Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Bytes

EU antitrust regulators set a date for Microsoft + Activision decision

The investigation will conclude in November but if concerns are raised an extended phase could begin

Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, a leader in game development and an interactive entertainment content publisher. The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like "Warcraft," "Diablo," "Overwatch," "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush."

Microsoft‘s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has the industry discussing the future implications such a major deal could pose. Progress has been glacial but at least now a date has been set for EU antitrust regulators to decide whether or not to clear the deal.

The deadline is set for November 8th 2022, however if the findings from the first phase of the investigation raise major concerns it is possible that a second four-month-long phase could be opened. This will enable a deeper dive into the rippling effects that the merger may create.

During this process, the EU antitrust regulators will be assessing whether the merger would have a significant impact on industry competition. The acquisition will be analysed by regulators to ensure that it does not create a concentration of market power or form a type of monopoly. This analysis of market impact is to ensure that businesses continue to operate efficiently and keep prices down, whilst product quality remains high.

To be or not to be?

In September the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which acts as the UK’s competition regulator, conducted its own investigation into the merger. This was expanded into a second phase as the deal highlighted concerns that PlayStation may not be able to keep up with the competition, given that Microsoft would gain ownership of the massively popular Call of Duty franchise.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer addressed these concerns, stating that Call of Duty will continue to release on PlayStation “for several more years”, however Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan rebutted that the proposal was “inadequate on many levels”.

If the deal goes ahead it will stand as the biggest acquisition the gaming industry has seen. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently expressed confidence that the company will receive approval from regulators and be able to close the deal.

Written By

Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.

You May Also Like

Level Up

Eager to be at the metaverse frontier, but not sure how to get started? As exciting as the idea of a shared digital space...

Bytes

New blockchain gaming platform based on Unreal Engine 5.

Bytes

The record for the most expensive land sale in the metaverse has just been raised

Bytes

Voice suppression tech prevents the real world from overhearing your in-metaverse conversations

Advertisement
Advertisement

Subscribe to the future

Advertisement