I guess those members of Congress all had stock in Microsoft that they're using Taxpayer dollars to fund that. All politicians are corrupt just like businessman. Point a finger, Congressman, and you have four fingers pointed back at you. I've worked a government job and you know how their spending is? If we don't spend this money, then they're going to readjust our budget. They didn't care how comfortable I was living when I went, they just said find something that isn't crazy priced so, I stayed in some pretty nice hotels and are pier diem.
I never argued Microsoft's other acquisitions including Zenamax, and I wouldn't argue Starfield or Redfall being exclusive to Xbox, you acquired them, it's yours to do what you want. Sony acquired Bungie, but they agreed to keep things multiplatform, that's not the issue. What I will argue is MLB dictating who Sony develops games for just because nobody else wanted to bother anymore. Phil Spencer going on about the necessity of exclusives and their importance and then he never stood up for that. He didn't tell MLB: "Hey, that's not how we do things in this industry, we can't accept that."
It's moreso things that and that Microsoft feels when they're in a tough spot, they can just buy their way out. That's what the FTC is defending. $70 billion for Activision, are they worth $70 billion? Nobody is against acquisitions, but what's happening right now is suspicious. I can't put into words to describe it but Xbox hasn't made very many good business decisions and they're at a point of desperation. Xbox, a sub company doesn't have $70 billion to buy Activision to they go to Microsoft to bail them out. That's money Microsoft has made, not Xbox. So, Xbox can use Microsofts bottomless pockets to make offers nobody else can compete with. Epic Games, obviously, bought and has been using Epic Games store to compete in a similar way and have been giving away games as an incentive to use their service. This competes with Steam, Apple Market, and Windows Games Service. So, if Xbox can just go and buy whoever they want, how can Epic or even Steam compete with that? What if Epic Games store received Call of Duty from Xbox as part of the deal, but Epic Games just gives the game away as that months free game, Xbox gamers have to pay for Game Pass to get "free" games, but Epic Game store doesn't require a subscription to get free games, that's what we're talking about here. Xbox can just buy whatever they want with Microsofts money. They knew Steam, Sony, or Nintendo would have that kind of money to get in their way. Sony or Nintendo could have a studio start developing a Call of Duty studio anytime they want, they know this. Sony knows Bungie has clout with the gaming world to make a Halo game, but a Sony doesn't dictate Bungies creative process, they let them do what they want or PlayStation could have help from Bungie to create exclusively from Bungie what 343 Industries can't do because Bungie has the formula to do just that, but Xbox doesn't have $70 billion to buy Activision, but because they're in trouble and about to sink, Microsoft's reputation is at steak. Xbox and the gaming industry were never in Bill Gates plans but because they're in gaming now, like Ted Turner challenging Vince McMahon, they can't see failure without Microsoft's name, without Bill Gates name looking bad, it's the only reason CEO Nadellya agreed to bail them out. He doesn't even know his gaming division as he appeared in court saying he doesn't want exclusives. Phil Spencer said otherwise. So if Microsoft is behind their CEO, why not start porting Gears, Halo, Flight Simulator, Forza, ya know? It's that people are upset Xbox will do nothing or consistently make more decisions, I can list them for you if you want, and then just ask for bailouts to preserve Bill Gates name, not for the good of the industry. Does PlayStation have that big of a hold on the industry? No, because Nintendo's Switch console outsells the PS5