• jballs@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    Damn, would be crazy if they succeed in undoing the merger. Would be nice to see some consequences for blatantly lying to the court.

  • DominusOfMegadeus@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    Microsoft has realized it can do absolutely anything and that the government will do absolutely nothing. And what is the point of all of this? A few already, enormously wealthy executives get a few more millions of dollars? Who fucking cares? The real important thing is the people doing the work to create a product that millions of others enjoy. That they have a job and can earn a livelihood. But none of that matters to the psychopaths who run these corporations. Why do we continue to allow this to happen? I don’t know why I even bother writing comments anymore. I’ve depressed myself.

    • Tiffany@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      The only way to fight back is with your wallet. Unfortunately we are SUBSTANTIALLY outnumbered. It is what it is.

        • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          People that are willing to abstain from purchasing a game in protest versus the “shut up and take my money” masses

          • [email protected]@sh.itjust.works
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            10 months ago

            I’m still boycotting World of Warcraft, even though I’m a big fan of Warcraft and RPGs.
            I simply refuse to pay a subscription.
            Luckily, that worked well and the game didn’t take off at all.

        • kyle@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          When your weapons are dollars, we are woefully ill equipped

    • dunestorm@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Blizzard don’t make Blizzard games anymore, all of the original staff left a very long time ago. They are just Blizzard in name and nothing else.

  • Vaderhoff@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I don’t think I’ve seen a game studio acquisition happen without layoffs of some sort. Doesn’t make it right, but it does seem like a horrible routine.

    • dunestorm@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Yeah but 1,900 staff, come the fuck on that’s a mass exodus not a layoff. I’m in a company of 300+ people and it’s a HUGE number of people, I can hardly process over 6x as many layoffs…

      • Vaderhoff@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Oh absolutely agreed. It just sucks that this isn’t unusual, no matter how small or great the number. Hope the peeps get snatched up by better studios

    • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I don’t think I’ve seen a game studio acquisition happen without layoffs of some sort. Doesn’t make it right, but it does seem like a horrible routine.

      It really depends on if the layoffs were done because they were duplicate people for the same job position, versus clearing house so that the stockholders are happier by having better profits.

  • Vaderhoff@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    This also pretty shitty on account that Kotick initiated loads of layoffs just before acquisition talks were even public. This is usual practice to make the company seem more valuable.

    • pdxfed@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Well I for one am shocked to see a megacap do significant layoffs after M&A, talk about breaking with tradition!

  • secundnature@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    They talk about broken promises and misrepresentation of what they would do after the merger. Corporations aren’t people and don’t have morals to stop them from breaking promises or just flat out lying. The only way they will do anything is if it makes them money or they are forced (regulated)

  • BmeBenji@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    And I’m not too happy with how capitalism chows down on the poor like the fucking Oroborus it is yet here we fuckin are.

  • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Eli5 please… in lieu of US trust busting, couldn’t literally any government entity like the EU, where msft etc Al do business, have stopped this acquisition? How did this happen in the first place?

  • BigTrout75@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Like when do big mergers like this not end in layoffs? The redundancy in management wouldn’t make sense. Like what does the FTC think Microsoft was going to do? 😆

    • Sacha@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      It was more than just managers and redundant positions that were laid off. And it was mostly blizzard employees laid off specifically.

      Also

      /no please don’t attack this innocent multi trillion dollar company

      • Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        I don’t think he was defending the company, more saying that OF COURSE they’re going to do big layoffs, it only makes sense, and so if you (the courts) don’t stop them, then well… You don’t blame a lion for hunting a gazelle, it’s just what they do.

  • LifeOfChance@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’m guessing because they haven’t been paid their share of the profits and savings. FTC only cares about themselves nothing more.