Microsoft Lawyer’s 10-Day Race to Save the Biggest Gaming Deal
Beth Wilkinson had 10 days to save Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., the biggest
2023-08-23 02:50
Rocket League Rank Distribution: Season 11 Breakdown
Full breakdown of Rocket League Rank Distribution for Season 11 in Ranked Standard 3v3.
2023-08-23 02:20
Microsoft changes its takeover of Call of Duty developer in attempt to get it approved
Microsoft has made a major change to its proposed takeover of the developer of Call of Duty, in yet another attempt to get it completed. The company is hoping to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, or £54 billion, in what would be one of the biggest sales ever. But it has faced intense regulatory scrutiny, including by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which has looked to block the deal. Now it has said that it has sent a fresh proposal for how the takeover would work in an attempt to convince the CMA that the deal should go ahead. But it has stressed that there is still no “green light” for the deal. It came as the regulator confirmed on Tuesday that Microsoft‘s original plan to buy the computer games company “cannot proceed”. Under the new proposal, Microsoft would sell off its rights to offer games via the cloud for new or existing Activision PC or console games for the next 15 years outside the European Economic Area (EEA). It will instead sell those rights to Ubisoft, a rival developer known for the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry games series. This is designed to ensure that gamers have access to Activision Blizzard’s games, even on consoles and computers not made by Microsoft. The CMA will now launch a new probe into this deal, a so-called Phase 1 investigation. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “The CMA has today confirmed that Microsoft‘s acquisition of Activision, as originally proposed, cannot proceed. “Separately, Microsoft has notified a new and restructured deal, which is substantially different from what was put on the table previously “This is not a green light. We will carefully and objectively assess the details of the restructured deal and its impact on competition, including in light of third-party comments.” Microsoft president Brad Smith said: “Under the restructured transaction, Microsoft will not be in a position either to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services.” It marks a new twist in the case, the biggest fight the CMA has taken on since gaining new post-Brexit powers. At one point the case looked like as though it would only end after a court battle. In January 2022 Microsoft announced that it planned to buy Activision Blizzard, the company behind the Call Of Duty and World Of Warcraft games, for an eye-watering sum. When the UK was still an EU member, a deal of that size would have been assessed by regulators in Brussels. But after Brexit the CMA now has the power to investigate such deals itself. Although both companies are American, both have significant businesses in the UK so their tie-up could have a significant impact on competition here. Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick said: “For us, nothing substantially changes with the addition of this divestiture: our merger agreement with Microsoft, closing deadline, and the cash consideration to be paid for each Activision Blizzard share at closing remain the same. “We will continue to work closely with Microsoft and the CMA throughout the remaining review process, and we are committed to help Microsoft clear any final hurdles as quickly as possible. “This has been a longer journey than expected, and I am very proud of how focused everyone has remained on delivering great games.” Additional reporting by agencies Read More Meta could finally launch Threads feature everyone is waiting for Japanese scientists hoping for a message from alien life imminently iPhone 15 could bring two major changes to fix battery life Meta could finally launch Threads feature everyone is waiting for Japanese scientists hoping for a message from alien life imminently iPhone 15 could bring two major changes to fix battery life
2023-08-23 00:49
Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 Battle Pass Skins Leaked
Leaked Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 Battle Pass skins show a new Diamond Dealer skin and Fishstick skin coming to the next Fortnite Battle Pass.
2023-08-23 00:29
New Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 POIs Leaked: Full List
Three leaked Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 POIs reveal the layouts and desert biome of Eclipsed Estate, Relentless Retreat, and Sanguine Suites.
2023-08-23 00:21
How the Microsoft-Activision Deal Came Back From the Dead
If Microsoft Corp. completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the coming months, the $69 billion deal will
2023-08-22 23:54
Six of the biggest streaming scandals of all time
When you’re living your life constantly online, it’s no surprise that streamers occasionally make mistakes for all to see. Streamers have become some of the most watched people on the planet over recent times, with millions tuning in to consume content on platforms like Kick and Twitch. Inevitably, mistakes – deliberate or not – are made and scandals emerge, with platforms quick to clamp down on anything that infringes on their rules. These are the biggest scandals in streaming history, from content violations to the most unfortunate slip ups imaginable. iShowSpeed The most recent - and arguably most unfortunate - scandal involves iShowSpeed. The 18-year-old accidentally exposed himself to thousands of fans while live streaming to 24,000 fans. He inadvertently flashed the camera, explaining that it all happened because he didn't have any clean underwear and had to go commando on the day. He escaped being banned by YouTube, thankfully, but he’s been subjected to trolling by fans in the days since with people (including his father, no less) constantly calling him "IShowMeat" online. "These past days and hours, I've been suffering very mentally, genuinely," iShowSpeed told viewers recently, honestly discussing his feelings since the incident. "At the end of the day, I'm still a human being." He said it was "one of the worst fears" that has happened and that it's "just depressing." "You guys are joking, you guys can crack your jokes – but you're genuinely not looking at the bigger picture," he said. "Do you all know I have family, little siblings?" "I don't know what to do anymore, bro," Speed added. Twitch streamer banned for running over dog A Twitch streamer was banned from the platform for appearing to run over a dog after getting distracted by her phone while driving her car in a bizarre case earlier this year. On February 17th, Polish streamer 'sidneuke' was streaming from her car and chatting to her followers when she briefly glanced down at her phone. In those few seconds the car appears to hit something and a small yelp can be heard. A distressed 'sidneuke' then stops the car and gets out to check whatever she hit was ok. Shortly after the ban 'sidneuke' received a ban from Twitch. Her account read at the time: "This channel is