Microsoft-Activision Deal Unconditionally Approved in China

The Microsoft-Activision deal has now received unconditional approval from the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation.

[potatoseal]

The CCP loves it :)

[Kekewei]

This is no joke, I won’t be surprised if pro China content is found in cod in near future

[Darkegg]

I know this shouldn’t be about war but China is kinda not our friend at the moment. Should microsoft really be putting their eggs in here? Why can’t they look into India and all pro USA nation? China will just allow ppl to rip technology secrets off like how they always have done to catch up to America. Now they want to be big brother.

Last time I checked they didn’t back up google on Australia. And bent backwards to agree to anything on Australia ridiculous tech law. Bc microsoft had 1% penetration they did anything desperate.

[jwillj2k4]

@Darkegg

The money is in China; so much so that Hollywood changes cast and content in movies to cater to the the CCP. It will be the same for games. Different characters, story, etc.

The company I work for (in the financial sector) has a global platform and is also making another version of it to cater to Chinese demands.

[AngainorG7X]

https://i.etsystatic.com/20...

[Leeroyw]

I disliked this cause you shouldn't just put up links without an explanation. Not great practice.

[sparky77]

As this rate the UK is going to have to stand down if they are the only ones blocking it.

[DarkHeroZX]

They dont have to follow suit. MS will just have to make different arrangements in UK. When does the FTC make their decision?

[Asplundh]

"When does the FTC make their decision?"
The courts will make the decision in August, FTC are against it.

[rlow1]

Well that means 70 dollar (whatever that converts to) games for UK players. Not an ideal situation. But hey, the CMA is all about protecting the consumer, right?

[Nitrowolf2]

@rlow1 they'll still be $70 lol it's just game pass is the alt

[rlow1]

@ Nitrowolf2
That’s my point. Yes they are 70 dollars but without the alt aka gamepass that’s their only option.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Yeah. R low. Waiting for a sale or trading in games is not an option. Who are you kidding?

You guys act so poor like things don't cost money.

[DarkZane]

They don't and if they don't change their minds, the deal is dead. They need approval from everyone for the deal to go through.

Before you say it, no Microsoft won't pull out of Britain and no, the UK government isn't going to force them to change their mind, they can't, the CMA is independant.

[CrimsonWing69]

Can you show me explicitly where it states the deal is dead without the CMAs approval? if all countries trade commissions approve it, but one, then MS can absolutely pull out from UK. Will it come down to that? I think with that kind of pressure and everyone else agreeing to the acquisition they’ll change their tune.

I’m not knowledgeable enough on the intricacies of this sort of thing, so any links you can provide would help me understand.

[gleepot]

The deal is not dying. And yes, Microsoft absolutely could pull out the UK.

[Tedakin]

No they don't. They're not going to let the CMA alone stop the deal for the entire world. They will figure something else out in the UK.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

It was a condition between MSFT and ATVI but it’s not required if they change the terms.

The UK government can absolutely overrule the CMA.

[OG_TK_Cole]

Not true sir.... Microsoft does have other options. Please stop with the false information. I get it you dont like this deal, or you dont like XBOX. but remember, both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are American companies. I just watched a whole team of "Acquisition Lawyers" speak on this on CNBC, and Microsoft have a few options that they can use, if the appeal doesnt go through in the UK. So again if you do your research, and stop the nonsense you will see that they have options. Im speaking as a person with no Horse in this race. Im still going to play all these games no matter where they are, because I have every Console and a PC.

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

CMA is like that one dentist that doesn't recommend Synsodyne.

[InUrFoxHole]

😆 🤣

[Thundercat77]

CMA said they stand by their decision. They don't need the opinion of other agencies.

[Realms]

The UK blocking the deal isn't the end all be all, but it does mean that the EU might also block it. Meaning all of Europe no longer an option. On top of the litigation MS has going with the FTC suing MS for the same reason the UK blocked the deal. Either way this is turning into a nightmare scenario for MS one which is not looking good. If Europe and the US say NO Asia will fall in line. With the exception of China hence the article.

[masterfox]

still waiting astrounats to approves this.

