The CMA Findings Are Better for Microsoft Than You Think

[@DestinL]

Do you think this deal still happens? Let me know how you're feeling in the comments below. Also, please consider subscribing! kzbin.info Become a Member here kzbin.info/door/gUOWrjLEhmHE9tqYtoeS_gjoin/join`11`

[@DarkLaneJosh]

Congratulations again on the baby Destin 🎊🎉🍾

[@ItzChrisPR]

Congratz on the new member and yes, this deal will go through.

[@tukungula6692]

1000% sure it will go through. Especially seeing that they have indirectly let slip that they are open to recieving concessions from Microsoft.

[@MathewCO720]

Congrats Destin 🎊🍾

[@marko813FL]

@Destin , did you see the article from Michael pachter. He says deal should close by end of May

[@DarkLaneJosh]

Congratulations on the baby Destin

[@Mochafurieux]

Destin jr

[@ocsjc13]

Idk why I read that as "congrats on ur baby's death"

[@ramonalvarez19]

But didnt have a baby already?

[@bossredd-77]

The CMA and the FTC are going back and forth trying to out do each other. This deal is going to go through in the end regardless of how much of a show they're putting on. Microsoft: "We're willing to make concessions!" FTC: "We're suing to force concessions!" CMA: "We're blocking to force concessions!" Brazil: "We're not playing this political game!" EU: "We're just waiting for these two to stop showboating so we can get this done!" Political cha cha cha

[@beyondblades176]

Nope look at redfall etc they broke deals etc if Microsoft wins I will make sure Microsoft never runs again called takeing Microsoft down

[@beyondblades176]

Also I got a lawyer on Microsoft for the deal their are a lot of people during Microsoft at least 100 or more Microsoft will lose

[@KernowFishy]

@@beyondblades176 are you saying a majority of lawyers think ms will lose? is there an article discussing this?

[@Vell1981]

@@beyondblades176 What? Now make a scentence out of that Gibberish that you wrote in excitment for MS potentially loosing this case in your opinion as a PS Fanboy.

[@Angriinomad]

@Hellfire LWD gamers vs FTC. I wonder if we could as I would partake in that suit against them as gamers. Bottom line is that we as gamers (In my own opinion) see that regardless if Microsoft wins or loses (Wins to me) would still end up being we’re not being protected by the powers that be by holding up competition in the gaming and subscription industry. An industry strictly made for the entertainment of gamers It’s one thing to question if it is going to promote or hurt competition but it is 100% a complete other to fully support keeping the status quo and ignore the simple facts on the board without even trying to work with Microsoft. Leading to the full neglect and harm they are doing to who they are to protect, us the consumers.

[@Panyc333]

The irony of a smash-cut ad of PS5 exclusive content for Hogwarts in the middle of Destins rant about Sony exclusive deals is rich.

[@ToxicCatt-y7c]

Same with the CoD ads on KZbin and Spotify. 😭

[@ravenouseyes4643]

Congratulations on the new little one, a child is a true blessing. Thank you for the content!!!

[@DestinL]

tHANK YOU.

[@AndersonClips]

the first thing he said to his new baby is "I heard you aren't subscribed to my channel"

[@DestinL]

He subscribed and hit the bell. He’s the real mvp

[@Donovanlefferts]

First of all, congrats on the expanding family! Thank you Destin for actually reading all through it. This whole time, I’ve been thinking “it says right there, that behavioral remedies are a possible solution!” every time I see someone acting as if the deal is over. To me, this looks like the CMA knows they won’t win the case, so they are hoping to scare Microsoft out of the deal or maybe even into accepting the structural remedies and be done with it, just so they can say they made Microsoft cave first. But all while covering their behinds by saying, “oh yea and those things you already offered might be acceptable too.”

[@TurboNutterBastard]

Wrong.

[@Donovanlefferts]

@@TurboNutterBastard 😂 life so boring you have to watch old videos to tell random people their prediction was wrong? Why didn’t you say so at the time? Or do you always try to take the easy route and cheat your way through life? If you actually paid any attention, I wasn’t really wrong. At the time of this video, the focus was on console market concerns. Since then, they threw out those concerns. But correct, I did not predict that they would just shift their arguments into more vague reasoning in a 1% sector of the market. How could I miss that? And every other informed lawyer and analyst too? Should have asked you.

[@TheFitTechDude]

Congratulations to you and your wife Destin. Appreciate the hard work you put in with these videos.

[@c523jw7]

Instead of looking at this objectively they used this as an opportunity to posture and flex. If they really cared about competition they would see this deal is great for gamers. Instead they are trying to paint the picture that they are protecting gamers from bad microsoft. They are not protecting gamers they are posturing and worst of they are protecting the market leader- its pathetic to see.

[@mappybc6097]

MS is the market leader in cloud gaming.

[@c523jw7]

@@mappybc6097 you do realize that this opens up gaming for everyone and creates a cheaper entry point into xbox right..which is a win for consumers since you don't have to buy a 500 dollar xbox if you don't want to. Plus cloud is in infancy stage, so of course they would be leading it. Plus of sony is the market leader and xbox with console and cloud is still behind then why can't they be the leader in cloud? Why do you want them to lead in anything or have activision when will still be behind?

