Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard hits a bump as FTC seeks to block it

Finally, a sample of common sense!

They should have intervened much sooner, when Activision bought Blizzard.

I don't have much hope for the outcome, I feel it's for show. I hate the idea of monolithic monopolies snatching up everything…I'm not looking forward to having to sign in with an Xbox Live account for everything—have you heard of a little game called Minecraft?

I sincerely hope FTC will stop this deal. These big acquisitions has to stop. They are disaster for competition and while Microsoft right now seems open to Linux and Steam, they are just one board meeting away from releasing a new Xbox Store App, make it exclusive to Windows 11 and lock all their games to that store.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other.

Now is when the FSTC allows Nintendo to buy it, so it can be almost as big as Sony and Microsoft, or even allows Amazon...


Last edited by Arehandoro on 12 December 2022 at 1:01 pm UTC

On YouTube 90 percent of the comments seem to be in vavour of the acquisition... weird but true.

On YouTube 90 percent of the comments seem to be in vavour of the acquisition... weird but true.

Easy to see why though: people want all their games on GamePass without thinking about the wider picture.

i dont like it, they should allow Microsoft to acquire Activision, Sony is steady buying up single studios and everyone is worshipping it, now Microsoft wants to compete its a problem, its so weird, i believe Blizzard will be in better hands with Microsoft compare to Activision.

Everyone saying microsoft if a Terrible company, just remember what Micheal Jackson said about sony, they both are bad.

USA politics haven't had the best run in regards to 'sane decisions' the last years...so if they really stop this for good, this would be a very welcomed exception ^^

On YouTube 90 percent of the comments seem to be in vavour of the acquisition... weird but true.

90% of people also deem Windows a sane choice for an OS to put private data on...so that number's not really something to base an important decision on ;)

I have more faith in the EU regulators than the FTC. The FTC (like Brazil and Microsoft fanboys) are only really considering Call Of Duty, and the effect that might have on Sony. The EU complaint is (correctly) looking at how this deal is intended to get Microsoft a tighter grip on the Windows ecosystem with the Windows Store and Game Pass, leveraging that to get their Windows Store on Android and iOS, and getting a stranglehold on the game streaming market. Sony is small beans: Microsoft could buy all of Sony Group (PlayStation, phones, TVs, record labels, film studios, and all) with just their cash on hand, just like they're doing with ABK. it's not Xbox money they're using.

I don’t play any of these games. Buy it or don’t I have strong faith in the smaller scene to produce wonderful games beyond this sale.

Our thoughts are with you, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, in these trying times. Please allow these humble indie developers to make a dollar, and freely acquire each other. Let us give the little man a chance.

i dont like it, they should allow Microsoft to acquire Activision, Sony is steady buying up single studios and everyone is worshipping it, now Microsoft wants to compete its a problem, its so weird, i believe Blizzard will be in better hands with Microsoft compare to Activision.

Everyone saying microsoft if a Terrible company, just remember what Micheal Jackson said about sony, they both are bad.

…and when Microsoft buys Sony?

i dont like it, they should allow Microsoft to acquire Activision, Sony is steady buying up single studios and everyone is worshipping it

I must have missed the existence of Sony churches. Really, I've never heard anyone say much good about Sony . . . does that actually happen?

It might actually get blocked. US lawmakers have been smarting over the problems caused by big tech monopolies like Google, Facebook and Twitter (well, that last seems to be solving itself in a sense), but too many of them are in their pockets to do anything about it. But even the ones who won't do anything 'cause they're being paid off are kind of miffed about the headaches. So, if they see a chance to head off a big tech monopoly before it happens, they might just be in a mood to do it, if only so they can say "Look, we did that! Pay no attention to the more important stuff we're going to continue not doing!"

The industry is so concentrated already, that ANY further merger needs to be blocked. Go, FTC!

I must have missed the existence of Sony churches. Really, I've never heard anyone say much good about Sony . . . does that actually happen?

I used to play two MMORPGs owned by Sony. The closest thing I've seen to a church back then was a forum created by people banned from the official Sony forum, either because they said how much they loved Sony a little too loud or because they were aggressive jerks who couldn't follow the forum's code of conduct.

If anything, it was a satanic cult.

Back on topic : although the news seem promising, I don't think stopping Microsoft from buying Blizzard now will prevent someone else to buy it later, and the concentration of power in general. I hope I'm wrong and it's a first step in the right direction.

although the news seem promising, I don't think stopping Microsoft from buying Blizzard now will prevent someone else to buy it later,

This deal is for $69 billion. The largest acquisition there's ever been in the games industry was Take Two buying Zynga for $12.7 billion. No other games company could afford to buy ABK. Only a tech platforms company like Microsoft, Google or Apple.

i dont like it, they should allow Microsoft to acquire Activision, Sony is steady buying up single studios and everyone is worshipping it

I must have missed the existence of Sony churches. Really, I've never heard anyone say much good about Sony . . . does that actually happen?

i dont like it, they should allow Microsoft to acquire Activision, Sony is steady buying up single studios and everyone is worshipping it, now Microsoft wants to compete its a problem, its so weird, i believe Blizzard will be in better hands with Microsoft compare to Activision.

Everyone saying microsoft if a Terrible company, just remember what Micheal Jackson said about sony, they both are bad.

This is not about which company is good or bad, this is about a merger having the potential to create a monopoly or a near monopoly in the market. So it also have zero to do with the amount of studios being bought (still MS have bought up more studios then Sony), instead it have to do with the huge size of Activision Blizzard, that is the single thing that activated FTC and why they are trying to block it. It's the size, nothing more.