“Gamers Sue to Block Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Deal. Two weeks ago, we learned that Microsoft is facing heat from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its proposed deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. Now it appears that the FTC isn’t the only group looking to throw cold water on this blockbuster deal; a private consumer lawsuit filed in a California federal court also targets Microsoft.
The lawsuit was filed by ten gamers from California, New Jersey, and New Mexico, who allege “the video game industry may lose substantial competition, and Microsoft may have far-outsized market power, with the ability to foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition.” The lawsuit goes on to decry that lack of competition in the video game industry and states that the Activision Blizzard acquisition is just the latest in a long line of Microsoft takeovers during the past eight years that have been anti-consumer.”
From Polygon
“High On Life sets Xbox Game Pass records as ‘biggest 2022 launch’ Squanch Games’ silly sci-fi shooter High On Life is not only the most popular game on Game Pass right now, it’s the biggest Game Pass release of 2022 and the biggest third-party launch in Game Pass history, according to Microsoft. Not content with just two records, High On Life is also the “biggest single-player game launch on Game Pass ever,” based on “the number of hours played in the first five days of release,” Microsoft says. As of Monday, Squanch Games’ new Xbox and Windows PC release was the most popular game on Game Pass, outpacing other titles on the service like Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Minecraft, FIFA 22, Forza Horizon 5, Rainbow Six Siege, and Halo Infinite on console and PC. That’s an impressive feat for a game independently published through Microsoft’s ID@Xbox program, but there are a few reasons that help explain why High On Life managed to set so many records.”
From ComingSoon.net
“Sifu Xbox, Steam Versions Announced, New Arenas Mode Detailed. Sifu was acclaimed when it released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Epic Games Store in February. Now, Xbox and Steam users will be able to get in on Sloclap’s martial arts brawler. The studio announced that the game was coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam in March 2023 alongside a big new update. It will be $39.99 on both platforms. This grand patch will bring in Arenas, a wave-based survival mode. It will have nine maps that all feature new challenges and varying difficulty levels. Conquering each map will unlock new cheats, skins, and modifiers. The teaser for the update shows off some of these maps, which seem to take heavily from the levels in the campaign.”
From EuroGamer
“Microsoft may be introducing cheaper, ad-supported Xbox Game Pass tiers. It looks like Microsoft is considering introducing cheaper, ad-supported tiers of its Xbox Game Pass.
That's according to a survey Microsoft recently circulated to players, inviting views about the current Xbox Game Pass subscription and querying if we'd be willing to accept adverts if the subscription payment was lower. An unsourced screenshot, written in Spanish and shared on ResetEra (via VGC), alleges that Microsoft is surveying players and exploring a tier-like system - similar to that of Ubisoft+ and Sony's PS Plus - by inviting them to "consider hypothetical subscriptions".
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