[@mappybc6097]

@C523jw All I said was that Sony is not the market leader in cloud gaming, MS is. As for your last point, that's the CMA spin on things. If MS gets a substantial lead while the other players are barely starting, they can lock the market and stifle competition. And tbh? MS did exactly that with Windows. It's completely impossible for MAC OS and Linux combined to even make a dent on MS dominance of the OS market.

[@c523jw7]

@@mappybc6097 but that's the point of innovating and the reward in doing so is to get that lead. This is why companies are trying to innovate. Why punish a company for that? So should the cma punish sony for having vr over xbox and innovating there? Imagine if they blocked the bungie deal because it gives sony the advantage by potentially giving a vr option for destiny 2 on playstation. Sony shouldn't be punished for innovating in fact we need them to innovate and make a first person shooter instead of the same game over and over again - movie games.

[@mappybc6097]

@C523jw It's not innovation that worries regulators. It's the possibility of a monopoly that makes it impossible for others who innovate to compete. And there is a huge precedent. Windows OS is god. Technically, they only account for 29.18% of the market. In actuality, the leader of the OS market is Android with a 43.01% share, preventing MS from having a monopoly. Unfortunately, Android is a mobile only OS. In the desktop/laptop space, OS X has 5.79%, and Linux has a laughable 0.95%. In other words, the competition combined is not one-fourth of the market share MS has. So what both the FTC and CMA worry about is a future where Nintendo is like Android and Sony is like Mac and Linux. Long story short, an MS cloud gaming monopoly is not as far-fetched as Destin thinks it is.

[@extermin8or3]

Looool you are citing Micheal Patcher. The man who's predictions usually turn our wrong and often the polar opposite happens. According to him, xbox would be leading the console market atm. For example. The CMA doesn't have a losing legal argument it doesn't actually have to make one. My understanding is that the cma works just like other regulators in the uk that is you submit a complaint to them or they investigate something. They produce reports and eventually a final verdict and subsequent action like blocking the merger. You can appeal that and submit new evidence etc which they will cobskder and more often than not it won't be substantial enough to alter their view. So what then? Well you can go to judicial review but and this is key: the judge will NOT make a judgement on the decision the cma made. The judge simply investigated and ensures the cma followed proper procedure and weren't bribed, biased, cutting corners etc. Assuming they are not then a judge won't intervene. Now if they are found to have not done their job properly: if its a no- then the judge can look at the decision that was made. But that is INCREDIBLY unlikely to ever occur.

[@Mightyguybrush2]

You know Destin, thank you. Thank you for your clarity, thank you for your level headed thinking and thank you for your content.

[@DestinL]

You are so welcome

[@BTMaverick707]

@@DestinL ditto!

[@jayrob5270]

What I don't understand is why they think it would lessen competition, Sony is barely putting any effort into making things affordable to it's customers presently being the first to hike it's games to $70 USD, increasing their console price and not putting their first party games on their subscription service or PC day one. Surely making Xbox stronger would increase competition and be better for consumers generally as it would scare Sony into being a better deal for it's customers as it obviously isn't at all scared of MS now as is shown by it's behaviour. The CMA's reasoning makes little sense.

[@DV-ou1yu]

You're aware MS is increaseing prices as well.

[@ethanjennnings3318]

@@DV-ou1yu He knows Microsoft raised their console prices but he was saying Sony did it First.

[@DV-ou1yu]

@Ethan Jennnings But like first or second, it's happening....do why even include that in the argument you know lol

[@ethanjennnings3318]

@@DV-ou1yu I think his argument was that Sony is crying about competition while raising game prices, console prices, and not putting their first party games on their subscription service. If they really cared about competition they wouldn't of raised their prices on games and consoles and they would also put their first party games on their subscription service. Yes Microsoft also raised their prices on consoles and games but they aren't the one's crying about competition Sony is.

[@chriscoleman7260]

@@ethanjennnings3318 Day and Date is a loosing strategy; only another trillion$ company could compete. It's meant to push out anyone who isn't rich enough. GP leads to loss of sales as said by MS themselves. MS is like 15x bigger than Sony and can last longer losing money.

[@HiroKompleX]

I noticed everything that the CMA has a problem with the deal are areas where Sony ISNT dominant in. Subscriptions, streaming having the weaker console.

[@TheGoreforce]

the only thing the government does, is cowtow to the highest bidder. and the highest bidder in UK seems to be Sony,

[@KernowFishy]

@@TheGoreforce yup, tories, it's all about the money.

[@TheEagle247]

Congratulations on your baby Destin! Very happy for you and your family! Also happy you’re making these videos! Been waiting for your analysis on this!

[@caseypearce9078]

CMA "users cant afford expensive consoles" Sony "we are going to raise prices for consoles (after this deal was announced)" CMA "cloud gaming benefits Microsofts console market (literally not understanding cloud gaming)" Sony "that wasnt one of our talking points but we will go with it" CMA "availability of certain games drives competition between consoles" Sony "we will literally pay publishers for exclusive content, pay publishers to not release their content on other platforms and drive non parity in the market to ensure that our consoles sell the most"

[@SgtChikoli]

Congratulations Destin! Hopefully can celebrate your expanding family and your expanding subscribers a get to 100k

[@a1racer441]

FTC and CMA do not know what cloud gaming is or does, they also do not understand gaming in general. It’s painfully obvious that they should not be involved in gaming or gaming in general after all of this and should not be allowed to have weight in decisions regarding any of this.

