The Monopoly Discussions [2021]

I wrote: "You make a driver to interface with a piece of hardware, not to run a specific program." You wrote that you can make a driver for "applications".

So I ask again, what kind of "driver" would that be? What would that "driver" actually do?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_antitrust_law#Monopoly_and_power

Buying a publisher with all their gaming IPs to block a competitor product out of getting access to those IPs definitely falls under product tying.
This might also be the reason why Microsoft is apparently considering launching at least the most popular Bethesda IPs on the Playstation (Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, ...?) after a timed exclusivity. Could also be the reason we have e.g. Minecraft on the PS4.
Following this logic, I think it's perfectly possible we'll never see Starfield on the PS5, considering it's a new IP with no precedent.

Microsoft is very obviously under the authorities' radar for monopolistic practices, all the time. For starters, it's always within the top 5 most valuable companies in the world and those are always under tight scrutiny. Secondly, because they have a history of being charged with monopolistic practices and repeat offenders are usually an easier case for the accusation.
It's also the company that the FTC's official page shows as an example for the definition of monopolization.




That said, I don't think Microsoft will just keep buying studios non-stop because they're rich. Microsoft didn't get where they are by acting like spoiled brats who splurge their parents' money, and buying whole publishers while they're at top performance isn't that good of a deal (otherwise it would happen more often).
Purchasing Zenimax didn't just mean the massive initial investment of $7.5B. After the acquisition, Microsoft will also have to pay the salaries of all the ~2500 workers they don't fire (which according to the news should be almost everyone) plus the all their office rentals, utilities, license renewals, new equipment, etc. We're probably looking at well over $250M a year.

As I mentioned before I do prefer Microsoft on top of Bethesda's IPs over the bean counters at Zenimax, but Phil Spencer will now be under a massive pressure to recover those $7.5B under a certain time span. If this fails, Satia Nadella and the rest of the board will start closing down the studios that don't make money, whatever they are. The announcement of bringing the Elder Scrolls VI development forward doesn't just come because "gamers want it".

 

Well, to some degree that's correct.

I guess it's a bit difficult, because what OS means. Is it only the kernel, is it the kernel + all the toolkits (APIs), and plus all the drivers? Not sure where you draw the line.

OS X is build on the mach kernel, which is absolutely open-source: https://github.com/apple/darwin-xnu
So, you don't have libs/toolkit/AP interfaces as sources, which is a big bummer. But, you can iterate over the kernel and make a better one and even publish it. A good kernel is an opportunity for some.

Android also open-source: https://source.android.com
You get everything you wish for, and can basically substitute a Linux install with an Android install. What you don't get is Google's "private" code in the apps. When a chinese phonemaker was threadened by US sanctions, they announced to just ship a "custom" Android, which is allowed and possible.

Chrome OS is also open-source: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os
And it mostly comes ready-to-go, although the OS is kind of comparable to BeOS in a way (LOL, regarding adoption). Same sharing and specialization as with Android is happening (public foundation, private firmware stuff and tools/apps)

So, Microsoft published the Windows NT sources on MSDN for learning, they certainly didn't allow the modification and distribution of it to anyone. No recent update that I know of. And that's basically it.

In a way Windows is the least free, and also least open [source] operating system. But OS X is not far behind. The other OSs are fairly free and open.

 

There is no MS monopoly appearing across gaming. Does MS own the majority of the console market? Does MS publish or develop the majority of games that appear on either consoles or PC? Are the majority of PC and console games sold through its stores?

To run afoul you don't even need a monopoly, you just have a heavy influence on a market and use it to negatively affect customers in some way either directly or through the harm of other competitors.

What evidence do we have of that negative influence?

MS would need to buy a ton more publishers or devs before any gov't became honestly concerned about the potential of MS harming consumers. EA, Ubisoft, Take2, Activision, Sony, Nintendo and Apple are all major publishers.

And technically the biggest pub in the world is Tencent. Tencent makes more from games in a quarter than EA does all year.

 

Windows is not a "closed garden" like the ones Apple or Sony has created, so this monopoly debate is hilarious to read for me...