Microsoft: As it stands, Activision-Blizzard acquisition could “harm gamers” according to CMA

Suspended from the decisions and declarations of the various commissions, Microsoft expects the acquisition to be completed in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, a lot of players don’t seem determined to make it easy for them…

Microsoft: As it stands, the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard could “harm gamers” according to CMA

Indeed, after five months of investigation, The UK Markets and Competition Authority (CMA) has presented its report in which it expresses several concerns. According to her, such an acquisition could serve the players and “lead to higher prices, less choice and less innovation”.

To carry out its investigations, the CMA notably analyzed more than 3 million internal documents and interviewed around 40,000 players UNITED KINGDOM. Thus, in its conclusions, it specifies in particular that the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, combined with the numerous infrastructures related to Cloud Gaming held by Xbox, could create a great imbalance :

The CMA tentatively found that buying one of the world’s largest game publishers would strengthen this strong position and significantly reduce the competition Microsoft would face in the UK cloud gaming market. It could disrupt the future of gaming, potentially hurting UK gamers, especially those who can’t afford or don’t want to buy an expensive games console or gaming PC.

Call of Duty in the center of all eyes

Then comes the main subject of debate in this case: the Call of Duty license. Also according to the regulatory body, franchise “plays an important role in maintaining competition” and it is unthinkable to see such a big industry giant become exclusive to an ecosystemor offer a less successful version on PlayStation.

Thus, Microsoft’s various proposals, notably assuring that they want the marketing of the next works on PlayStation for 10 years, does not change anything. In addition, the Redmond firm has repeatedly stated that the fact of making such a license exclusive would not make sense.

For its part, and so that the takeover bid has a better chance of being validated, the CMA even brings up the idea that the FPS franchise is not included in the agreement. But given the amount spent by Xbox, it’s hard to imagine that Call of Duty is no longer worried…

Microsoft wants to fight back

Of course, the company headed by Satya Nadella He does not intend to stop there and seems determined to counter the arguments of the British authority. For example, Microsoft Vice President and Assistant General Counsel Rima Alaily confirmed that she wants “offer effective and easily applicable solutions that address the concerns of CMAs”.

Microsoft therefore has until March 1 to file its case with the CMA, which will give its final opinion on April 26…