[@TheBlackDot00]

No capping but, I think what they did to Epic was justified .

[@a1racer441]

@@TheBlackDot00 true they have had a few wins, but this deal just seems like they are trying to claim a W against Xbox Microsoft even if it doesn’t help anybody.

[@TheBlackDot00]

@@a1racer441 no I'm confident that they'll lose the case against Activision. They already lost against Meta.

[@majorpeepo]

@@TheBlackDot00 yea but epic isn't good at all

[@tukungula6692]

Firstly, Congratulations to you and Family @Destin. My God continue blessing your family 😇🙏 Secondly, This ABK/MS Merger will definately close despite the sony crying. Im actually more confident of this fact now and am sure it will close mid year. Its a matter of 'when' and not 'If' ✌😎

[@lSeKToRl]

Destin does not look like a guy turning 41 in 2months.

[@hmontalvo90]

Funny how they keep saying hurt "Playstation". Their job is not to protect Playstation but consumers....

[@ToxicCatt-y7c]

Yeah that’s the whole point of these regulators is to protect consumers but, they would rather shield a company from their competitors and protect their number one position which objectively, I don’t think that’s smart.

[@ssgSentinel]

Congratulations on the baby! Enjoy your videos, keep up the great work :D

[@jtzoom86]

Congrats on the baby. Your almost at 100k by the way

[@ToxicCatt-y7c]

Congrats on the new baby 🎉

[@hectorosbornerodriguez9683]

Congrats on the baby!! Many great memories to come.

[@DoctorAkke]

Great job on these videos. Very informative and going to the source.

[@EdwardViaTomato]

Their findings "at worst" prove that even if Microsoft did the thing they're explicitly offering a contract _not_ to do, it would have minimal impact _in line_ with what might be expected in competition against the market leader. The PlayStation advantage atm is so great that even that "worst case scenario" would only make things neck and neck, and only in that specific instance.

[@MrThoback5]

@Destin You misunderstood the CMA's point @4:19; they understand that you don't need to have a console for cloud gaming, they are saying that if you can't afford a console and can only access cloud, you would have less choice as a gamer.

[@DestinL]

But… I mean if I can’t buy a PS5 it’s the same.

[@ToxicCatt-y7c]

But the series S (said X by mistake) exist-

[@Marc-master-of-the-reef]

@@DestinL but you're using Sony to exclude every other streaming services, which the CMA is dictating that MS will force you to use GP or Xbox for the service. That is not creating competition, that is dictating competition. So one since we aren't part of these meetings and myself included should not be reporting on things we can't confirm to be true. Having that said congratulations on the addition to your family.

[@purelogarithm]

@@Marc-master-of-the-reef The problem that the CMA has is that COD isn't on streaming currently and ABK has stated that on their own, they wouldn't bring them to streaming ever so if you cannot afford a console (or a PC) there is no way you can access COD or other Activision content that isn't on phone anyway. Plus streaming devices also include PC of which COS is almost certainly not leaving that platform. If anything MS is going to make COD and other content more available via streaming.

[@zartul]

The part about cloud gaming, they were saying that Microsoft becoming too strong in that market could generate a monoply, and that could hurt people who would use the cloud gaming BECAUSE cannot buy a gaming console or PC. And they said in their document that they could accept Behavioral Remedies, it was not their preferrence but would be open to hear about it, if they were good enough, so maybe they can even get the CMA to accept a longer term contract of publishing COD in the PS with parity of content for like, 15/20 years, and maybe some other minor things.

[@malekaius]

There’s a cognitive bias where people read into these reports only their favorable outcomes. In some circles fans believe that the 10 year contract will resolve this issue. It won’t. CMA even gave examples of structural remedies but no behavioral remedies despite acknowledging Microsoft’s 10 year contracts.

[@overheatedeskim054]

people don't need an expensive console or PC they can use GP app on some TV or they can buy the cheaper than Xbox One NG console Xbox Series S. Good try though

[@TecraX2]

3:59 - They are arguing that a potential MS dominance in cloud gaming would especially hurt those who can't afford a PS5 or Gaming PC, in a scenario where MS was basically "The Only Game in Town" with regards to Cloud Gaming, despite there still being a healthy competition on other platforms!

[@tomadon]

Congrats on the new Baby. Happy to have you back breaking this merger down with a level headed reaction.

[@joypadbandit624]

Congratulations on your new edition to the family, and may God Bless your lives! ✌😊

[@omarpaucar7580]

Congrats on the new baby. I believe the deal is going through, the stuff the CMA said about cloud gaming doesn't make much sense and is absurd having to divest a part of Activision, they really need to stop listening to Sony that much, a behavioral remedy is more than enough in this case.

[@seank218]

I mean, I feel like while it doesn’t make sense to us, what matters is whether it makes sense to them.

[@Nonlifting_breezy]

Lol Michael pachter. The 10 years offered for cod do not even disclose the details. It could be 10 years in which PlayStation gets a smaller portion of each sale of the game or anything.

