July 12th 2023.
The verdict from the FTC vs. Microsoft court case has been a hot topic of discussion amongst gamers, with some readers of the Wednesday letters page expressing their views on the subject. Microsoft have emerged as the victors, and it appears that they will now be allowed to purchase Activision Blizzard. This has caused outrage in some quarters, as it is seen as an example of extreme capitalist greed.
In the eyes of the law, the FTC's arguments didn't hold up. They attempted to argue that it would be economically beneficial for Microsoft to make Call of Duty exclusive, but the judge gave them multiple opportunities to explain their reasoning which they failed to do. Furthermore, the only company that backed the FTC was Sony, and they had to prove there would be substantial reduction in competition. As a result, it's clear why Microsoft were allowed to proceed with the acquisition.
However, the most interesting point to come out of the case is the fact that the redacted data suggests that the console gaming market is actually shrinking. This could have a huge impact on the industry, with Microsoft now being a much bigger fish and other publishers unsure whether they should be competing with them or trying to get them to buy them.
Sony's reaction to all of this has been interesting too. They have adopted a policy of radio silence, not wanting to give away any of their plans until everything has been signed off. It will be interesting to see if Sony break their silence in the coming weeks, or if they continue to remain under their rock until the Microsoft acquisition is complete.
Elsewhere in the letters page, one reader is concerned about the power of the Switch 2, and whether it will be as powerful as the PlayStation 4/Xbox One. They are worried that ports from this generation will continue to be released, and that Nintendo could end up in a similar situation to the Wii U.
Finally, another reader is commenting on Sony's hardware rumours, and how the cost of manufacturing isn't coming down. They suggest that Sony may be trying to turn gaming into a luxury good, with expensive devices that target power users and brand loyalists. Could Sony be looking to Apple-fication of gaming?
Elsewhere, a spin-off game from the Forgotton Anne creators called The Forgotlings is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, and needs approximately £14,000 by 17th July. If you would like to back it, or know someone who would like to, then you have until 5.09pm BST on Monday.
The recent court ruling on the FTC vs. Microsoft case has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry. Though Microsoft has won the case and will almost certainly be allowed to purchase Activision Blizzard, the implications for the entire industry are far reaching and concerning.
On one hand, many readers are not invested in any of the Activision or Blizzard games, but on the other hand, it's a display of the capitalist greed which is dominating the market. Microsoft's purchase will certainly change the games industry, with Xbox becoming a dominant force and other publishers uncertain over whether to compete or get bought out.
Nintendo will carry on regardless, but Sony execs must have been rocked by the news. Sony's recent policy of radio silence has been a major source of contention, and it's unclear whether they'll be willing to really show off their upcoming titles or stay under the radar until the deal is completely finished.
Though the FTC's model used a made-up number to argue that the deal should be blocked, the judge gave them multiple chances to explain the figure and no evidence was found to suggest Microsoft would make any games exclusive. But the verdict also revealed that the console gaming market is actually shrinking, which was an interesting revelation.
It's unsurprising that the judge had a hard time understanding the gravity of the deal, given their lack of knowledge of the video game industry. The lack of consideration for the impact of Call Of Duty being available on Game Pass was also concerning.
The real issue here is that the cost of manufacturing is not going down, so a PlayStation 5 slim is unlikely to be much cheaper than the original, and a PlayStation 5 Pro will likely be expensive. Sony's recent release of niche products like the PlayStation VR2 and Project Q handheld suggest that they want to be seen as a luxury brand, akin to Apple's iPhone Pro range.
Finally, The Forgotlings, a spin-off game from the Forgotton Anne creators, has only four days left of crowdfunding on Kickstarter. It's not yet 100% funded, and there's still time to back it before the deadline of 5:09pm BST on Monday.
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