The Activision Blizzard drama was reopened once again today after the recent publication of responses to the UK Competition and Markets Authority from Microsoft and Sony, although they are actually dated February 22, 2023; this is only the first time that we have seen them publicly!

There’s a lot to be done on both sides, but Sony’s goal is to highlight why any “behavioral remedy” from Microsoft to approve the acquisition would not be appropriate due to “the leverage they would give to Microsoft on PlayStation”. such as the difficulty for the CMA to monitor and control any possible behavioral compromise.

Here is what the conclusion says:

“To remedy the competitive harm to consoles and cloud gaming, the transaction must be barred or subject to a structural remedy. SIE is extremely skeptical of reaching a deal with Microsoft, let alone of monitor it and enforce it effectively.”

“As a result, the CMA should not agree to a behavioral compromise that was designed to form the basis of an agreement between Microsoft and SIE because there is no realistic prospect of such an agreement being reached that would maintain effective competition. More generally, behavioral remedies are not appropriate for this case because of the leverage they would give Microsoft on PlayStation and the difficulty the CMA would encounter in specifying, monitoring, controlling and enforcing any behavioral commitments. .”

The rest of Sony’s answers detail why this is the company’s view, with over 10 pages of explanation. You can see a short preview of the document below or read it for yourself on the UK CMA website.

It’s worth remembering that it’s been a few weeks since these answers were first documented, so things may have changed since then, but Sony’s wording here seems pretty definitive that a deal will be struck. Never to be caught up by Microsoft… ultimately, however, it’s up to the AMC and other regulators to decide what next steps to take.

What do you think of all this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

(source assets.publishing.service.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.

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