This article discusses the history of competition and control in the video game industry, focusing on the role of 3rd-party developers and the strategies of major console manufacturers. It also examines the recent acquisition of Activision by Microsoft and the concerns raised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The article argues that Microsoft's acquisition is a response to Sony's dominance in the market and a bet on a new business model that offers consumers a better deal. The author questions the FTC's concerns and suggests that the real threat to the industry is the dominance of storefronts that extract high fees without contributing to development.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is expected to share its preliminary judgement on Microsoft's revised Activision Blizzard deal next week, with the final decision expected on October 18th.
Main topic: Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Key points:
1. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has stated that Microsoft's revised agreement addresses previous concerns and clears the way for the deal to be approved.
2. The sale of Activision's cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft is a significant change that prevents Microsoft from gaining control of important content in cloud gaming.
3. The CMA still wants assurances that the provisions in the sale of cloud streaming rights cannot be circumvented, terminated, or not enforced, but believes Microsoft's offered remedies should resolve any remaining concerns.
Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been provisionally approved by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, with the deal now including carve-outs for cloud gaming rights to address monopoly concerns.
Britain's media watchdog, Ofcom, has referred an inquiry into Microsoft and Amazon's dominance of the cloud computing market to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns about limited competition, difficulty in switching providers, and interoperability issues. The CMA will investigate the market and determine whether any action needs to be taken, with the investigation set to conclude by April 2025.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating Microsoft and Amazon over potential anti-competitive practices in the country's cloud infrastructure services market, following a report from Ofcom that highlighted limited competition and concentration in the sector.
Microsoft is set to announce the finalization of its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week, pending approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, after overcoming regulatory battles in Europe and the US.
Microsoft is expected to complete its $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard next week, pending final approval from the UK, allowing for the potential integration of Activision Blizzard games onto the Xbox Game Pass platform.
Microsoft is set to complete its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard next week pending approval from UK regulator, the CMA.
Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision-Blizzard-King for $72 billion is expected to close soon pending final UK approval, with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick hinting at the revival of franchises like Guitar Hero and discussing future tech like machine learning and AI.
Microsoft is expected to avoid a fresh investigation from the EU into its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, as the changes to the deal do not need to go through the approvals process again.
UK antitrust officials have approved Microsoft's planned takeover of Activision Blizzard, clearing the final regulatory hurdle and allowing one of the biggest tech deals of all time to proceed.
Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been cleared by UK regulators after the company agreed to sell streaming rights, allowing it to compete with Sony in the video-gaming market.
Microsoft has completed its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making it the company's largest acquisition ever and positioning Microsoft as the third-largest gaming company by revenue.
Microsoft has finalized its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, with Xbox chief Phil Spencer welcoming Activision Blizzard King employees in an internal memo and expressing excitement about the prospects of the unified team.
Microsoft completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, boosting its Xbox gaming console and multi-game subscription service, despite facing opposition from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Microsoft has completed its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, making it the company's largest acquisition ever and leading to speculation on how the gaming giant will handle its newfound intellectual properties.