currently unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service." It is not clear if the ban is permanent or not. It was not clear why 'sidneuke' was hit with a ban but it has been suggested that it was for using her phone while she was driving, which has happened to other streamers on the platform. Twitch streamer banned for 'sexual content' while playing fishing simulator A Twitch live streamer was banned due to “sexual content” in 2022 while streaming a fishing game and hit out at the platform as a result. Streamer Sara "ih3artpew" Heart criticised the app, owned by Amazon, for the indefinite ban which came just minutes into a stream. Heart claims the Amazon-owned site banned her for “sexual content” but insists there was nothing sexual about the stream. The incident occurred on 22 August last year when Heart went live online playing the game, Ultimate Fishing. Woman banned for having sex while live on a Twitch stream A popular Twitch streamer was banished from the platform for sexual content in 2022, marking one of the most blatant violations of streaming rules. Kimmikka was banned for having live sex during one of her broadcasts. While the footage didn't explicitly show anything explicit, the window reflection gave it away. The pair were drinking alcohol while the camera focused primarily on her face. Her facial expressions soon started to change, creating suspicions in the comments. Her partner's face can also be seen in the background at one point, while the streamer tried to keep things discreet by continuing to respond to viewers. Twitch streamer banned for humping Garfield toy Viral Canadian Twitch streamer and YouTuber Ricky Berwick was banned from the platform after he “humped” his stuffed Garfield toy. Surprisingly, though, he said he had no regrets. Berwick is known on social media to create comedic skits, but things went a little too far during the broadcast earlier this year. On 4 January, StreamerBans shared a tweet, relaying the news that Twitch banned Berwick. Fortunately, the creator didn’t waste any time revealing what went down and how long the platform said his punishment would carry on. In a post on his official Twitter, Berwick shared a screenshot of an email Twitch sent him about getting a “Community guidelines strike” concerning “sexually explicit content”. “My Twitch is disabled like me,” Berwick captioned the tweet. And in another tweet, he said he got the suspension because he decided to get a bit frisky with his Garfield stuffed animal. “It's only a 7 day ban. I humped my Garfield plush (clothed) for 20 subs.Worth ittt,” Berwick added. Streamer banned after recording himself receiving oral sex Twitch streamer Heelmike was banished from rival platform Kick for a single day after recording himself receiving oral sex. The crude footage showed Heelmike recording himself while a woman performed the sex act. He took to social media following the act, admitting he was "over the top". "One day ban on Kick after averaging 15K views and honestly I got lost in the sauce and was over the top," he admitted. "I’ll be back with the energy, but not being disrespectful." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-22 23:17
KSI vs Tommy Fury and Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis press conference: How do you watch it and what time does it start?
The moment many fans have been waiting for, the KSI, Tommy Fury, Logan Paul and Dillon Danis fiery press conference. The four main-event fighters will host a joint press conference at Wembley Arena ahead of their respective boxing matches on 14 October in Manchester. YouTuber KSI will fight Fury – half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson – after Paul has taken on Conor McGregor’s teammate Danis in Manchester. It’s all part of the MF & Dazn:X Series event, which is a new crossover series promoted by Misfits Boxing and will see some of the biggest names in entertainment, sport and lifestyle headline fight nights. These events “will bring boxing fans around the world the premium and professional live sports action guaranteed with Dazn alongside a supercharged production fit for the stars and icons of the entertainment world and beyond,” the official Dazn website has said. The press conference is set to take place on Tuesday 22 August. Fans will be present during the show, but tickets are no longer available to purchase. According to TalkSport, tickets were sold out in an instant last week after they were available for fans to grab. What time will the press conference start? The much-anticipated conference is set to kick off at 4pm BST and will be streamed across various social-media channels and platforms. This includes KSI’s YouTube channel and the Misfits Boxing YouTube channel. How to watch Aside from live streaming on YouTube, the event will also be available on Dazn, which is a subscription channel available across various TV platforms including Sky. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here. The Dazn website has said if you are in Argentina, Chile and Colombia you can download the Dazn app from the Apple App Store or Android Google Play store and then sign up from there to watch the show. What devices are supported on Dazn? Mobile devices such as iPhones, iPad, Android phones and tablets as well as Amazon Fire Tablet are accepted. TV and streaming devices are also accepted, the list includes Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, LG Smart TV, Smartcast, Panasonic Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV and Sony Smart TV. For game consoles, you can access the event on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, XBox One and XBox Series X | S. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Read More Logan Paul claims he walked out of Oppenheimer because ‘nothing happened’ Tommy Fury announces plans to conquer Hollywood after boxing retirement: ‘I’ve made my mind up’ Tommy Fury promises knockout as KSI fight confirmed for October Mings vows to bounce back as Kane settles in – Monday’s sporting social Conor McGregor calls out KSI for bare-knuckle fight after Anthony Joshua wins by KO Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis added to KSI vs Tommy Fury card
2023-08-22 19:24
The Witcher director Marc Jobst explains why he believes Henry Cavill quit as the fantasy series' lead
Marc Jobst believes the role had become too "draining" and "demanding" for the Hollywood star.
2023-08-22 19:17
Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, bids farewell to role after 30 years
Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, will no longer be voicing the iconic role of Mario for Nintendo.
2023-08-22 19:16
Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 Countdown
The Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 countdown is on as fans away the new heist season releasing on Friday, Aug. 25 with new POIs and a fresh Battle Pass.
2023-08-22 02:51
Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 Battle Pass: What We Know So Far
The Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 4 Battle Pass is set to feature heist-inspired skins and cosmetics, along with a secret skin, that will be released on Friday, Aug. 25.
2023-08-22 01:49