[@JoseAguilar-nc4lu]

Awesome job on the content, I Really enjoy it! Keep it up! Congratulations on the new Family member

[@3Rayfire]

What the heck, is the CMA looking at an Earth-2 deal?

[@93836]

Very interesting conclusion. Thanks for this vid, Destin!

[@nsxskyline20]

Michael Pachter 😂🤣😂🤣😂 - Deal is dead Destin - Everyone expected CMA to lay out Behavioral Remedies - Instead, they've made it very clear that the deal will not get approved with COD involved - Wedbush and Pachter are involved in the deal, he has no choice but to cap -- CMA will only accept Structural Remedies, those will neuter the deal for Microsoft - The deal as we know it totally dead - Hence the doom and gloom - Everyone knows what's happening, no need to keep referring to the "Professionals" - Every single one of which has an Agenda and wants the deal to go through --- Congrats on the new edition to the family btw!!

[@travisziegler5011]

The concerns of higher prices (both for games and people unable to afford expensive hardware) and Microsoft controlling the cloud gaming are so stupid. I can't comfortably afford $500 for a new Series X, but I can afford $15 a month to play games on the cloud, which actually allows me to play games more now than I have in years because I can play on my phone when I go on lunch at work or can connect my phone to TVs in other rooms, so I'm not limited to just playing in the living room now. And if everyone is so concerned about Microsoft controlling the cloud gaming market, maybe they should set up an affordable and easy to use cloud gaming system? Even if Playstation had only their 1st party games available, I'd gladly pay 15-20 per month to play GOW, Spiderman, etc. through my phone without having to drop over 500 for the hardware plus 60+ per game

[@zybch]

Seems it didn't take into account ANY of MS's proposed remedies. So its either the is CMA so deeply in sony's pockets, or there may have been some cut off date for info that would impact this particular ruling that WILL be entered into the next one or when MS appeals (or however the CMA does stuff).

[@TheBlackDot00]

Kind of backwards that you're a government regulator that's suppose to PREVENT Monopolies yet you're out here protecting Sony's market dominance.

[@RockstarKevin1X]

There’s UK lawyers who are saying this has a very small chance to pass.

[@ghostlegit]

@@RockstarKevin1X uk lawyers are illrelevant

[@psykorobot6807]

They don't take that into consideration at this point because they worry more about making concessions official on their end not deals that have not been made yet (ie Sony not agreeing to one already). And I don't believe Nintendo matters because CMA and FTC have both fallen into believing the Sony argument that Nintendo is not console maker but toy maker for kids making kid games. Which could affect Sony with their own acquisitions. Especially in the EU where without considering Nintendo, PS has a 70% ore more adoption rate versus Xbox in console market (a monopoly if Nintendo doesn't count). I think in the end CMA and EU will want similar agreements with respect to the COD as MS is already promising (maybe even less because 10 yeas is an unheard amount of time when remedies are often counted in a few years not a decade, can anybody find one that is that long or perpetuity?). Plus regulators will probably make sure Sony has access to COD for their subscription PS+ at the same time GP would have it (that is if Sony is willing to pay the big bucks to make it so - which they won't want to do - so it is kind a toothless concession). I can't see any divesture of assets happening. That is just in the CMA response to say it is an option not the only option and not necessarily the one we want. I also like to push back on this idea of every current IP will remain cross-platform. I see people arguing that as necessary option (often from those that are PS owners) That hasn't been a remedy recommendation and I doubt Sony wants that either. I say that because that remedy would be set as a precedent and any future Sony acquisition would probably have similar concessions required of them as well. If you think about how could regulators require Bandicoot and other smaller ABK IP remain multi-plat but if Sony buys Square Enix, Final Fantasy (a large) IP that has been multi-plat before there was a PlayStation or COD can be exclusive not to mention all the other IP Squar Enix have. While MS must make everything at ABK cross-plat. The answer is they won't, they will act similarly with any other acquisitions. Especially so considering Sony is the market leader (even with this deal completed). How broad the remedies are for this acquisition will turn affect future acquistions remedies. Sony is primarily responsible for regulators taking a more invasive examination of the gaming market. And that is led to almost certainty with whatever happens here with MS and ABK (fail or pass) the likelihood of Sony just flowing through process, like with Bungie, is not to going to happen again and 100% certainty of similar concessions with content (outside the uniqueness of COD 10-year deal) will take place for them as well.

[@purelogarithm]

I believe that they haven't taken them to account is due to the idea that this document wasn't about remedies - they would be part of the next step. The purpose of this finding was to answer the question "will this acquisition have a potential negative affect on competition" or something very similar to that effect. The answer is yes, but if we are being honest, that was possible from the beginning. It's not a rejection or saying anything will or will not happen defiantly. They are saying that they believe that this purchase can negatively affect competition and there are a few possible remedies that can occur. The proposed remedies that MS has been talking about are really just talk as far as the CMA is concerned since they were never properly negotiated with the CMA. Now MS and the CMA can discuss those remedies and come up with an agreement. It a remedy can be reached, then it will be approved. If not they will block which would be bad. I am sure that MS disagrees with the CMA findings, but they now can respond and bring up these concerns and propose remedies including the behavioral ones which can be legally enforced by the CMA

[@sampletextO_O]

Congratulations Destin! I hope you reach the 100k members too!

