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[Northeastmonk]

It makes me wonder if these politicians would have cared had Activision been purchased for a couple million versus a couple billion dollars. I feel like the only reason they care is because this was an insane amount of money.

 

[Jboemios]

 

[beatdowniidx]

US Senators "Deeply Concerned" About Microsoft's Proposed Deal To Buy Activision Blizzard

Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote a letter to the FTC to outline their concerns.

www.gamespot.com

not April Fools stuff.....

This looks like political posturing to me frankly.

Clearly playstation owners

 

[DeepEnigma]

"Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse"

Is this their new pet project?

Fucking goof troop.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Wait is the politics around blocking a business merger involving a politician able to avoid the no politics rule on Neogaf?

Watch this thread to find out.

I've seen similar topics that border on being politics discussed. Plus the usual diversity/sjw discourse.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Is Bernie Sanders still alive?

More than the current commander in chief.

 

[ahtlas7]

Where was Bernie until now?

 

[Nezzeroth]

Disney buying Fox is fine but this is not? Dumb.

 

[Topher]

Disney buying Fox is fine but this is not? Dumb.

Change in Presidency will do that....

 

[arvfab]

monopsony

The irony of this word in this context (I admit I had to google it, thought it was a typo).

 

[Dirk Benedict]

‘Deeply concerned’ is political speak for ‘pls grease palms’

Thiiiiiiiis!

 

[0neAnd0nly]

At least there is nothing going on in the world more important, so that our senators can focus on this.

Thank. Goodness.

 

[NickFire]

At least there is nothing going on in the world more important, so that our senators can focus on this.

Thank. Goodness.

Try to be nice. These poor fools have literally no positive accomplishments they can point to. Sure, cosplaying as Karen may seem like a waste of their time, but at least they are trying.

 

[zcaa0g]

Sometimes I wonder if Elizabeth "break up big tech" Warren is working for China. Just trying to make it easier for Tencent to scoop up everything.

Sorry if this is too political.

Not political at all, you are just being honest and honesty shouldn't be suppressed anywhere as that would be uncivilized.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Ironic they are worried about Activision workplace when an organization with a better culture is trying to take ownership and guide the ship the right way.

'Eyes Wide Shut' is how they roll.

 

[Shmunter]

Man who actually thinks acquisitions of this magnitude are good for anyone or anything for that matter.

It’s nothing but a negative, there are no positives in such matters. Nothing new gets created - only a giants control increases. Do we really want a handful of mega corps owning it all. Another Disney or Twitter where it’s so dominating, US Presidents can get gagged.

Thanks but no thanks. Use your wealth to create not territorial commercialism war.

 

[ethomaz]

I don't see any technical impediment to the deal not happen.
But when add politic to the mix it can happen anything.

 

[ethomaz]

Man who actually thinks acquisitions of this magnitude are good for anyone or anything for that matter.

It’s nothing but a negative, there are no positives in such matters. Nothing new gets created - only a giants control increases. Do we really want a handful of mega corps owning it all. Another Disney or Twitter where it’s so dominating, US Presidents can get gagged.

Thanks but no thanks. Use your wealth to create not territorial commercialism war.

I think it is good for the industry.
More exclusives is better to everybody... it gives platform identity and MS needs more that than Sony and Nintendo today.
The recent acquisitions from MS are all in the right path.

 

[nikolino840]

Do you think there are laws that protect employees and directors from dismissals at least in the first period after one company acquires another company?

 

[adamsapple]

Man who actually thinks acquisitions of this magnitude are good for anyone or anything for that matter.

It’s nothing but a negative, there are no positives in such matters. Nothing new gets created - only a giants control increases. Do we really want a handful of mega corps owning it all. Another Disney or Twitter where it’s so dominating, US Presidents can get gagged.

Thanks but no thanks. Use your wealth to create not territorial commercialism war.

 

[reksveks]

Do you think there are laws that protect employees and directors from dismissals at least in the first period after one company acquires another company?

Not really afaik but you typically get golden handshake deals for the senior executives and other key employees.

I don't see any technical impediment to the deal not happen.
But when add politic to the mix it can happen anything.

Would be an interesting fight in the courts if it happens.

 

[Bonfires Down]

 

[DangerDiabolik]

Cool just let China gobble everything up instead

 

[Shmunter]

I think it is good for the industry.
More exclusives is better to everybody... it gives platform identity and MS needs more that than Sony and Nintendo today.
The recent acquisitions from MS are all in the right path.

All great, but only when if applied to new exclusives. The industry growns, more talent gets created, more jobs, more games.

 

[justiceiro]

I find amusing how console warriors are disguising their happiness on such a big scoop for Microsoft as a hope for better treatment for Activision employees. Not even translucent N64 were this transparent.

 

[SlimySnake]

I think it's ridiculous that MS is buying the biggest publisher in video games potentially on its way to a monopoly and these guys are worried about some workplace issues. MS has a great work culture and buying Activision is only going to make Activision a better place to work. That should not be the reason why this deal is cancelled. The problem is what happens when MS takes COD exclusive and goes and buys Take2 and Ubisoft. You have to nip this in the bud today.

 

[nikolino840]

Not really afaik but you typically get golden handshake deals for the senior executives and other key employees.


Would be an interesting fight in the courts if it happens.

Yes but not in the first week i think..

 

[ethomaz]

All great, but only when if applied to new exclusives. The industry growns, more talent gets created, more jobs, more games.

Yeap... I'm expecting MS to invest and use well Activision and others studios.
I hope they rebirth Blizzard again.

