It was revealed at the end of March that Xbox seemed close to approving the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the UK, with the CMA explaining that they no longer had concerns about Obligation y PlayStation.
Unsurprisingly, Sony isn’t too happy about it. In the company’s response to the CMA, the decision was called “shocking, unprecedented and irrational.” Here is an example of the introduction and conclusion of the document:
“The CMA’s reversal of its position on the theory of harm for consoles is startling, unprecedented, and irrational. Interim Findings (“PF”) assessed a significant body of evidence in the cycle to support its conclusion that Microsoft would have the ability and incentive to retain Activision content, and that it would significantly lessen competition by excluding PlayStation.
“…In conclusion, SIE respectfully submits that the Appendix does not justify the CMA’s change of direction in the console damage theory. The revised LTV model is riddled with errors that bias the model to find no incentive for Microsoft to exclude. The addendum rejects, without cause, the PF’s exhaustive analysis of other evidence establishing Microsoft’s incentives. And the discussion of the partial addendum lockdown is based on pure speculation, rather than evidence.”
“To make an informed decision, the CMA should revisit its analysis of Microsoft’s incentives and partial lockdown, correcting the errors identified in this document.”
The rest of the document details why Sony believes the CMA made the wrong decision that Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard won’t hurt the console market, and offers 10 pages of observations.
There’s always the possibility that the AMC will reverse its decision, but that seems unlikely at this point. That being said, Microsoft has yet to cross the line as the UK regulator is still considering the impact of the acquisition on the cloud gaming market.
If you want to read Sony’s report, you’ll find the full article on the UK government’s website along with Microsoft’s response to the findings, the latter of course welcome!
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments section below.
(source gov.uk)
Fraser has an unhealthy obsession with all things Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead series and has extensive knowledge of Xbox sports games. He also supports Walsall FC, that West Midlands team you’ve never heard of.