![]() Federal Trade Commission lost a court bid to pause the deal so that its in-house judge could review it. Top rival Sony also feared it would limit PlayStation gamers' access to Call of Duty, Activision's long-running military shooter series. Crucially, it got a thumbs-up from the 27-nation European Union after agreeing to allow users and cloud gaming platforms to stream its titles without paying royalties for 10 years.īut the deal faced resistance from British and American regulators who worried it would stifle competition in the video game industry. Since the deal was announced in January 2022, Microsoft has secured approvals from antitrust authorities covering more than 40 countries. Microsoft "now has a big opportunity to dictate the future of the games industry," he said. ![]() However, it also tilts the "balance of power significantly" in favor of Microsoft, whose Xbox console has lagged behind Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo, said George Jijiashvili, senior principal analyst at tech research and advisory firm Omdia. The deal will benefit gamers and be "productive for the gaming industry as a whole," said Josh Chapman, managing partner at venture capital firm Konvoy, which invests in video game startups. Microsoft was grateful for the " thorough review and decision" on a tie-up that "will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide," President Brad Smith said.Īctivision CEO Bobby Kotick says the game maker looks "forward to becoming part of the Xbox Team." "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," the watchdog said. The blessing from the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority was expected after it gave preliminary approval last month to a revamped Microsoft proposal meant to address concerns that the deal would harm competition and hurt gamers, especially in the emerging cloud gaming market where players can avoid buying pricey consoles and stream games to their tablets or phones. He shared a video celebrating the deal, featuring scenes from games to the tune of "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" from the Broadway musical "Oklahoma!" And as we grow, we'll continue to keep players at the heart of it all," said a statement Friday from Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft's Xbox division. ![]() "Players have always been at the center of everything we do. Microsoft has long defended the deal as good for gaming, saying its goal was to get Activision games to more people on more platforms rather than trying to deprive those games from console-makers such as Sony and Nintendo. It's part of a broader industry consolidation that also has some independent game developers worried they'll get sidelined as the industry allocates its resources toward blockbuster franchises with a history of past success. The nearly 22 months it took to close the deal reflected concerns from rivals and government regulators that Microsoft could use its growing collection of games to lessen competition. The software giant also has bigger ambitions to fold Activision titles into its multi-game subscription service that works something like a Netflix for video games. Taking over the studios behind blockbuster games like Call of Duty, Diablo and Overwatch will be a boost for Microsoft's Xbox gaming console, which ranks third in sales behind PlayStation and Nintendo. The notice that the deal has gone through came seven hours after Microsoft got final approval from Britain's competition watchdog, which reversed its earlier decision to block the $69 billion gaming deal, removing the last obstacle for the transaction. Microsoft has completed its acquisition of video game-maker Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, closing one of the most expensive tech acquisitions in history that could have repercussions across the video game industry.
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