this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023

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Microsoft is planning to sell the streaming rights for Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft (www.gamescensor.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is so silly. "We are outsourcing our streaming to a different top 10 publisher, so that makes our industry-ruining merger okay." I know the CMA was hung up on the streaming thing, but we all agree that streaming is not and probably will not be a prime market in the industry for at least 5 years. Streaming is not the reason we were all worried about this merger...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think streaming is going to have a seismic impact on the industry eventually and frankly, I would like to see it broken up sooner rather than later. That being said, I do not want Ubisoft to be one of those services lol

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't think streaming will become a big deal in gaming (at least in the US market) until the US makes substantial strides in broadband internet access. Tides are shifting, but Comcast and Cox still generally have the FCC's nuts in a vice, so I don't see nationwide changes coming any time soon. Certainly streaming could take off in more modern countries than ours, but the US remains the biggest market by value, and that matters.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s why I definitely did not put a specific date on it. It will take several years. But remember, Netflix was in the same boat at one point. Now we can stream on virtually anything anywhere.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

it's true! but also there are some Americans that still can't stream video to this day, and many more that can only stream video content at like 480p. Some folks commented on a Baldur's Gate 3 thread i posted, lamenting that there is no physical copy for PS5 because their internet isn't good enough to even attempt downloading the game. And all of this is after the last 10 years of advancements in broadband access.

I think it will make sense eventually, but I also think that Microsoft has timed this deal very deliberately. Oh, Ubisoft will have your streaming rights for the next 10 years? As in, you will get those rights back right as game-streaming is starting to finally take off?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

If I can play games at full quality without having to buy a $1000 graphics card every couple of years, I can see streaming catching on in my household. That's a pretty big "if" though...

I imagine being in other countries where gaming rigs are a much bigger deal, budget-wise, streaming will hold an even larger appeal. It's probably why the streaming thing is the holdup in Europe but the US regulators don't care.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

It is silly. The CMA has tunnel vision around this, and because the streaming issue was essentially the main point of contention this change in the deal puts them in a position where they'd look like hypocrites not to let it through. Microsoft just capitalizing on their ignorance (rightly so).

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why would you ever want to stream something from ubisoft? I can't imagine a worse experience.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Idea is to show CMA that they are preserving competition.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think I understand. They're selling the rights to streaming the game, as in, Ubisoft's the only party that'll be able to stream or host streams? Does that mean that the game won't show up on Twitch or Youtube unless Ubisoft gives the thumbs up?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Streaming as in cloud gaming like Stadia.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

As in Ubisoft Will use Azure infrastructure to stream games... I don't think Amazon has that kind of infrastructure. Microsoft however even considered letting Sony set up game streaming on Azure.

Honestly, in a weird way, it makes sense. I don't view neither Ubisoft nor Sony as software companies. Ubisoft makes and publishes games, Sony makes consoles, phones and cameras.

So outsourcing to a company who's job it is to solely focus on backend infrastructure and protocols so that Ubisoft and Sony can focus on doing what they do best.

In any case, I fundamentally oppose game streaming because I want to hold a copy of the software which is licensed to me. Not some streaming service where a game can just suddenly disappear. I don't appreciate these companies retconning products nowadays and it'll get worse still.

Streaming will put the decision and power solely on the publisher. That is scary to me.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I hope the games will be available for streaming on Xcloud, if this goes through

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh no. Not Activision Blizzard! /s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

@Blapoo @heimy Shouls we call it Ubisoft Activision Blizzard then? When does is it end?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

When Tencent buys all of them =/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

@Blapoo @heimy oh wow two mistakes in that short message, oops!