As expected, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are very pleased with CMA’s announcement (via CNBC). Representatives of the Redmond giant expressed their appreciation for the “rigorous and thorough assessment of the evidence” by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Additionally, they offered to continue working with the regulator to address any concerns officials may have.
“We appreciate the CMA’s rigorous and comprehensive review of the evidence and welcome its updated interim conclusions.
This deal will give more players more options on how to play Call of Duty and their favorite games. We look forward to working with the CMA to resolve any outstanding concerns. »
In turn, the Activision rep said CMA’s announcement demonstrates “a better understanding of the console gaming market, showing a commitment to supporting gamers and the competition.”
“Sony’s campaign to protect its domain by blocking our merger cannot ignore the facts, and Microsoft has already filed effective and binding remedies to address each of the CMA’s remaining concerns. We know this deal will benefit competition, innovation and consumers in the UK.”
Microsoft’s efforts to finalize a deal to buy Activision Blizzard have been building for more than a year. However, all sorts of international bodies are standing in the way of achieving the goal desired by the Americans, who are closely monitoring the entire file and analyzing the possible negative impacts of the merger on the gaming market.
“After reviewing the additional evidence provided, we have now tentatively concluded that the merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in console gaming services, as the cost to Microsoft of retaining PlayStation’s Call of Duty would outweigh on any gain resulting from such action,” said the chairman of the CMA’s independent expert panel, Martin Coleman (via the Competition and Markets Authority).
While the statement could bring Microsoft significantly closer to finalizing the deal, it doesn’t mean it will definitely happen. Indeed, the British remain concerned about the negative impact of the merger on the cloud gaming market. It remains to be patient and wait for more information.