Implying that consolidation gives them much more leverage to do whatever they like with more detrimental outcomes for the industry and users.

Headline makes her sound petty, when she’s actually the most important anti-monopoly figure of the past 40 years

Not really. Sub numbers have been falling for a while, game pass value has always been borderline for devs and value hasn't been increasing that well for gamers. Game pass doesn't give dlc access, it doesn't give big enough incentives to buy on the Xbox store. If they started doing exclusives I'd be a little concerned, but I'm sure they know that would just hurt their already bad numbers. Right now Visa, Mastercard and Steam are the bigger problems right now. And Steam just because their bubble is popping, their lack of guards has started to be exploited, which is going to mean they're going to be implementing changes that are bad for everyone, but necessary.

Forgot I've had it for a year but ended up buying expedition 33 on steam. I used the price hike as an excuse for cancelling it finally.

The sad thing is that nowhere near enough people will cancel their subs to offset the price increase.

Microsoft sold the acquisition as good for consumers. Now they're doubling the price of GamePass. Cue Jack's lack of surprise, or however the Fight Club meme goes.

I miss her 🥺

to be fair, the layoffs (could) have been done under Activision.

And a few years back you could get the same deal for half the price and in a few years it's going to cost even more. You're getting slow boiled because you're thinking "I'm still getting a good deal". You're getting a good deal until you're no longer getting a good deal and then what? Best case scenario you simply won't have any of the game you paid to play, worst case (if Game pass becomes successful enough) gaming is fucked because it'll become streaming services 2.0 where you have to have 4 different subscriptions active just to play the games you want to play, and good luck trying to buy games when they've been priced into high heavens just to make the subscriptions seem reasonably priced (MS already tested that with Outer Worlds 2). Doesn't matter how good Game pass was or is, it's a poisoned chalice and it will irreversibly fuck up gaming if people continue using it.

Didn't like a judge intervene to make this deal happen? Can we get that dumbass judge's face plastered over this deal?

You miss her hilarious incompetence? Don't Americans get enough of that with their President already?

For me, I still have many many many many games from the past I didnt play, many of which can be acquired through the high seas completely guilt free. Not culpability free, mind you, because the law is a bitch, but its not like im going to be picking up a brand new copy of Diddy Kong Racing(N64) anywhere ever.

My queen.

Wdym? The regulators under Biden were pretty aggressive with antitrust investigations, which pissed off the right and oligarchs and decided to throw their support to have Trump return to deregulate.

lmao on anyone that was dumb enough to think this was going to be a positive outcome at least it was two shit AAA game companies and not another great indie dev getting absorbed

Aggressive != being actually good at your job. She lost the MS case so badly it was straight up embarrassing for the FTC

I was literally just thinking "Lina Khan, my queen" as the thread was loading. I am glad to be amongst kindred spirits.

I haven't paid much attention to FTC prosecution under Biden, but I can see what you mean. Prosecutors tend to build up their cases however slow. Maybe she hadn't done her due diligence on this regard.

Did it yesterday. Feels good man.

Maybe the FTC should have tried something better than "But what about poor Sony??" as an argument against the acquisition, then.