Can a select amount of gamers or even the FTC stop the Microsoft Activision Blizzard acquisition? It's possible... but it will be a violation of sorts. Microsoft said it's a violation of its Fifth Amendment rights to be exact.
Are we against Microsoft being the Call of Duty publisher? Yes & No, it depends on the way they try to play it. If they took the route that allows the franchise to continue to be released to other platforms like usual... then... yes, if they don't, then... not so much. At the same time... it could be inevitable, but that doesn't mean the ability to for the hand of its new owner... is out of the picture.
Gamers are the reason Activision Blizzard is a thing... just as much as Microsoft. Remember that little thing called support. Remember what happened with Xbox One & ole'... Adam Orth? Hell broke loose.
The launch was a disaster all the way around... because of the absolutely 100% crap of a DRM dish they tried to serve us. Even the Xbox Big Boss Phil Spencer said the console's controversial policies could have been handled better. To that I say... you're damn right. The system was going to be nothing more than a brick once the company moved on to the next console, because of the way things were set up... forget about going back to playing used games.
Forget about even taking your Xbox One to a friend's house to... fun it up for more than the allowed time, because you'd have to go back home to unlock it again. They were forced to go back to the drawing board, so when it comes to games in the Activision Blizzard catalog, is Microsoft willing to play with their bottom line?
Microsoft continues to speak on its public pledge to make Call of Duty more broadly available, mentioning Nintendo, and... Sony. I won't say that I'm riding for Microsoft, but... are they willing to play with their bottom line or do they desire to increase it with this acquisition?
Leaving the existing catalog as something available for multiplatform access... secures things a lot more than an exclusive at this time. Gamers are getting it in any and everywhere fun can be had... with family + friends + others around the world. It would make no sense to pull out of the Playstation platform, they just have to approach it the way it's been approached as always... don't try to do the platform within a platform crap because at any point that goes left... the gamers lose. Not only will the gamers lose, Microsoft will lose... again, and Call of Duty has been around since before some gamers were even born, but... it can be replaced if they don't play their cards right.
- Nintendo could make a move on the 007 franchise... that sent gamers flocking to the N64, but at the same time... they could take Metroid Prime to the next level and make it the best FPS franchise on Nintendo.
- Playstation could be killing it with Killzone games. They can do their homework and come back harder than ever. COD isn't the end all be all.
Microsoft has products available on Apple and Google for a reason, which includes releasing Windows Phone apps on these competing platforms, which was crazy to me because of what it meant for the Windows Phone. It made sense though because it's more of a win... and I think the same applies to Nintendo and Playstation, so... I'll wrap it up by saying if they play it right... they'll win if they don't make themselves replaceable.
