Where do you stand on Microsoft buying Activision/Blizzard?

[zero129]

ConservagameR said:

Shinobi-san said:

I ended up voting as neutral, although I've mostly been against it during debates etc.

I would say I'm fine specifically with this acquisition, provided that there are no additional major acquisitions that follow. In other words, MS stops here, Sony does not retaliate, Amazon and Meta keeps out of it etc.

Xbox needs this to compete and I'm all for the survival of Xbox and strong competition to Sony in the traditional console/hardcore gamer sector.

However, if every other major corporation starts doing the same thing, those that are for this acquisition will very quickly regret it. Sony could buy capcom or Ubisoft, the Saudi Prince can buy EA who knows. Why anyone would be for this type of extreme consolidation of the industry is beyond me.

Furthermore to that, the services impact on gaming quality is going to be noticeable in the coming decade if every major publisher follows suite.

You can't let XB have this and tell PS or anyone else large enough that they can't retaliate. You maybe could've made the argument for that with a Zenimax sized acquisition, but not after dropping $70B all at once on AB. 

If this goes through you can almost be certain everyone will retaliate in some form. I'd bet the odds are good that would likely mean going after whatever else is on the market that XB would want and could have in the future. Meaning someone like Sony would be less likely to acquire Japanese companies and would likely go after Western instead, assuming they see a positive business case for it.

I'd rather this not be the case, even though Sony would probably leave those newly acquired games as multiplatform as well, but you can't let MS get away with that now and stop everyone else.

The thing to do would be to stop the AB acquisition, and force AB to split things up if they want to sell, and then let companies bid. How the timing of the sales was handled along with the bidding is another thing, but this would be the better start. More would have to follow and soon enough. You can't just have this for right now and hold it to gaming related business.

Do you honestly think Sony or any of them other companys where not planning on buying more companys anyway?.