“We continue to believe this deal will broaden competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told AFP. “We have full confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to take our case to court.”
The takeover bid is also viewed with suspicion in Brussels, which launched an in-depth investigation into its consequences in early November.
The European Commission, which oversees competition in the European Union, said at the time it was concerned that Microsoft “could shut down access to Activision Blizzard’s video games” for consoles and PCs and that the company might be tempted to “strategize to foreclose distributor competition”.
Such strategies could lead to “higher prices, lower quality and less innovation” and less competition in the PC operating system market, the commission said.
