Microsoft to defend merger with Activision in EU hearing

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Microsoft Chairman Brad Smith will try to convince EU antitrust regulators in a closed hearing on Tuesday that the U.S. software giant’s $69 billion bid for “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard will drive the competition. .

Smith will lead a delegation of 18 senior executives, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, while Activision will be represented by its CEO Robert Kotick, according to a European Commission document seen by Reuters.

The hearing will allow Xbox maker Microsoft to assess the position of EU and national competition officials, as well as Commission lawyers, before presenting solutions to antitrust issues.

Microsoft announced the acquisition in January last year to take on leaders Tencent and Sony, but ran into regulatory hurdles in Europe, the UK and the US.

Sony, who wants to block the operation, sent its head of games, Jim Ryan.

Alphabet’s Google and computer and chip design firm Nvidia Corp, which has a gaming business, will also participate in the hearing, according to the EU document.

“The European Commission has asked us for our advice as part of its investigations into this matter. We will continue to cooperate in any process, upon request, to ensure that all views are considered,” a Google spokesperson said. .

Nvidia declined to comment. The European Game Developers Federation (EGDF), which said the deal will see Microsoft outperform Apple, Google and Tencent, is one of the participants.

Also participating will be video game distributor Valve, video game publisher Electronic Arts and the German antitrust agency and their counterparts in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee: edited in Spanish by Flora Gómez)