gaming industry Microsoft just bought Zenimax (owner itself of Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios and many others)

[ladyonthemoon]

I think it's the last drop but what do you think of that?

 

• Pete Hines: "Why Microsoft Is the Perfect Fit".
• Todd Howard on joining XBox.

[Thaeris]

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but when I see this stuff, I just wonder where anti-trust has gone...

[ladyonthemoon]

36 minutes ago, Thaeris said:

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but when I see this stuff, I just wonder where anti-trust has gone...

Nowhere obviously... Another hypocrisy.

[Dintiradan]

I realize Microsoft isn't just entertainment, but has there ever been an anti-trust case made after an entertainment acquisition? I just don't see an anti-trust case being made against, say, Disney (for more reasons than one).

[Randomizer]

Trump's anti-trust cases are only against companies where he hates the owner or a foreign company when he's scoring political points. Even then he back tracks when he needs that country's help (China).

[Thaeris]

I'd hate to draw the ugly side of politics into this, so let me say that I do not care who holds what office. Failure to uphold anti-trust goes back a LONG ways, way before any current abuser of public funds and trust. There is a continual argument, mostly from one side - but sides don't matter, because they're all in on it - that anti-trust legislation hampers the right of a business to succeed. These arguments generally fail to acknowledge that monopolistic enterprises are usually far from vulnerable. Also, everything else they ignore when they push that narrative. Anti-trust laws were enacted because the people - at least the People of the United States - at one time very clearly saw what overpowering corporations do when they get too big. A game company is an annoyance in this concern. Every time I hear about telecom mergers, defense mergers, etc., it just freaks me right out.

[Edgwyn]

The anti-trust case against Microsoft is about Windows and Office dominating the market, which they have for 30 or so years now.

[Phthonic Duck]

Which is more problematic now that they sell them as "a service" rather than a product -- so the user no longer even has the control to keep using a specific version of the software, if they want to.

[Randomizer]

That's because it's more profitable to sell for an annual fee by forcing "upgrades" than one time for each computer. The old sale model is gone to make way for a steady profit stream. Now you don't always own what you buy by download.

 

I was happy with my older operating system until I could no longer access web sites because the older browser is no longer supported or upgraded.