On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission pointed to Microsoft’s recent pricing overhaul of Xbox Game Pass as evidence of the harm its merger with Activision Blizzard has had on consumers. The agency filed a new letter in its ongoing appeal of last year’s deal, calling the changes “exactly the sort of consumer harm…
It’s really shitty how this all played out.
But who could have predicted this?
Except, of course, literally everybody, yet the merger was still approved.
Until actions like this have consequences that outweigh the gain, nothing will change.
And foreseeable. I mean did anyone expect it to stay affordable after Microsoft‘s intense shopping spree? Next up is closing down some more of those studios and increase prices further while buying more. Rinse and repeat until they give up or there‘s nothing left to buy and butcher.