It's also a tried and true strategy that brought Microsoft to the spot it is now. Evil and corrupt, but very effective. Only eee (embrace, extend, extinguish) is even more insidious because it requires companies to play the long con.

Then again in 2024, I automatically assume "con" first until I see evidence to the contrary.

If this is the name of the game, it's dumb. It's not like they lined the Devs up along a wall. They'll still be able to serve other companies with their talent since Microsoft just cut their leads.