Well any time two gigantic companies merge, it's cause for concern.
But based on everything that has transpired, I don't think MS's intention is to monopolize others out of business or do something particularly malicious. Not only because they know what that loss in consumer trust can do to their brand, as with the Xbox One DRM fiasco. But mainly because their business model seems to be built around thriving while their competition is thriving. They're not going to sell the most boxes that can play their games. Sony and Nintendo will.
Whether they ever end up getting them to accept Game Pass on their platform or not, they'll still make money off their games selling on those systems.
And the better Sony and Nintendo are doing, the more their games will sell there.
All this is just why it's "not necessarily a bad thing" that they merged. But is it a good thing?
Some positives are to be expected, but maybe not a lot.
However, and this is purely speculative...
But there is a world where someone other than Microsoft could have aquired Activision Blizzard.
Would we rather Amazon, Google, Apple, etc aquire them?
Or someone that actually gives a shit about video gaming, like Xbox? (Not everyone, but we know they have a number of higher ups that do.)
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