Well that's it. Microsoft has completed their acquisition of Activision Blizzard King thanks to the UK's Competition & Markets Authority clearing the way.
As announced by the UK CMA, they said the new deal where Microsoft does not purchase Activision's cloud gaming rights, which instead goes to Ubisoft would "preserve competitive prices and better services":
In its original investigation, the CMA found Microsoft already held a strong position in relation to cloud gaming and blocked the deal.
The sale of Activision’s cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft will prevent the distribution of important, popular content – including games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft – from coming under the control of Microsoft in relation to cloud gaming. The restructured deal substantially addressed the concerns that the CMA had following its original investigation, which concluded earlier this year.
The CMA did identify limited residual concerns with the new deal, but Microsoft gave undertakings that will ensure that the terms of the sale of Activision’s rights to Ubisoft are enforceable by the CMA.
The CMA consulted on these undertakings and is satisfied that this will provide the safety net needed to make sure this deal is properly implemented.
UK CMA
Microsoft also have their own announcement to note it's finished that's just celebrating the deal. In the post they confirmed the plan to add Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms.
Direct Link
What are you thoughts on this finally being completed?
Any feelings on Microsoft and Xbox aside, game industry consolidation is worrying. With many publishers and developers getting swallowed up, it hands a lot of power to a few companies. We've seen so many times now what happens like with the troubles at Embracer as just one recent example.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Consolidation means more money for C-suites and less jobs and less choices for consumers. Less choice always means higher prices.
Nothing good will come from this.
...<reaching>
Yeah, not a lot good here.
Mohandevir Oct 13, 2023
Linux_Rocks Oct 13, 2023
Kimyrielle Oct 13, 2023
Well, Bobby Kotick is out this year, so a small win amongst the epic fail
The statement reads that he is staying on as CEO "through the end of 2023" so the pessimistic part of me wonders if that will extend beyond afterwards or if some title shenanigans result in him staying on. I hate the guy, but he makes tons of money and we know what talks in the end.
1. How can Ubisoft have the streaming rights and Microsoft non-streaming rights? Who owns/develops the actual games??
2. Isn't Game Pass essentially a game streaming service?
ElamanOpiskelija Oct 13, 2023
ElectricPrism Oct 13, 2023
Also Steam Workshop Mods.
Or maybe we will be fortunate enough they will sell it off entirely.
You would think that with how religious South Korea is over BroodWar that they would have reverse-engineered the game by now into new source code.
Maybe someone can poke them with a stick.
The beginning of the end.
If you are talking about actibliz, their beginning of their end was many years ago.
If you are worried about M$ buying many more studios, other than that not happening soon, when it does happen we still have indie games, which is where the true creativity is imo
TheRiddick Oct 14, 2023
MS let goes 800 redundant studios staff.
How can Ubisoft have the streaming rights and Microsoft non-streaming rights?
I'm confused about this as well. If Microsoft wants to make their new game available on Amazon Luna (that's not dead yet, right?), does Ubisoft have the right to veto it? If Amazon wants to pay out the wazoo to make CoD:L00tB0x+ available on Luna, does Ubisoft get the payoff? Presumably it's still the M$-owned company that has to make it work.
Also, my initial thought when I first heard Ubisoft was getting rights was: "why Ubisoft?" But then I remembered it's probably the largest gaming publisher in the EU.
In any case, if there's any bright spot, it's some of their games showing up on Steam (i.e. Diablo 4), although it remains to be seen if that dries up now that the deal is final.
Last edited by Phlebiac on 14 October 2023 at 4:38 am UTC
I'm confused on two points.
...
2. Isn't Game Pass essentially a game streaming service?
If I remember correctly, it does include game streaming. However, like microsoft's other subscriptions, it is primarily one where the software is downloaded and run locally.
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me