Activision, they won't be allowed to control call of duty in any way to get an advantage. I don't see why they would suddenly change their mind. Microsofts 10 year offer isn't enough.

 

[X-Wing]

Sony won't react to this acquisition by acquiring big studios. I imagine that if the acquisition goes through Sony will strengthen some partnerships but they will stay course as they are successful. I imagine they would try to have publishers like Ubisoft and EA pump up their output by funding exclusive titles to maintain PlayStation software catalog as varied as possible. I can see them expanding PS+ Deluxe (the streaming part of it) to other devices in order to improve revenue streams too.

 

[GHG]

The pandoras box I am afraid this might open is what then stops that alien Zuck buying up these companies and making them Meta exclusive

That world does bother me

That ship has sailed. Shareholders made it abundantly clear extravagant capex for metaverse related projects needs to end.

If there was an opportunity for them to do something on the scale of Activision that has long passed.

 

[POKEYCLYDE]

And keep their games on multiple platforms. Wouldn't be a big issue then.

Eh, I don't see an issue with Microsoft making Spyro, Crash, Tony Hawk or whatever new IP they're working on exclusive to Xbox.

So I'd be pretty hypocritical to say Sony can't make a new BioShock, Borderlands or Civilization game exclusive. If divesture of Activision is the only way forward for Microsoft, I'd expect Rockstar to be divested in this hypothetical of Sony acquiring Take Two.

 

[Topher]

I've been of the opinion it should go through with behavioral remedies, maybe at one point I didn't believe it should have any concessions, but I also believed Microsoft were being honest when they said they would continue to release CoD on Playstation.

If Sony were to acquire or try to acquire Take Two, I'd hope for the same scrutiny this deal is getting. My assumption would be that GTA gets the same treatment Call of Duty gets, but other games would be free reign. A new Red Dead could possibly be exclusive. Sports games are weird.. wouldn't care but I could see the Sports games getting scrutiny.

I do remember the Chile Call of Duty gamer survey having GTA be of higher importance than CoD itself. Sony might run into more regulatory hurdles with GTA than Microsoft is with CoD. Especially from the clear market leader position.

I wouldn't be against Sony acquiring Take Two as long as they went through the same regulatory hurdles.

Generally, I do not agree with platform owners buying publishers. Sony owning Take Two or EA or Activision or any other publisher isn't going to add any benefit to me as a PS5 owner. There will be a segmenting of games that are or would be available across multiple platforms, to just PlayStation and/or PC. We have already seen this happen with Bethesda. Fewer gamers will have access to those games as they would have normally played them because of that acquisition. I would have less issues with any of this if I knew gamers on platforms would not be affected by it, but they are.

 

[Pelta88]

Loxus Who did this?

 

[Punished Miku]

Everyone furiously deleting their "fuck China" posts and tweets.

Tencent is one of the biggest acquisition players. China probably doesn't want to shoot themselves in the foot when their companies pursue a similar strategy.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Jim Ryan said the same thing

Its the world we live in today I doubt we ever see the end of acquisitions

 

[Topher]

Loxus Who did this?

Wasn't it, Midn1ght ?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Never thought the Chinese government would love freedom more than the FTC. smh

Is this before or after they censor black people off posters and entire businesses and still till this day, lock people down?

 

[Topher]

Never thought the Chinese government would love freedom more than the FTC. smh

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Is this before or after they censor black people off posters and entire businesses and still till this day, lock people down?

 

[Mr Moose]

I was just about to post that lmao.

Spoiler

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

It’s almost march and this thing hasn’t reached a conclusion one way or another.

How long for the next infodrop?

 

[DeepEnigma]

"mOaR fReE tHaN tHe fTc" - something something retarded

 

[Topher]

I was just about to post that lmao.

Spoiler

 

[drganon]

 

[DenchDeckard]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

Id like to think that they would come up with some deal where PS gets cod and MS gets GTA. I mean, Sony are turning down the deal...is there a caveat that says the next 2 or 3 GTAs will come to XBOX but has sony marketing or something?

 

[mansoor1980]

Everyone furiously deleting their "fuck China" posts and tweets.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

I own both systems so it’s immaterial to me. The only complaint I’d have is GTA6 would look better on Series X than PS5 but that’s an immaterial gripe

 

[Topher]

I own both systems so it’s immaterial to me. The only complaint I’d have is GTA6 would look better on Series X than PS5 but that’s an immaterial gripe

Why would GTA 6 look better on XSX than PS5?

 

[ChiefDada]

I own both systems so it’s immaterial to me. The only complaint I’d have is GTA6 would look better on Series X than PS5 but that’s an immaterial gripe

 

[adamsapple]

Where's that gaf "worst downgrades in gaming" thread.

 

[Loxus]

Microsoft can't have call of duty. The regulators won't let them. Even if they get Activision, they won't be allowed to control call of duty in any way to get an advantage. I don't see why they would suddenly change their mind. Microsofts 10 year offer isn't enough.

I'm just looking at it from the prospective of the person who I replied to.

 

[93xfan]

Phil said there's more acquisition coming. He said that weeks after the news of the acquisition on Activision

Perhaps. It could be something small like Crystal Dynamics though

 

[Loxus]

Loxus Who did this?

It's from the Microsoft reveals market thread.

 

[MasterCornholio]

That's how do my laundry. But usually whoever I put in ends up dead.

