Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King for $69 Billion on 2023-10-13

[Deleted member 11852]

"In particular, the Commission is concerned that, by acquiring Activision Blizzard, Microsoft may foreclose access to Activision Blizzard's console and PC video games, especially to high-profile and highly successful games (so-called ‘AAA' games) such as ‘Call of Duty'."

Yeah, the EU are citing concerns across multiple markets... right now Call of Duty is available through Battle.net and Steam, but Microsoft might decide to roll all of this into the Microsoft Store and only the Microsoft Store.

xCloud streaming can support only platforms and browsers that Microsoft wish to support. It's not too difficult to switch to more propriety web technology extensions that only exist on Microsoft's preferred supported platforms, or even there browser - like how some Google service features really only work well when running Chrome.

Again, like the UK CMA investigation, this is not a bunch a paranoid people sitting around in an office blue-sky thinking the worst things Microsoft might do, these processes are driven by input from Microsoft's competitors in particular competing markets. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Dr. Nick]

I thought you could stream xCloud to iOS? Phil Spencer claimed you could at his interview with the WSJ a couple of weeks back. Open web standards are that good and have been a while.

xCloud can stream to any modern browser that allows it. So that means iOS/MacOS Safari/Chrome and Chrome on Linux. Likely Firefox as well, but I'm not sure about that. It allows Microsoft to work around the App Store's rules on Apple devices. Looking it up, the only way to run Call of Duty on a Mac outside the cloud is from a Windows VM. So while I understand that they need to look into it but that is a question that should be answered within 5 minutes. Microsoft had demonstrated long before Microsoft offered to purchase ABK that they are willing to use workarounds to get their products on different platforms.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Yeah, the EU are citing concerns across multiple markets... right now Call of Duty is available through Battle.net and Steam, but Microsoft might decide to roll all of this into the Microsoft Store and only the Microsoft Store.

So, they are concerned that MS will treat COD completely differently than they treat any of the games published by any of their current internal studios? I mean, all MS games are published on Steam and depending on title other storefronts as well. So, afterwards at the very least it would be Steam + MS Store assuming they close down Battle.net.

Regards,
SB

 

[Dr. Nick]

So, they are concerned that MS will treat COD completely differently than they treat any of the games published by any of their current internal studios? I mean, all MS games are published on Steam and depending on title other storefronts as well. So, afterwards at the very least it would be Steam + MS Store assuming they close down Battle.net.

Regards,
SB

That part doesn't make sense either if you were looking at Microsoft's moves in the market. There might even be the possibility that COD is back on Steam because of the Microsoft deal.

 

[see colon]

That part doesn't make sense either if you were looking at Microsoft's moves in the market. There might even be the possibility that COD is back on Steam because of the Microsoft deal.

Honestly if the deal goes through I think we'll have COD on switch. It might be streaming like some of the higher end titles we've seen there. Xcloud but with switch specific button prompts.

 

[Dr. Nick]

Yep, I think I have brought that up. Part of the problem Microsoft had with the Apple app store was that they wanted an app for every game title, which Microsoft was not going to do, but they would likely be willing to do it for COD and other titles they are eager to push on the Nintendo platform. If Microsoft can get some xCloud stealth xCloud advertising to go along with the release, that would be a bonus. If Sony or Nintendo created a browser for their systems Microsoft would try to use it to get Gamepass on there through xCloud.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

So, they are concerned that MS will treat COD completely differently than they treat any of the games published by any of their current internal studios? I mean, all MS games are published on Steam and depending on title other storefronts as well. So, afterwards at the very least it would be Steam + MS Store assuming they close down Battle.net.

I'm no more sighted of the concerns raised by Microsoft's competitors than you are, but remind yourself that the UK CMA report was clear that "Most competitors raised concerns" on this and other points.

Microsoft have their own Store which is not popular, and they currently sell their software through competitor's stores where they lose 30% on every retail transactions, so does it seem so far-fetched that if Microsoft amass a sufficiently large PC gaming portfolio, they would consider making some or all of those games only available in their store, or on preferential terms, like PC GamePass where the desire to purchase from elsewhere may be impacted?

The reason that stores - real and digital - have promotions, is to get customers over that first hurdle, coming into the store at all. Once there, the hope is they will like it and buy more. Then even when you are not selling your own items, you're getting that 30% sales cut on everything you do sell.

This is, I assume, the underlying concern, which would be coming from Valve and Epic (both consulted in the CMA assessment). People looking at what Microsoft are doing now, are missing the point of these assessments.

 

[Dr. Nick]

From what I recall, Activision was pushing Battle.net, and Bethesda also had its own launcher going on as well.
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-further-embraces-steam-with-official-publisher-homepage/

Microsoft is bringing more games to Steam, says 'We believe you should have choice in where you buy your PC games'

The Microsoft Store will also begin accepting Win32 games, not just the more restrictive Universal Windows Apps.

www.pcgamer.com

https://help.bethesda.net/#en/answer/55104
(I could not find an article about the move.)
ABK wanted their own thing but have moved back to Steam and will likely move everything to Steam if they haven't already done so after the purchase. That would seem to be the plan for the immediate future. Microsoft stated in 2019 that all their games for PC would be available on Steam. Bethesda moved everything to Steam after they were purchased, from my understanding. In other words, the industry was able to live without Activision's biggest game(Excluding the BK part of ABK) being on Steam not too long ago. Why would it be a problem now? What these companies have done in the past and present is very important to the findings that will be made as part of this assessment.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

From what I recall, Activision was pushing Battle.net, and Bethesda also had its own launcher going on as well.

