You may recall that in late 2022, a group of 10 “video gamers” decided to file a federal antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard, suggesting that the acquisition could prove detrimental to the industry.
However, in a California court this week, a judge sided with Microsoft’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying “the lawsuit does not plausibly allege that the merger creates a reasonable likelihood of anti-competitive in any relevant market”.
Here’s an expert take on the end result (you can read the whole thing courtesy of Dig patents):
“The allegations in the complaint are consistent with the plaintiffs’ theory that to satisfy their prima facie charge, they need only plausibly allege a reasonable likelihood that the merger will eliminate a Microsoft rival. For the reasons explained (in the document), the Court disagrees.
Judge Corley: “Why would Microsoft make Call of Duty exclusive to its platforms, resulting in the sale of fewer games? What’s in the console market or the PC games market and the position of Microsoft in those markets that makes it plausible…Microsoft would take such action.” – Florian Mueller (@FOSSpatents) March 21, 2023
As mentioned in the previous tweet, plaintiffs always have the option to try again, so this might not be the last we hear about this case. However, Microsoft will surely breathe a sigh of relief based on this week’s verdict.
Of course, Microsoft still has to think through the CMA, European Commission, and FTC when it comes to Activision Blizzard, but it looks like progress is finally starting in the right direction for the company.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments section below.
(source twitter.com)
Fraser has an unhealthy obsession with all things Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead series and has an intimate knowledge of sports games on Xbox. He also supports Walsall FC, that West Midlands team you’ve never heard of.