Counterpoint: It's gaming. It is a space with a low barrier to (indie) entry and it is not part of some critical infrastructure. Maybe it is lamentable, but I am not sure antitrust would be my way to go for this.
It will be tough to sell $60 games when you can get the entire library of Microsoft games, plus their partner networks, for $10/month.
Not to mention the potential platform abuses whereby MS can now gate their property behind Windows and Xbox.
And I’m not even that creative. Surely MS will get a return on their $70,000,000,000 investment whether it’s better for the gaming economy and consumers, or not.
The games industry is trying to push $70 MSRP this generation, so I see the savings in Game Pass and potential pressure on standalone pricing to be good.
Given that nearly every popular $60 game now has microtransactions, loot boxes, (paid) season passes, and maybe even (paid) DLC, there's absolutely no reason for the price increase. They're already making buckets of cash (and turning a profit) at the "just $60" price point.
I get this, but this is what bothers me sometimes with these laws, because getting all these games for $10 is better for the consumer, that is why it dominates the market.
Breaking it up just means you end up with a worst product for the consumer and a higher expense.
I think you need to have a longer time horizon. Microsoft cannot justify spending $70B to offer the entire catalog of games for $10/month. They'll use this economic advantage to muscle out the competition and then they'll start adding tiers, raising prices, and other anti-consumer behavior.
This is a common tactic to win public approval for anti-consumer acquisitions. It's always better for there to be more competition, not less.
Self-reply: The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is. Call of Duty, Minecraft, Warcraft, Doom and TES are under one roof where they were under five (or non-existent) 15 years ago.
Whether or not it's legal, it should not be celebrated.
More than you might think. Manifold Garden is one that comes to mind; if you're looking for them in the online store thing, you can find them, although of course they're not the games with discs and cases at Walmart or Target or wherever.