[@BTMaverick707]

Thank you for breaking this down!

[@rager-69]

Congrats on the new baby! I suspected this happened when your daily videos didn't come and I'm surprised you're back so soon. Thanks for covering this in this manner. Only one other YTer I watched has mentioned the deal may be OK.

[@BashaarO.Tarabay]

Welcome back homie, and congrats

[@steveboy49]

First off congrats Destin! And as an interesting thought about the CMA saying that Microsoft could stifle the competition by harming those who cannot afford expensive consoles…but aren’t Xbox currently the only platform that offers an all access programme that your paying 30 quid a month for as opposed to buying the console outright, offering Gamepass where you can access games day 1 without having to shell out 70 quid which, in a cost of living crisis, is detrimental to some families. Playstation have raised the price of their console yet they use cheaper components, charge 70 for their games (even remakes for 10 year old titles) I sometimes fail to see the logic

[@absolutlegend37]

Destin credit to you for taking the time to post this video.... I imagine you are quite busy at present! :) congratulations on the safe arrival of your little one.

[@pete9249]

At about 4:00 the point CMA is making is that people who can't /won't buy PC or console will look to cloud, so would be affected by less competition in this market

[@lordxboss5700]

How is Xbox building their Cloud gaming service making less competition 🤷🏻‍♂️ All the big players can go hard investing into Cloud gaming anytime they want, Microsoft building out their services doesn’t lessen competition

[@yahyandanusa7834]

Let's get Destin to 100k today! 👏 Congrats on the new Destin Jnr. 😊

[@jazza007]

Congratulations on your new arrival💕

[@istvanzadori1397]

Congratulations 🎉 and welcome back :)

[@analyzingreaper]

Glad to have you back, Destin. Congrats on the baby.

[@3Rayfire]

In the sound of a 90s Sega Arcade Announcer: *COOOON GRATUUUU LATIONS!!!!* So happy for your family and your little bundle of joy.

[@TheKiaiKid]

Congratulations Destin on your family's newest addition. Thanks for the quality content

[@michaelmooney5246]

Congratulations on the baby Destin! Interesting point made by Destin. The doom and gloom takes from those acting in bad faith instantly flood the social media space, like they were ready to go. Wait a while, spend a bit of time on a Pony blocking spree and when you come back to your feed, a clearer picture is available from actual experts.

[@kevinkevin1820]

Congratulations! on the new addition to your family Destin. ♥️

[@dmfamzo]

Congratulations on the baby Destin , from your early days at IGN to now a senior and daddy is quite the journey. Keep winning at life! 🙏🏾

[@ravenandthestranger]

So Sony is worried about Xbox diluting CoD on PS consoles… Isn’t that what they’ve been doing for years? They’ve been paying Activision to give them a better version with exclusives.

[@kthebarbarian8223]

MS did the same thing during the 360 era, that's what prompted this whole CoD war to begin with, so there is precedent of why Sony believes they would do it again. Activision actually stopped doing exclusive content last generation. With the current deal Sony was only getting marketing rights, and early access to some items like BETA's for the new titles. I think people conveniently forget that the exclusive content and third party exclusives deals were pioneered by MS during the 360/ PS3 era. It worked so well for them that Sony copied it during the PS4/ X1 era.

[@ravenandthestranger]

@@kthebarbarian8223 Sony does this with many many games. Hogwarts Legacy is the latest in a long list. Xbox hasn’t really done this since Phil took over.

[@authentic2881]

Destin Knows better than 3 regulatory bodies.

[@joshuamedinacorona2643]

Blessings my brother Destin 🙏🫡

[@antonc2180]

For regulators in US, UK and EU it is more about fighting against big tech corporations for political reasons than ruling for consumers. The CMA has more power to stop the deal than other regulators because there is no clear way to bypass them and take it to court like in the US and EU. Regulators just want to make it expensive enough for Microsoft that they prefer to pay the 3 billion breakup fee and give up rather than continue fighting for the deal

[@thomassimmons1947]

Congratulations homie💯💪🏾

[@KernowFishy]

Huge Congrats Destin! Delighted for you both.

[@luissolid]

Welcome back Destin! And again congrats for your baby! Regards!

[@gamergeek_2470]

Congratulations on the baby and a new beginning as a family 🙏. Many wishes and blessings💪❤️. I’m becoming a father myself this coming May and I’m super excited as well because I’ll officially have a gamer son🥹.

[@MFSpaceboy]

Congratulations on your new arrival, Destin!

[@redsouris8239]

Sony is actively lowering "quality". Their "parity" assertion is just that - Blocking VRS and FSR 2.0 to parallel lesser PS5 tech is lowering quality between consoles. Developers should be able to exploit fullest capacity of PC's, consoles without imposed standards by contract. Just like Bungie switching from GamePass to Epic on the PC - sure they loved being instructed or contractually obligated to perform. That has Sony written all over it as they impose deals on developers to block GamePass to be released on PSN. If regulators want to know who threatens gaming more look no further than the Japanese corporations running the industry. CMA, FTC, EU want regulations they have juicy targets. Microsoft asking Sony HQ for reams of documents related to their operations is already being decried by Sony and if it that goes public only the fanboys will cheer the anti-consumer, anti-competitive acts over the years. Why Nintendo has remained out of this, why draw attention from a Trillion Dollar corporation?