I thought the Bethesda launcher was (or had?) going away. I'm not a fan of any the launchers and I'm sure most of the reason they exists is to suck up data from my PC. I think Blizzard's launcher is the only one that ever added any value; years ago Blizzard's WoW update update leveraged P2P technology to accelerate the proportion of patches among users and you can just leave it running in the background all the time without spammy notifications or is scanning your entire registry and HDD.

 

[eastmen]

I thought the Bethesda launcher was (or had?) going away. I'm not a fan of any the launchers and I'm sure most of the reason they exists is to suck up data from my PC. I think Blizzard's launcher is the only one that ever added any value; years ago Blizzard's WoW update update leveraged P2P technology to accelerate the proportion of patches among users and you can just leave it running in the background all the time without spammy notifications or is scanning your entire registry and HDD.

Bethesda.net Launcher To Shut Down In Favor Of Steam

Take note that publisher Bethesda Softworks has decided to close down its Bethesda.net Launcher (also called Bethesda Launcher) in the coming months.

segmentnext.com

Yea MS shut down bethesda launcher to move the games over to steam. Elder Scrolls online for instance is only available on steam or windows. You can use the old launcher still if you have it but they haven't updated it and its hard to find unless you don't mind downloading from torrent sites

 

[pcchen]

Yea MS shut down bethesda launcher to move the games over to steam. Elder Scrolls online for instance is only available on steam or windows. You can use the old launcher still if you have it but they haven't updated it and its hard to find unless you don't mind downloading from torrent sites

Elder Scrolls Online still has its launcher which is different from the Bethesda launcher where other Bethesda games such as Doom were on it but now all migrated to Steam.
You can still download the ESO launcher from the website but you'll need to log in to see it.

 

[eastmen]

Elder Scrolls Online still has its launcher which is different from the Bethesda launcher where other Bethesda games such as Doom were on it but now all migrated to Steam.
You can still download the ESO launcher from the website but you'll need to log in to see it.

I launch ESO from steam and only steam. I don't have any bethesda launcher pop up or anything ?

 

[Malo]

I launch ESO from steam and only steam. I don't have any bethesda launcher pop up or anything ?

That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The Steam version links with your ESO account but doesn't require the launch, but you can create an ESO account on the website and use their launcher without ever having Steam.

How do I download / install the game if I purchased it from The Elder Scrolls Online PC/Mac Store? - Support | The Elder Scrolls Online

If you have purchased The Elder Scrolls Online from The Elder Scrolls Online PC/Mac Store, you will find it available for download on your Account Summary page. If you do not see it on your account

help.elderscrollsonline.com

On the right side of your account page, click on Download Game to download the ESO Launcher.

 

[eastmen]

That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The Steam version links with your ESO account but doesn't require the launch, but you can create an ESO account on the website and use their launcher without ever having Steam.

How do I download / install the game if I purchased it from The Elder Scrolls Online PC/Mac Store? - Support | The Elder Scrolls Online

If you have purchased The Elder Scrolls Online from The Elder Scrolls Online PC/Mac Store, you will find it available for download on your Account Summary page. If you do not see it on your account

help.elderscrollsonline.com

that doesn't exist for me.

 

[Malo]

that doesn't exist for me.

I'm really unsure what point you're trying to get across. In your world if it doesn't exist for you, then it doesn't exist at all?

 

[eastmen]

I'm really unsure what point you're trying to get across. In your world if it doesn't exist for you, then it doesn't exist at all?

I'm just stating that it doesn't exist for me. I went into my account to check. Could that be older information ?

 

[pcchen]

that doesn't exist for me.

I think it's only applicable for people who bought directly from their store.

 

[Dr. Nick]

Another thing that might help Microsoft's case

https://twitter.com/x/status/1590368674699161602

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Another thing that might help Microsoft's case

In respect of impact to the mobile market, yes, but I'm not seeing the correlation to the concerns related to the PC market, consoles, stores or streaming.

It's worth remembering that the only competitor that has gone public on their concerns is Sony. All of the concerns have been privately communicated between competitors and regulators, so it's difficult to ascertain the full extent of the concerns, let alone any of the detail.

 

[see colon]

From what I recall, Activision was pushing Battle.net, and Bethesda also had its own launcher going on as well.

While you would think everything Blizzard would be available on Battle.net, but Blizzard removed Diablo (the first game, not the whole series) and Warcraft 1 and 2 years ago. But in 2019 Diablo and it's expansion, and Warcraft 1 and 2 appeared on GOG. This was after 2018's Black Ops 4, which IIRC was the COD game that wasn't on Steam and only on Battle.net. So while there was a move to force new games onto Battle.net, there was a also some classic games made available elsewhere, and not available on Battle.net.

Yea MS shut down bethesda launcher to move the games over to steam. Elder Scrolls online for instance is only available on steam or windows.

Many of them are available on GOG as well. And the free Elder Scrolls that were on GOG were made available on Steam and Windows Store. Also, many of the old id Software games that were available on other storefronts were made available on Windows Store. I was actually excited that perhaps Quake 2 might have been updated to something more akin to the 360 port but no. It's just the win32 version of Quake 2.