Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is confident that the company’s proposal Acquision of Activision Blizzard will receive regulatory approval. He believes the amount of scrutiny the deal is receiving is normal and that regulators will find it over the edge.
Microsoft believes the Activision deal will be successful despite scrutiny
Source: Getty Images / Sean Gallup
In an interview with Bloomberg, Nadella said of the Activision purchase: “Obviously, any acquisition of this size will be examined, but we are very, very confident that we will make it.” She pointed out that Sony is the number one player in the video game industry and has recently made several acquisitions without being blocked. “So if it’s about competition, we’re competing,” Nadella said, referring to the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s statement that the deal could “weaken Playstation”.
Microsoft’s possible acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been a sore point for PlayStation, particularly the Call of Duty series. Jim Ryan called Phil Spencer about the possibility of the series becoming an Xbox exclusive.
An official statement released to Gamesindustry.biz highlights how much the prospect of losing Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard titles on PlayStation weighs on Sony:
By giving Microsoft control of Activision games like Call of Duty, this deal would have major negative implications for gamers and the future of the gaming industry. We want to ensure that PlayStation players continue to have the highest quality gaming experience and we appreciate the CMA’s focus on player protection.
However, Microsoft has very little to gain by turning any huge cross-platform hit into an Xbox exclusive. The company is increasingly focusing on selling software and doesn’t seem to care if you’re using a competitor’s Xbox, PC, cloud, or console to play its games.
In other news, Cyberpunk Edgerunners is bringing gamers back to the game en masse, and Kojima has announced a new watch.
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