[@calfixie]

Congratulations on getting a new co-op player in your party, Destin!

[@cruelwraith2games926]

The only doom-and-gloom is coming from haters who are hating on this deal

[@StateOfGaming]

Congrats on your newborn Destin and glad to have you back!

[@spartacus18954]

Funny that these Organizations keep saying MS will raise the price..... i'm sorry did they not just release Hi Fi Rush for $30? When was the last time Sony released a game for less than $70??? heck they just remaster the same game every 4 years and charge full price for it. Talk about shaddy shit.

[@AZRockslide42]

Thank you! I kept seeing these doom and gloom vids, and I was like "Did you not read this?"

[@wesleylambotte6287]

Congrats with the baby! 🥰🎉🥳

[@davep9565]

Hey CMA, I cloud game with just my 2021 Samsung TV, a controller and an Internet connection! No console or PC required.

[@kthebarbarian8223]

The CMA is aware of that. They said IF YOU COULDN'T AFFORD an expensive console, or Gaming PC, that you would be forced into MS's Cloud ecosystem as they have a near monopoly in that current market. They further went on to state the question of, what's to stop them from raising prices, or price manipulation of the market considering they have such a huge chunk of said market, and have a near monopoly on PC OS's. They also have an extremely high market cap which could lead to them just buying up more and more competition. The CMA believes the precedent set could hurt consumers. Destin & Windows Central seem to have either comprehended what the CMA said wrongly (not surprised), or are purposely being misleading about what they said (also wouldn't be surprised).

[@MassMissery]

Congrats on your baby!! I’m about to have a daughter in a few weeks!! Also the thing with the doom and gloom articles and now the professionals chiming in afterward to correct everybody. This sort of stuff happens all the time. A lot of people on the internet think they know everything and they don’t. I really this video and I think you present all of the info in a neutral way which I appreciate. I just want the facts I don’t care about console wars or fanboys. At the end of the day we’re all just gamers.

[@anthonygrant694]

CONGRATS ON THE BABY!!

[@marquisegoodwin2481]

Activision should either A. Make a statement that if the deal does not go through they will no longer do business with Sony. Or B. Microsoft could do a deal similar to the Sonys’s square Enix deal where they have a 10 year or longer partnership of exclusive rights to everything. just to rub it in to Sony and all the regulators.

[@kthebarbarian8223]

That would just prove the CMA's point. 🤔 Then they'd definitely block the deal. That said, if ABK is willing to purposely tank their stocks, revenue and profit by over 40% out of spite then I guess they could do that. 😂😂😂 When they get sued by their shareholders and board then I think they'll be in even bigger legal trouble than they are now. Why do you guys suggest such petty childish things? 😭

[@marquisegoodwin2481]

@@kthebarbarian8223 sounds like my comment went right over your head.. SWISH🤔

[@kthebarbarian8223]

@@marquisegoodwin2481 Was it supposed to be a joke/ sarcasm? If so, that is very hard to convey in text. Especially since people are proposing the same thing in this comment section as a serious proposal. It's also "Woooossshhhh" not "Swish". Something going over your head makes a "Woooossshhhh" sound, not a swish sound. Did you just drain a jump shot or something? 😂

[@azwanazmi1484]

If the expected requirements for acquisition are too great, Microsoft should pull out of the deal and claim the 3b loss and court costs against tax so the governments involved receive less money. Then plan too move large portions of operations to a more welcoming country. With the fallen through deal, ABK share prices drop and Microsoft should cherry pick purchase just the IP’s they want at a smaller market pice and make them exclusive. Then with the saved money, outbid Sony on every big 3rd party game to make it exclusive and day one on Gamepass for the next five years. These regulators say that the bidding process is a fairer model. Microsoft can make every game either exclusive or push Sony to pay significantly more for a deal which only further eats into their profit.

[@geraldclark2869]

Congratulations Destin! I’ve been wondering what happened to you. Blessings to you and your family.

[@pixelatedpenguin4319]

I fail to see what's humorous or difficult to understand in what the CMA said in relation to cloud gaming. If you can't afford a console or PC and the titles are locked to one cloud service, then whatever device you're on you are tied to that ecosystem with no alternative. That's what the CMA is worried about. You are not alone tho, the Windows central geniuses also have a difficult time understanding plain English too.

[@Shaker1000]

Well there's Sony and Nintendo I thought

[@kthebarbarian8223]

Either they don't understand, or they're purposely trying to make the CMA (and FTC) seem like they have no idea how the gaming market works. Windows Central and Destin in particular have been painting the regulators as incompetent bad guys who are in Sony's pocket anytime this deal gets any amount of scrutiny. You can see the echo chamber in the comment sections. The fact that they scoff at even legitimate concerns about emerging markets shows their bias for MS in their reporting. Jez Corden literally started elevating Bobby Kotick's quotes about the CMA because he was so angry... Bobby Kotick! 😬

[@DaleSanger]

I think you might be misreading the statement about not being able to afford a console and cloud gaming. What they are saying (I think) is that for those who are unable to afford a console cloud gaming is their entry point but they are worried if MS gets ABK it will give them a monopoly in the cloud gaming sector when it comes to games available (i.e. will MS release ABK games via cloud on services other than Game Pass)

[@lordxboss5700]

Microsoft already announced they’re putting COD everywhere and even offered to allow it on PSplus 🤷🏻‍♂️ there is already Xbox owned titles on PSplus and basically everywhere else.

