Activision Blizzard uses TLOU TV series popularity to persuade FTC to allow Microsoft/Blizzard acquisition.

[Reality vs Adventure]

Activision Blizzard's Executive Vice President of Corporates Affairs and Chief Communications Officer, Lulu Cheng Meservey Tweets that Sony does not need FTC protection from the Microsoft/Blizzard acquisition because of the popularity of TLOU TV show praising Episode 3 which aired Sunday 1/29/2023. What I believe is that this is a slimy attempt to exploit talent and popularity as a means to allow a monopoly somewhere else. Just enjoy and look the other way. Right???

 

 

 

 

[Shagger]

Maybe I'm being slightly stupid, but I fail to see how the success of TLOU TV adaptation eases or even connects to the concerns the FTC nor anyone else might have over this acquisition. Are they saying that Sony's success the TLOU IP means that they don't need this proposed acquisition to be blocked in order to survive?

 

No Microsoft and Activision, even if that's true that isn't the point. The concern is about Microsoft holding a monopoly of major IP's in the gaming market through this acquisition that would adversely affect consumer choice by essentially forcing people to the Xbox brand to keep playing these games. Sony's sucess with TLOU or any of the IP's they own do nothing to ease those concerns no matter how much money those IPs make.

 

And that's coming from someone who thinks those concerns, although legitimate, are a bit much. Microsoft will still hold a lesser share of the market than Sony even after this acquisition. But Microsoft and Activision, you have got to stop with this deflecting bullshit if you're going to convince people that you're sincere with your commitment to bring franchises like COD to other platforms after this deal. Somebody over at Microsoft and Activision needs to tighten the leash when it comes to thier employees, especially executives, posting stupid shit on social media.

Edited February 1, 2023 by Shagger

[Kane99]

I'm with Shagger on this. I too don't see how the two connect, considering they're both different mediums. TLOU is already owned by Sony. How does that then translate to Xbox should be able to aquire another company? 

Doesn't make sense to me.

[killamch89]

I'm with everyone on this - How do you even make connection between the two when they're two different circumstances? I swear the Blizzard CEO must've gotten a Fox News Writer to help him come up with this crap. I lost brain cells just reading Activision's counterargument.

[Crazycrab]

To make it clear I'm not at all bothered by Microsoft acquiring Activision, even if franchises like Call of Duty do become XBox platform exclusives at some point down the line.  As far I'm concerned Sony instead of whining about could maybe go a bit more capitalist and do something about it!

 

With that being said, this still a really dumb argument.  So Sony have a "unrivalled warchest of an IP" that has managed to become in successful in TV through a third party company... so that makes it a legitimate rival to Call of Duty?  Fuck off!  Riot Games has League of Legends which had a successful adaption distributed through Netflix (again, third party).  Doesn't mean it's a direct competitor Steam's CSGO!  The comparison and logic are insane!

Edited January 31, 2023 by Crazycrab