 

[Heisenberg007]

I’d wonder how Take-Two got Madden.

Any big sports license would stay multi anyway, look at The Show.

Most likely, but we're talking about a hypothetical scenario.

adamsapple , DenchDeckard , POKEYCLYDE - to further clarify, in this hypothetical scenario, all ABK games, including COD, become exclusive to Xbox (because Sony didn't take the MS deal), and all Take-Two games (GTA, RDR, Bioshock, Max Payne, Civilization, and games published by Private Division) become exclusive to PlayStation.

 

[Pelta88]

Never thought the Chinese government would love freedom more than the FTC. smh

Translation: I'm pro any governmental body or regime that allows Microsoft to carve / buy up the market they failed to compete in.


Arguably one of the saddest posts in this entire thread...

 

[reksveks]

It’s almost march and this thing hasn’t reached a conclusion one way or another.

How long for the next infodrop?

I would say second week of March, we should know what's happening in the UK re the remedy situation.

 

[Topher]

I would say second week of March, we should know what's happening in the UK re the remedy situation.

Pretty much. I'd say EU and US are not going to make any serious moves to block this thing. I say that because Linda Khan seems more intent on using cases like this to establish case law rather than actually winning cases. And as (obvious Sony shill....lol) Chris Dring said, Microsoft probably did enough to sway the EU with their presentation.

Everything comes down to CMA.

 

[FoxMcChief]

It’s almost march and this thing hasn’t reached a conclusion one way or another.

How long for the next infodrop?

Come on man. The conclusion was reached ages ago. People are just slow and in complete denial.

It was always going through.

 

[fallingdove]

They literally said that the switch version will be assigned the development teams required to ensure it was a performant and not gimpedmversion of the game.

I guess you didn't read and just think Nintendo would sign such an important deal for a cloud version....

It's obviously for switch 2.

Not an important deal for Nintendo and why wouldn’t they sign?

MS: We want to bring some version of COD to switch/switch 2. It’s going to help our acquisition case.

Nintendo: Ok.

And you think that assigning a development team to the project means anything? Have you played any of the Wii/WiiU versions of COD? Give me a break. Cloud version or not, the Nintendo versions of the title will ALWAYS be gimped based on their hardware strategy.

 

[SneakersSO]

When the merger happens, could MS require an Xbox account in order to play CoD on PS5?

I don't see why they couldn't do this.

 

[Topher]

Come on man. The conclusion was reached ages ago. People are just slow and in complete denial.

It was always going through.

lol....that's not true. Microsoft didn't make preemptive deals with unions, offer up 10 year COD contracts and turn their Vice Chair and President into a sound and dance man because this thing was "always going through".

 

[fallingdove]

Notice how the Nintendo announcement didn't specifically name the Switch? The 2024 COD will launch on the Switch successor on the same day as the XSX and PS5 versions and be a native version, not cloud.

Of course they didn’t say anything about the Switch. It’s a 10 year deal. What were you expecting them to include in the press release?

We will launch a couple cloud versions of COD for Switch in 2023 and 2024, scaled back versions of COD on Switch 2 in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030. We also have plans to bring COD to Nintendo’s treadmill-based augmented reality platform Funrun in 2031 and 2032.

 

[The_Mike]

Most likely, but we're talking about a hypothetical scenario.

adamsapple , DenchDeckard , POKEYCLYDE - to further clarify, in this hypothetical scenario, all ABK games, including COD, become exclusive to Xbox (because Sony didn't take the MS deal), and all Take-Two games (GTA, RDR, Bioshock, Max Payne, Civilization, and games published by Private Division) become exclusive to PlayStation.

Why does pc players have to suffer over Sony and Microsoft fighting each other?

We are neutral, we consume everything.

 

[adamsapple]

Most likely, but we're talking about a hypothetical scenario.

adamsapple , DenchDeckard , POKEYCLYDE - to further clarify, in this hypothetical scenario, all ABK games, including COD, become exclusive to Xbox (because Sony didn't take the MS deal), and all Take-Two games (GTA, RDR, Bioshock, Max Payne, Civilization, and games published by Private Division) become exclusive to PlayStation.

If Sony doesn't take the deal, they would also have to actively refuse classification for CoD games. Cause I don't think MS won't want to get that chunk of revenue.

But if it becomes a case where MS outright refuses to make any Acti game available to Sony platforms, then there's no qualms, Sony will have every right to do the same if they can get a big publisher.

 

[X-Wing]

Never thought the Chinese government would love freedom more than the FTC. smh

What the fuck is wrong with you?

 

[fred420170]

As there is no more news at the moment, a hypothetical question for those who are in favor of this acquisition:

Suppose this acquisition gets approved, and MS acquires ABK. Sony doesn't accept the deal, and then it is up to Microsoft to either make COD available on PS or not. Then Sony announces they are acquiring Take-Two so they can "compete."

Would the supporters of this acquisition also support the Sony / Take-Two acquisition, even if it means potentially making all their games (including GTA, Madden, and Red Dead) exclusive to PlayStation?

Um, just get a playstation? You can easily pick one up by saving money with gamepass lol

 

[Bonsaibäumchen]

A workplace so toxic it leads to suicide is a stain on our industry. civilization.

Fixed that for you.

 

[DeepEnigma]

We are neutral, we consume everything.