[@DeadlyHeadley]

Congratulations Destin! Hope you and your family are all doing well

[@ShadyDBZ4]

Welcome back, Destin. Congratulations again on the new little one. 🎉

[@thoumi96]

Let's get Destin to 100k already.. jesus the news and opinions he gives us are top notch!

[@extermin8or3]

Destin you ate missing the point. Theh are expressing a concern that cloud gaming subscription prices couls become prohibitively expensive to someone who can't afford a console and currently can afford a subscription to play via the cloud and might be priced out of both.... that's what they meant.

[@oliverdowning1543]

They get cloud gaming doesn't need an expensive console or gaming PC. That's the point. A Microsoft monopoly on cloud gaming would hurt the consumers who don't want to buy a console or gaming PC because they would have less choices for cloud gaming.

[@lordxboss5700]

What are the choices for Cloud gaming now and what’s actually available 🤷🏻‍♂️ All the big players can get into Cloud gaming whenever they want but if they don’t want to persue it why should Microsoft not try to get gamers as much content as possible

[@oliverdowning1543]

@@lordxboss5700 GeForce Now, Luna & PS Plus. Also, yh, if the others can't compete then that is kinda on them but imagine if Microsoft pushes everyone else out so they're the only competitor when the tech finally becomes good enough to be a product not a feature. I mean, right now Xbox Cloud Gaming has to be good because it's a feature of Game Pass Ultimate but I reckon we basically all assume that when it gets good enough it'll also be it's own Game Pass tier except if there's no competition why would they do that? The CMA wants to make sure services like Luna and GFN stay good enough to keep Microsoft innovating and keeping the cost low.

[@lordxboss5700]

@@oliverdowning1543 GeForce is already better cloud streaming I think Luna might be better at cloud streaming than XCloud it definitely was years ago before Microsoft really started investing heavily into it 🤷🏻‍♂️. Sonys entire business model seems to be restricting games and keeping them off other platforms and nobody has complained about than for 30yrs 🤯GeForce and Luna don’t even really make content or offer games for streaming they’re basically just a storefront to buy games and stream them on their service.

[@oliverdowning1543]

@@lordxboss5700 true (Luna is a subscription like Game Pass not a store but still basically true) but look at all the games that got taken off of GeForce Now shortly after it launched. Imagine if Xbox took all the ABK games off of it, that would be bad.

[@lordxboss5700]

@@oliverdowning1543 Who took games off GeForce? Xbox wouldn’t be taking any games off GeForce there will probably be some future titles that don’t release there but there’s nothing wrong with that. What games does Luna offer in their subscription? Xbox didn’t even take any games off PSplus after their acquisition they ended up adding more 🤯 I’m sure if companies are willing to pay the percentage Microsoft wants they wouldn’t pull anything just like any other company would require, nobody is giving away content for nothing even the TV and Movie services have to claim their IP and also make their own 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@anantakusumap2459]

Congrats destin for your new child. You should make a content Sony call Microsoft subpoena "harrasment" which is hillarious thing from sony corporate. Proving that sony lying to regulators from start.

[@TheBlackDot00]

Sony should've just kept quiet. That's my honest opinion on it. It's this thing called a "Streisand Effect ".

[@AhmetYILMAZ8477]

Congratulations Destin 🎉🎉

[@AutarchKade]

4:15 yeah, that was their point. Cloud monopoly harms people who can't afford anything but the cloud.

[@electriclott]

Congrats on the new addition. I have 3 myself, most amazing experience of my life.

[@abdel1143]

At least they stopped talking about Game Pass being a separate market

[@dannystaten5701]

Congrats on the baby! The statement about those who cannot afford a console or PC was them saying that such people would want cloud gaming options that this deal word theoretically hurt. I didn't see that as an odd or off statement.

[@kingweb581]

SALUTE to New life Destin👍🏿💪🏿

[@marc-andrevalcourt4401]

Congrads bro!!!!! thx for the new... your my reliable dude for this story, but i get that RL is more import... so il wait for you to release the news then hear it somewhere else.... congrads again bro

[@InguesMarduk]

You're almost there, Destin!

[@MrThoback5]

....Destin used Pachter as the analyst?........oh boy lol.

[@Xyler94]

Wishing you and your family a great year Destin, and to the good health of your new child!

[@mrb3991]

Hi Congratulations on you're new arrival 👍👍 Are Xbox Going to Avoid buisness in the UK market, where I live ??????

[@ravenandthestranger]

Congratulations on the baby! That’s awesome dude!!!

