Today seems like a great day to stay off the internet and just play games instead

Holy cow, you're right

Another L to Brexit. Take us back, Europe! *Unless Europe rejects it as well.

I shouldn't have been surprised that yet another Government agency would do something stupid, since absolutely nothing works in UK at the moment.

I'm not surprised Microsoft is taking this to CAT but the bar is extremely high and they're unlikely to succeed, CMA has too little oversight and too much power, even if they succeed it ultimately goes back to CMA to make another decision and it can be another block, although maybe Microsoft can be given more time to offer more remedies, however, this feels more like a case of CMA wanting to block it from the very start and looking for anything to justify it, it looks like CMA won't accept Behavioural Remedies no matter what because that hate monitoring Behavioural Remedies.

Wonder if this will backfire on the CMA in the long-term though, pissing off a few multi-billion dollar companies could make them lobby the UK Government to decrease CMA's overall power, which honestly needs to happen, the CMA baffles lawyers from around the world with how much power they have and how little you can do against them.

This decision from CMA could have negative affects on investment into new things as well...If they can be sectioned off into an incredibly small and narrow market and then used to justify blocking you from buying anything to grow it. Ah man, I'd have had less issue with them blocking it on the Console market as a whole than the frigging Cloud market, Lol.

Imo, it isn't even a sure thing that the Cloud market will ever take off, big corporations are already exiting or barely trying, Microsoft have said that xCloud doesn't make money, Cloud Gaming is heavily dependent on ISPs actually improving their shit which they move at a snails pace for and native hardware will always be superior.

I'd propose an extreme suggestion that Microsoft should consider killing off xCloud to get this deal through, which would be absolute insanity and damaging to the tiny market but I really think Cloud Gaming is a uncertain gamble and Activision-Blizzard-King will bring in more money to Xbox, Game Pass and PC than xCloud ever will.

Not sure those who want Activision-Blizzard-King blocked will like what Plan B will be. Microsoft have made clear since Zenimax that they are in this for the long haul so Activision-Blizzard would be a waste of time but ultimately they'd continue but I think they'd continue with a pissed off attitude and start becoming way more aggressive when realising how hard Xbox has it against Sony.

Though if CMA has blocked the acquisition due to having major IPs on xCloud, then they would probably block Capcom, Sega, Ubisoft, Take-Two, etc. on the same basis so it'd probably be a bunch of individual studios, them still seeking a mobile publisher and a lot of major moneyhats (since that is apparently how you compete fairly).

Doubtful. Nobody has cared about any IP outside of CoD since this whole thing started. Hell, even Diablo, which is right around the corner, and is a huge game in and of itself didn't peak anyone's interest. 

What's more, CMA projects Cloud Gaming will be a $1bn market by 2026 which is tiny compared to the overall Gaming market but the agreements with Nvidia, Ubitus, EE, Boosteroid, etc. Will last until 2033, Lol. I expect all those companies are going to be quite annoyed with CMA's decision.

Add on further the market of a 10 year commitment to Steam and Switch, I can't see how CMA has came to the conclusion that a $1bn market by 2026 exceeds the benefits of 10 year commitments to multiple major Cloud and Gaming companies.

They mention WoW and Overwatch in the report as well as reasons for blocking the deal over Cloud so they've expanded beyond CoD.

Between MS' rumored hubris of pushing through with the deal before approval and Wedbush (Michael Pachter co.) predicting it'd go through, this is a hilarious L of epic proportions.  

Lol. Seems everyone thinks CMA's decision is dumb and baffling, aside from fanboys.

Still don't rate their chances against CAT. UK is a broken country

Kill off xCloud to pass the deal, it'd be hilarious because it would actually hurt the market even more but why should Microsoft even keep xCloud alive if they aren't allowed to acquire any more major IPs for it? If I'm thinking as a business and I see xCloud, a tiny, insignificant market, is hurting my ability to grow my overall business, I would question if it's worth keeping it around.

I don't think it is.

I think I rather watch AmazingLucas, and a slew of PS fanboy YT channels, and cringe console warrior tweets than play KH.