this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2025

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As Microsoft lays off thousands and jacks up Game Pass prices, former FTC chair says I told you so: The Activision-Blizzard buyout is 'harming both gamers and developers' (www.pcgamer.com)

submitted 2 days ago by cm0002@piefed.social to c/games@sh.itjust.works

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[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My queen.

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 26 points 2 days ago

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

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 104 points 2 days ago

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

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I miss her 🥺

[–] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 75 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Oh thats right.. I have to cancel my game pass

[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Did it yesterday. Feels good man.

[+] TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works -12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The cost of ultimate over the course of a year can get you multiple games that’s you’ll actually finish as opposed to a library of titles you’ll just graze.

[–] Goodeye8@piefed.social 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

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 games 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.

[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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.

If I need a modern multiplayer game to play with friends and not be a complete loner, theres no shortage of free-to-play games.

[–] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Maybe for others but not for me. I forgot I had it for three months. Using it pretty much only for mineraft and expedition 33. Right now I'm playing alien isolation and mtga. I don't play enough games

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Also using it for minecraft, will just have to move over to an offline account. Oh well.

[–] Nasan@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 days ago

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.

[–] rollerbang@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago

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

[–] commander@lemmy.world 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I remember how much games media was hyped on the activision acquisition. It's probably because Kotick and Blizzard execs are a bunch of bastards but that doesn't make MS execs great. Just less shitty. Also had the feeling like games media at the time saw it as strengthening western games studio employment stability. Things have not gone as hoped for in the last few years

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] RogueBanana@piefed.zip 1 points 17 hours ago

If a great indie dev gets absorbed then it will cease being great. Mergers by these souls corps are almost always bad for everyone except the execs and shareholders.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Well, they still drag around the name Blizzard despite buying it and beating it into a pulp. That still makes me salty everytime I see an article with Activision-Blizzard. Anyone who thinks they can buy reputation is a sociopath.

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

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

[–] Default_Defect@anarchist.nexus 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Implying that Microsoft wasn't going to do any layoffs or raise game pass prices if the deal didn't happen?

[–] 9limmer@piefed.zip 33 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Default_Defect@anarchist.nexus -1 points 1 day ago

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