[@vullord666]

First: Congratulations on the real life stuff! Hopefully 100k subs will soon join your baby. The way I see it the remedies are definitely basic. I even think the COD contracts stating they would release at the same parity and time make even work as behavioral remedies. If not if Microsoft just needs an independent subsidiary in UK that’d only really affect one market and be over a game Microsoft themselves care less about than everyone else. However, I still find the narrative the CMA is trying to build here as incredibly problematic. Its just false and blissfully ignorant in so many areas. There are so many flaws built into the console gaming market because of how we let it develop and all these findings do is continue to distort public perception of the various markets in gaming. If we move forward without correcting these views we’re setting VERY dangerous precedents in an industry that needs to be more analyzed than ever as it continues to need actual consumer protection. The arguments the FTC made as well are very dangerous if we let that continue to define how regulators view the industry. It also just… really disillusions me as a consumer. Growing up I thought regulators were actively keeping us protected and then I had to face the reality that they’re as corrupt and complacent as the rest of government. Its just so infuriating to see these regulators piggy back on “protecting consumers” when they’ve sat back and done nothing for eons and are STILL doing nothing and instead trying to use a big price tag of a deal for their own gain to improve public approval or straight up set precedents to expand the powers given to them. Its pathetic. There job is to protect us and yet they’re showing the integrity of all the “news” articles blindly reporting on the deal every five seconds for clout. Even worse when you realize how much of nothing they’re actually saying. Literally when you consider actual economics and the gaming industry and competition in general, very little of what’s being said has any foundation. For example, their argument is that COD is a “key game” in the competitive market… okay, how? A key product doesn’t just have high demand. It’s something with very inelastic demand that literally shifts the market by existing (something like medicine people need to survive). How are they proving that COD is unique enough that if it was gone tomorrow the whole marker would bust and people wouldn’t just move to one of the many other replacements to one of the most generic games on the market (and how is that not better for competition because it means gamers will be more distributed between the other games). Then there’s the whole nintendo argument. Okay first, if all the regulators want to argue Nintendo DOESN’T compete with Microsoft and Sony then they need to address who Nintendo DOES compete with. Because if the answer is no one then they’ve just established Nintendo as having a monopoly and Sony and Microsoft having a duopoly, which is not okay (and honestly I think we’re not far from that in the current actual landscape). Meaning they should be using this deal as a means to move onto improving regulation and competition within the console market as a whole, because you can’t realistically argue that 2 companies (or even 3) companies dominating a single market is healthy competition. No one’s buying that with Apple and Google (at least not anymore (especially not with Apple locking down their entire ecosystem and doing everything to make you stuck in it)). Like we could be getting them forcing all games to release on all platforms and getting rid of exclusives or even at least exclusive content/quality for the same game on specific platforms or something amazing for preservation like that after 10 years or discounting the hardware it was exclusive to, all publishers have to allow emulation of their games. Instead here we are spinning false narratives and stuck on COD. I also love/s that the CMA is literally just describing everything Sony did last year ALONE (actually I think sony was among the first to raise their prices back in 2019 or 2020). I 100% am sure the deal will close with minimal remittance (likely just COD), but we’re definitely coming out of it having revealed a lot of dangerous ignorance and corruption surrounding the industry and a LOT of toxicity within it. And we can’t just pretend like this never happened after-the-fact. Microsoft has noted several times how they respect and learn from other leaders in the gaming industry. Whose to say if they actually do? I wouldn’t be surprised if they hated Sony and they’d almost definitely buy Nintendo if Nintendo wanted to be bought, but at the very least they now how to be business professional positive externally. There is also definitely truth in their comments about being more worried about Amazon and Meta entering the industry with big bucks and potentially harming the current landscape. Either way their relationship with Sony (and Nintendo) for that matter should ultimately still be positive. They’re rivals and honestly the market is literally healthier with more active users for it. Sony actively looking to crush Xbox growth hurts the console market and their potential growth as well. They can’t act like they aren’t connected. Sony’s always been so toxic in the market and its insane how short sighted they are. Take gamepass for example. They should REJOICING at the idea of console gaming subscriptions permeating into the general audience. PS Now was literally cloud ready (on PC and Sony tvs) years before console only Game Pass launched yet instead of buckling down on marketing an improving service they quit, consolidated and raised prices, and are constantly looking to put Game Pass down publicly. Like the model has the potential to bring non gamers to gaming and all they can think to do is cast doubt on it? I just really hope something is learned from all of this mess and we get a course change for the industry after so many years of stagnation and the position of gamers and game preservation and availability lacking.

[@zartul]

Your comment was right on point, couldn't agree more! And on the part of Microsoft saying they try to learn with other business, I'm deeply scared if at the end of this, they decide to start copying the shady business practices of Sony, they could be a whole lot more impactiful and nasty. And all that from the FTC and CMA, just say in big letters "Act Like Sony if you want to compete". Microsoft is no saint, but I really hope that they don't start copying Sony's toxic behavior.

[@coolpixcobain2884]

congratulation on your new born baby!🥳may god bless the family ❤😃

[@dustinthewind8620]

Waiting for days to get this level headed response while thinking, “who told Destin he’s allowed to go on vacation?” Ha. Congrats and thanks for bringing us back to a version of reality!

[@je5975]

Congratulations Dustin!! Happy for you!!