Aug 22, 2023 at 11:12 AM Update: 2 hours ago
Microsoft has made new commitments to acquire game developer Activision Blizzard after all. The British regulator CMA blocked the deal in June, because otherwise the software giant may become too powerful in the online games market.
Microsoft pledges to relinquish rights to Activision games streamed over the cloud for 15 years. The software giant wants to sell those rights to the French game publisher Ubisoft. With this and a number of other changes, Microsoft is trying to accommodate the British regulator.
It was precisely the great power that Microsoft would gain in the field of games in the cloud that worried CMA. Microsoft owns the game brand Xbox. This means that the company is also very active in streaming video games.
The British regulator fears that Microsoft will lose many popular games, such as Call of Duty in World of Warcraft, exclusive to the Xbox. This allows the company to disadvantage game enthusiasts who play on the PlayStation, for example.
Supervisor CMA did not agree with an earlier takeover proposal from Microsoft. Europe has already approved the acquisition.
No green light from the British yet
Now the regulator is looking at whether the software company and Activision Blizzard have removed all objections with the new proposal. “This is not a green light,” said CMA head Sarah Cardell. “We carefully and objectively assess the impact of the amended deal on the competition.”
Microsoft expects a decision from the British before October 18. That is the postponed deadline for closing the deal. Originally, the software company wanted to complete the acquisition in June. Microsoft has 69 billion dollars (63.2 billion euros) left for Activision Blizzard.
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2023-08-22 09:12:56
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