Definition
making a choice from two or more alternativesTerm
Definition
an obstacle that makes it difficult to achieve a desired goal or purpose.Term
Definition
describes choices that are logical and consistent while maximizing value.
AssumptionsTerm
Definition
decision making that’s rational, but limited (bounded) by an individual’s ability to process information.Term
Definition
accepting solutions that are “good enough.”Term
Definition
an increased commitment to a previous decision despite evidence it may have been wrongTerm
Evidence-based management (EBMgt)Definition
the systematic use of the best available evidence to improve management practiceTerm
Definition
straightforward, familiar, and easily defined problems.Term
Definition
a repetitive decision that can be handled by a routine approachTerm
Definition
a series of sequential steps used to respond to a well-structured problemTerm
Definition
an explicit statement that tells managers what can or cannot be doneTerm
Definition
a guideline for making decisionsTerm
Definition
problems that are new or unusual and for which information is ambiguous or incomplete.Term
Definition
unique and nonrecurring and involve custom made solutions.Term
Definition
a situation in which a manager can make accurate decisions because all outcomes are knownTerm
Definition
a situation in which the decision maker is able to estimate the likelihood of certain outcomesTerm
Definition
a situation in which a decision maker has neither certainty nor reasonable probability estimates availableTerm
Definition
a person’s tendency to use external data/facts; the habit of processing information through rational, logical thinking.Term
Definition
a person’s preference for internal sources of information; a method of processing this information with internal insights, feelings, and hunches.Term
Definition
using “rules of thumb” to simplify decision making.Term
Definition
holding unrealistically positive views of oneself and one’s performance.Term
Immediate Gratification BiasDefinition
choosing alternatives that offer immediate rewards and avoid immediate costs.Term
Definition
fixating on initial information and ignoring subsequent information.Term
Selective Perception BiasDefinition
selecting, organizing and interpreting events based on the decision maker’s biased perceptions.Term
Definition
seeking out information that reaffirms past choices while discounting contradictory information.Term
Definition
selecting and highlighting certain aspects of a situation while ignoring other aspects.Term
Definition
losing decision-making objectivity by focusing on the most recent events.Term
Definition
drawing analogies and seeing identical situations when none exist.Term
Definition
creating unfounded meaning out of random events.Term
Definition
forgetting that current actions cannot influence past events and relate only to future consequences.Term
Definition
taking quick credit for successes and blaming outside factors for failures.Term
Definition
mistakenly believing that an event could have been predicted once the actual outcome is known (after-the-fact).Term
Definition
approaching management problems as designers approach design problems.
Microsoft and Sony are both battling behind the scenes over the Activision Blizzard deal, and Microsoft is no longer pulling its punches with regulators
By Tom Warren / @tomwarren
Oct 12, 2022, 6:23 PM UTC|
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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Microsoft isn’t happy with Sony and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. The UK regulator signaled an in-depth review of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard last month, and the CMA has now published its full 76-page report (PDF) on its findings. The CMA says it has concerns that Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal could lessen competition in game consoles, subscriptions, and cloud gaming, but Microsoft thinks the regulator has simply been listening to Sony’s lawyers too much.
Microsoft pleaded for its deal on the day of the Phase 2 decision last month, but now the gloves are well and truly off. Microsoft describes the CMA’s concerns as “misplaced” and says that the regulator “adopts Sony’s complaints without considering the potential harm to consumers” and “incorrectly relies on self-serving statements by Sony which significantly exaggerate the importance of Call of Duty.” Microsoft even accuses the CMA of adopting “Sony’s complaints without the appropriate level of critical review,” suggesting that the regulator is simply just listening too much to what Sony has to say.
At the heart of all the back and forth is access to Call of Duty and concerns around the future of game subscriptions. “The CMA recognizes that ABK’s newest games are not currently available on any subscription service on the day of release but considers that this may change as subscription services continue to grow,” says the UK regulator. “After the Merger, Microsoft would gain control of this important input and could use it to harm the competitiveness of its rivals.”
Microsoft’s full response to the CMA, seen by The Verge, also includes parts where the company tries to, comically, make it look like it somehow sucks at gaming and it can’t compete. Microsoft says Xbox “is in last place in console” and “seventh place in PC” and “nowhere in mobile game distribution globally,” and Microsoft argues it has no reason to harm or degrade rival cloud gaming services as it wants to “encourage the major shift in consumer behavior required for cloud gaming to succeed.”
Microsoft might well be in last place in console sales during the previous generation, but it’s certainly investing billions of dollars to ensure any future Xbox sales aren’t less than half of the PlayStation and that its Xbox Game Pass bet pays off.
Sony and Microsoft have also been battling it out over Call of Duty, and the CMA recognizes this by revealing it’s concerned about Sony’s future revenues related to Call of Duty. “PlayStation currently has a larger share of the console gaming market than Xbox, but the CMA considers that Call of Duty is sufficiently important that losing access to it (or losing access on competitive terms) could significantly impact Sony’s revenues and user base.”
Call of Duty is at the center of Sony and Microsoft’s battles.Image: Activision
Sony has shown how significant Call of Duty is after it labeled Microsoft’s offer to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation “inadequate on many levels.” The Verge revealed last month that Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox chief Phil Spencer made a written commitment to PlayStation head Jim Ryan earlier this year to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years” beyond the existing marketing deal Sony has with Activision. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers,” said PlayStation head Jim Ryan in response.
Now Microsoft says keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation is a “commercial imperative for the Xbox business and the economics of the transaction.” Microsoft says it would put revenue at risk if it pulled Call of Duty from PlayStation and that “Microsoft has been clear that it is counting on revenues from the distribution of Activision Blizzard games on Sony PlayStation.”
Microsoft also accuses Sony of not welcoming competition from Xbox Game Pass and that Sony has decided to block Game Pass on PlayStation. “This increased competition has not been welcomed by the market leader Sony, which has elected to protect its revenues from sales of newly released games, rather than offer gamers the choice of accessing them via its subscription, PlayStation Plus.” This comes just months after Microsoft claimed, in legal filings, that Sony pays for “blocking rights” to keep games off Xbox Game Pass.
If the UK battles are anything to go by, this acquisition could get messy as Microsoft and Sony battle it out behind the scenes to sway regulators. Microsoft even has a dedicated website to highlight its arguments as it seeks to convince regulators that its giant deal isn’t a bad one for gamers. We’re still months away from final regulator decisions, but get ready for this battle to continue to spill out onto the internet’s streets.
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