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This isn't about Microsoft vs Sony. This isn't even about anti-consumer tactics. This is about preventing consolidation and monopolization of an industry. Monop
by ARandumGuy 4y ago
This isn't about Microsoft vs Sony. This isn't even about anti-consumer tactics. This is about preventing consolidation and monopolization of an industry. Monopolization stifles competition, which always hurts consumers in the long run. There is no reason a consumer should want this deal to go through, even if you're the biggest Xbox fan.
- julienb_sea 4y agoConsolidation is not inherently anti-consumer. Example: in this context, consolidation could lead to a merger of Blizzard games and subscriptions into Xbox game pass without any price increase. This would be a pretty clear win for consumers.
- dmonitor 4y agoeverything being on a fucking subscription is NOT a good thing. Microsoft can raise the price whenever they feel like it. They can also launch games subscription-exclusive if they feel like it. Stop trying to push people not owning things as a pro-consumer business model when it is conceptually predatory.
- HaZeust 4y agoIt is anti-consumer if such merger and circumstance causes those games to be exclusively accessible to those with Gamepass. While exclusivity is competition, too much of it is monopoly - and there are people who study anti-trust within industries for a living, and they're making a pretty good case that this is too much.
- madeofpalk 4y agoWhat you're saying is that Microsoft will not have to compete on creating a good game subscription service for other publishers and developers because they can just buy up everyone. That is, by definition, anticompetitive. Removing competition from the market.
- meowkit 4y agoThe person you are responding to said anti-consumer, not anti-competitive.
- madeofpalk 4y agoBut with there being no competition, things will be worse for consumers. That's why 'we' have anti-competition laws.
- int_19h 4y agoThere is a fringe economic theory, popular mainly in right "libertarian" circles, that claims otherwise, e.g.: https://truthonthemarket.com/2014/09/13/peter-thiel-on-the-virtues-of-monopoly/ https://truthonthemarket.com/2014/09/13/peter-thiel-on-the-v...
- madeofpalk 4y agoIt's not particularly surprisingly that a venture capitalist thinks monopolies are cool
- int_19h 4y agoShort-term. Long-term, any kind of consolidation upsets the power balance between the customers and the monopolist in favor of the latter, and it's only a matter of time before it will be taken advantage of. In your example, it would be likely that the price of the Xbox game pass will increase eventually, once there's less competition.
- anthonypasq 4y agothere's absolutely nothing monopolistic about this deal. How can you say that with a straight face?
- micromacrofoot 4y agooligopolistic?