[1Victor]

I wonder who’s USA gubernamental logins/windows back door Microsoft gave to China for it to be unconditional. 🤔

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

And I wonder who’s tin foil hat you’re wearing…

[1Victor]

@speak: “ And I wonder who’s tin foil hat you’re wearing…”
You know the one you lend me that got passed down from orchard, 343 and the list is too big for me to continue but don’t worry I checked it for bugs unlike some other developers. 🤷🏿

If you can’t tell it was a sarcastic joke I don’t know what to tell you 🤦🏿

[ED-E]

Nah, they just know that in 15-20 years they own the majority of the stock from Microsoft. ;)

[Hofstaderman]

Funny but actually very true.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Sure MSFT paying the whole world to approve

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

You should probably work on your jokes then because people usually laugh at the punchline….

[onisama]

So only the special ones are the only poeple denying this....

[Vengeance1138]

Incoming Sony Showcase about to erase all of this Microsoft talk from people's minds. Total Mindshare!

[Othegamer5]

Microsoft easily has your mindshare. idk why you cant like your console and not endlessly troll the other.

[goldwyncq]

We hope so, Jim Ryan. Almost two years without a big show so it needs to deliver at all costs.

[Redemption-64]

Nope

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Oh, then that changes everything.

China AND South Africa?

History sealed.

/s

[I_am_Batman]

2033: Chinese megacorporation nobody had heard of 10 years ago acquires Microsoft. /jk

[bleedsoe9mm]

China knows

[343_Guilty_Spark]

The entire world except the UK.

[hotnickles]

lol even China isn’t as tight assed as the UK

[Charlieboy333]

These comments....oh for the love of......Pleeeeease let MS just get the deal so they can ruin and cheapen COD and get their Candy Crush money, so that we can all move on and hardcore MS cheerleaders will finally realise that this was the step that enabled irrelevance of their Xbox console and even further encouraged lack of investment in any future big budget AAA titles since they don't fit the gamepass utopia MS dreams of.

[ApocalypseShadow]

The interesting thing is that they are willingly running head first into DRM 2013 2.0. They're happy about saving money in the short term. But the long term is the same nonsense Microsoft introduced a decade ago.

Always online to use cloud and game pass with the digital distraction Microsoft wants to go. 24 hour check ins to make sure you're paying for that subscription. No reselling, no trading, no lending of games to others. Games that get delisted are lost forever but we're constantly told about game preservation.

And, they seem to have no problem with Microsoft taking away third party games from other communities that has already been done with companies like Bethesda. Strip revenue from a competitor then try to negotiate a 10 year deal where only Microsoft can profit from a game you're hosting. Companies like Nvidia are going to learn the hard way just like developers when they get squeezed out of that cloud future that Microsoft will control. They just don't know it yet.

These approvals from places like China are just sending the industry down a darker path of incomplete, mobile like games where more micro transactions are coming. But you won't own it or the games as they sit digitally on a server like Stadia.

Xbox community has been beaten so badly in fair competition that they hold a vindictive grudge against companies that put in the work to get where they're at. They're rather follow Microsoft and their checkbook.

[giovonni]

Fair competition? That’s a good one lol.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Even China has approved it. CMA is looking pretty pathetic right now

[TheEnigma313]

At this point, just let MS have it. They will ruin Activision like all their other studios

[BrainSyphoned]

Between Xbox kneeling to China and EA slowly going deeper into Saudi pockets the censored landscape is going to be interesting a few years down the road.

[CrimsonGuardVII]

some china ccp members is secretly in a gaming clan somewhere. even in western games. to you know, spy and chit. they convinced the leader this.

[gold_drake]

not to be that guy, but isnt gaming in general forbidden there? or extremely limited? lol

[I_am_Batman]

Gaming isn't forbidden. They had some limitations on marketing and distributing video game consoles, but as far as I know those have been lifted a while ago. Owning and using them hasn't been illegal even when those limitations were in place. PC gaming is huge in China.

[gold_drake]

ah, its just limited to and for minors.

[TrueStoryGuy]

The deal is going to be dead. Activision won't merge when both FTC and CMA are against it. FTC gives out their official response in September I believe. The reason I know they won't approve it is because both FTC and CMA worked together and CMA used FTC resources to come to their conclusion.

[GotGame818]

Why do so many act like somehow Microsoft is forcing them to buy an Xbox? If Sony or Nintendo had the money to do this, we'd be forced to buy their consoles, if we wanted to play EA games.

I play GP games on both Xbox and PC. This deal is likely going through. The UK isn't going to stop it. Also, streaming games has become much better than even 5 years ago. So you don't even need a super PC, if you have good high speed internet.

[repsahj]

What if FTC also block this deal? Can they still stop the acquisition even if it's 2 vs 1000?