 

[Shmunter]

Yeap... I'm expecting MS to invest and use well Activision and others studios.
I hope they rebirth Blizzard again.

They bought the ip’s not the talent. That’s what Sony does.

Prove me wrong Phil.

 

[AJUMP23]

Should say, A lobbyist convinced some senators to say something about this purchase after offering them meals and trips.

 

[0neAnd0nly]

Man who actually thinks acquisitions of this magnitude are good for anyone or anything for that matter.

It’s nothing but a negative, there are no positives in such matters. Nothing new gets created - only a giants control increases. Do we really want a handful of mega corps owning it all. Another Disney or Twitter where it’s so dominating, US Presidents can get gagged.

Thanks but no thanks. Use your wealth to create not territorial commercialism war.

I fully agree. I have been very vocal about how the great consolidation is a bad move for gamers and consumers, and how Microsoft solely is not the company to trust and has a pathetic consumer record.

BUT

That doesn't mean that US senators, especially today, should be chirping about it. We already have channels within the government dedicated TO THIS VERY THING - so this is nothing but the typical virtue signal from a large cast of people who have made outrage and opinions their most prized work while in office.



So both things can be true. I disagree with the purchase for numerous reasons (both personal and consumer related), but also don't think Senators need to be cosplaying as average joe's Batman when there is already a wing of the government looking at this and doing it''s work.

 

[Jigsaah]

This is odd. I always figured Microsoft taking over Activision Blizzard would be a way for them to root out the issues of that company, not the other way around.

Why do they assume it would be this way?

 

[0neAnd0nly]

They bought the ip’s not the talent. That’s what Sony does.

Prove me wrong Phil.

Just want to point out, unrelated to the OP and my last response, this is also true as well.

You can't always buy your way into success. We are seeing this play out currently with The Initiative and even 343. Microsoft can purchase everybody they want, and it will make a splash short term. But there record at talent retention is still seemingly an issue, and one they seem to really want to cover up and not talk about.

 

[Varteras]

Are they deeply concerned about Biden touching and kissing children in public?

 

[AJUMP23]

Article should read, "Native American Senator Warren"

 

[ByWatterson]

A group of Democratic senators including Elizabeth Warren

 

[Shmunter]

Do you think there are laws that protect employees and directors from dismissals at least in the first period after one company acquires another company?

They make them redundant, pay out for servitude. Tons of jobs get lost in such mergers. You don’t need multiple accounting depts, etc etc.

 

[Stuart360]

 

[Topher]

He's laughing at the one dollar bills

 

[Shmunter]

I fully agree. I have been very vocal about how the great consolidation is a bad move for gamers and consumers, and how Microsoft solely is not the company to trust and has a pathetic consumer record.

BUT

That doesn't mean that US senators, especially today, should be chirping about it. We already have channels within the government dedicated TO THIS VERY THING - so this is nothing but the typical virtue signal from a large cast of people who have made outrage and opinions their most prized work while in office.



So both things can be true. I disagree with the purchase for numerous reasons (both personal and consumer related), but also don't think Senators need to be cosplaying as average joe's Batman when there is already a wing of the government looking at this and doing it''s work.

Can’t however ignore the influence such displays of cuntfuckery have on policy and decisions behind the scenes. Shedding a spotlight, public interest, yadayada.

 

[BouncyFrag]

The criminals just want their cut. Nothing new.

 

[Neofire]

TBF, Microsoft have already said that games like COD and other major ABK IPs will remain multiconsole, and probably even get Nintendo ports for at least some of them. So people aren't getting cut off there. For new IP, those may or may not be Xbox/GamePass exclusive; I'm sure some will, others might be multiplat. But that isn't necessarily any different than if they just co-funded a bunch of 3P exclusives anyway, hard to say people on other platforms will be "cut off" if it's a new IP.

There's so many other shady bits going on with ABK right now that the FTC are probably more interested in; I don't give two cents about political grandstanding especially from the Democrat side. Not just for the reasons you mentioned but also considering how many of them get money from and invest money into these same tech companies, but want to pretend they're above the money. They are the money, they're right in it xD.

Respectfully I will agree on some of your points in your first paragraph but the emphasis on being "cut off" was purely speculation on me part and yours. No one knows what will inevitably happen.

As for as the political "grandstanding" remark. You have your opinion and I have mine and you not caring is irrelevant quite frankly.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

Sometimes I wonder if Elizabeth "break up big tech" Warren is working for China. Just trying to make it easier for Tencent to scoop up everything.

Sorry if this is too political.

that'd be odd considering big tech has been in the pocket of the democrats for over 5 years now. I'm not sure how their vice grip extends beyond social media and online news platforms but they're once again showing a keen interest in the space

 

[LordCBH]

Ah, more virtue signaling from Pocahontas.

 

[mckmas8808]

"Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse"

Is this their new pet project?

Somebody needs to at least make corporations feel nervous about these types of purchases.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Somebody needs to at least make corporations feel nervous about these types of purchases.

Only if they weren't so selective. Video game industry needs to up their donor game.

They were still in office at prior large purchases, like Disney/Fox, etc..

 

[kingfey]

Only if they weren't so selective. Video game industry needs to up their donor game.

They were still in office at prior large purchases, like Disney/Fox, etc..

MS donated their money to the wrong guy. They should have donated it to these guys.

 

[spookyfish]

"Donations" made. Checks cashed.

"Go right ahead, boys."

 

[pasterpl]

Company voted one of the best to work for is trying to take over one that has very bad culture, and politicians got problems with this?

 

[DeepEnigma]

Company voted one of the best to work for is trying to take over one that has very bad culture, and politicians got problems with this?

Monetary problems.