Not for me. I'm using 0 mods and have zero interest but if I did I think it would be fair for the author to charge for them if they spend a lot of time building it... Don't see any issue with that.

Not for me. I personally love the idea that modders are actually getting paid for the work that they do. Todd Howard has even said as much as loving the idea that modders getting to make a living modding Bethesda's games. 

Creation Club was divisive from the start. It was always going to be. Especially considering that pretty much anyone who has modded games before has always done it for free. Nexus Mods is still massive and 4 out of the top 5 most downloaded mods on the entire site are Bethesda games. Skyrim Special Edition alone has over 2 BILLION downloads. 

So it's kinda like when Nintendo started charging for online multiplayer. Everyone was going "we've been playing multiplayer for free for years now and suddenly you're going to start charging for it?" It just naturally gets some pushback. 

This will primarily benefit console users though that will get to experience mods as PC users will just continue to use methods like Nexus Mods.

Went with 93 on the poll. Obviously I hope it is higher, but doubtful due to some hater outlets so far.

Anyone looking forward to anything today? Guess I'd like to see more Wonder Woman (lol).

LOL @ the 95 plus dents. Can't wait to @ this comment when it doesn't happen.

87 is my guess.

75 is my guess coz I imagine GR, PCG to give it low 5-6s and Metro in the UK so slam it with a 2-3 coz it’s not on PS5 lol.

Sweet Jesus This is an Insane Concession!

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard Restructure Proposed Acquisition and Notify Restructured Transaction to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority

In January 2022, Microsoft announced the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc., to advance our goal to bring more creative and innovative games to players everywhere and on any device. Today, we are taking another important step regarding this transaction. To address the concerns about the impact of the proposed acquisition on cloud game streaming raised by the UK Competition and Markets Authority, we are restructuring the transaction to acquire a narrower set of rights. This includes executing an agreement effective at the closing of our merger that transfers the cloud streaming rights for all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment SA, a leading global game publisher. The rights will be in perpetuity.

As a result of the agreement with Ubisoft, Microsoft believes its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard presents a substantially different transaction under UK law than the transaction Microsoft submitted for the CMA’s consideration in 2022. As such, Microsoft today has notified the restructured transaction to the CMA and anticipates that the CMA review processes can be completed before the 90-day extension in its acquisition agreement with Activision Blizzard expires on October 18.

Under the restructured transaction, Microsoft will not be in a position either to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service—Xbox Cloud Gaming – or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services.

The agreement provides Ubisoft with a unique opportunity to commercialize the distribution of games via cloud streaming. The agreement will enable Ubisoft to innovate and encourage different business models in the licensing and pricing of these games on cloud streaming services worldwide. Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. It will also give Ubisoft the opportunity to offer Activision Blizzard’s games to cloud gaming services running non-Windows operating systems.

Of importance, Microsoft’s obligations to provide cloud streaming rights in the European Economic Area remain in place, in full compliance with Microsoft’s commitments to the European Commission. The agreement with Ubisoft has been structured so that Microsoft will still acquire the rights needed to honor fully its legal obligations under its commitments to the European Commission, as well as its existing contractual obligations to other cloud game streaming providers, including Nvidia, Boosteroid, Ubitus, and Nware. Microsoft is engaging closely with the European Commission to support the EC’s assessment of the agreement and confirmation that the commitments remain undisturbed.

Since our initial announcement with Activision Blizzard in January last year, we have endeavored to earn regulatory approval for the transaction, addressing concerns when raised, including by entering into binding legal commitments to bring Call of Duty to rival consoles and Activision Blizzard games to rival cloud streaming platforms. As a result, the transaction now is in a position to move forward in more than 40 countries.

We believe that this development is positive for players, the progression of the cloud game streaming market, and for the growth of our industry. And as we continue to navigate the review process with the CMA, we remain as committed as ever to bringing the incredible benefits of the acquisition to players, developers, and the industry. Today’s development brings us one step closer to bringing the joy of gaming to players everywhere.

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard Restructure Proposed Acquisition and Notify Restructured Transaction to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority - Microsoft On the Issues

• Microsoft has transferred the Cloud Streaming rights to all current and future Activision-Blizzard Console & PC titles releasing over the next 15 years to Ubisoft.
• The rights to those titles over those 15 years will be in perpetuity.
• Microsoft will not be able to release any Activision-Blizzard titles exclusively on xCloud.
• The games will be on Ubisoft+ and allow Ubisoft to license them to anyone.
• Ubisoft compensates Microsoft for the rights through a one-off payment and market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option to support pricing based on usage.
• The agreement with Ubisoft has been structured so that Microsoft will still acquire the rights needed to honor fully its legal obligations under its commitments to the European Commission as well as its existing contractual obligations to other cloud game streaming providers, including Nvidia, Boosteroid, Ubitus, and Nware.
• Microsoft is engaging closely with the European Commission to support the EC’s assessment of the agreement and confirmation that the commitments remain undisturbed.

Offering more than 10 years is crazy, I think it's unheard of, Lmao. I don't believe a single behavioural remedy to the CMA or EC was longer than 10 years.

Idas was right, this isn't closing until late September - Early October.

What a hassle to get this deal through. Better be worth it in the end.

On a different note: What are your predictions? Will Starfield surge Xbox sales? Or will hardware sales still be behind the PS5 in September due to low demand/stock?

The new deal follows confirmation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that the original deal would be blocked to protect innovation and choice in cloud gaming. In an unusual step, Microsoft had sought to revisit the CMA’s original prohibition decision, arguing that blocking the original deal was no longer appropriate in light of developments since the CMA issued its Final Report in April, including the acceptance of binding commitments by the European Commission and a licensing deal agreed between Sony and Microsoft.

The independent group which took the original decision reviewed these submissions and decided that they did not provide any basis for a change to the original prohibition decision. To give final legal effect to that decision, the CMA has today imposed a Final Order which prohibits the original deal on a worldwide basis.

FWIW Microsoft did try to make the CMA approve the deal without this structural remedy by pointing out the European Commission deals and Sony deal, the CMA refused that offer and upheld their original decision so Microsoft has now proposed this structural remedy which has triggered a phase 1 investigation as it's classed as a new deal.

Under the restructured deal, Microsoft will not acquire cloud rights for existing Activision PC and console games, or for new games released by Activision during the next 15 years (this excludes the European Economic Area). As part of this new deal, Activision’s cloud streaming rights outside of the EEA will be sold to a rival, Ubisoft, who will be able to license out Activision’s content to any cloud gaming provider.

Lmao! The CMA made the deal worse for everyone not just in the UK but outside of the UK as well! Excluding the European Union, everyone else gets a worse deal, haha. If a Cloud Company wanted the rights before CMA screwed everything up, Microsoft were offering them for free on a worldwide basis, now they have to pay Ubisoft for them, including Microsoft.

Insane that the CMA is dictating what America and the rest of the world gets, outside of the European Union. EU/EC stays winning.

Funny thing is, Microsoft will have to pay for the rights to stream them on xCloud but then Ubisoft still has to pay Microsoft for some sort of compensation, so Microsoft still gets paid a little, although they are running infrastructure as well. Makes me wonder how much Ubisoft will charge other Cloud Streaming companies...Ubisoft if they really wanted to could just keep them exclusive to Ubisoft+, Lol.