Tag: Microsoft acquisition

Microsoft’s Potential Acquisition of Activision Blizzard: What This Means for Gamers
19Jul By adminNo Comments
Technology

Microsoft’s Potential Acquisition of Activision Blizzard: What This Means for Gamers

[ad_1] The sun finally came out for Microsoft. On 11 July, Judge Jacqueline Corley ruled in favor of the Redmond, Washington-based company in its dispute against the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the purchase of Activision Blizzard, one of the world's largest video game developers. An appeal by the FTC to temporarily halt the deal was denied by an appellate court late last week.With these decisions, the tech giant is now one step closer to closing the $69 billion acquisition deal, which was first announced back in January 2022. The court's decision removes the hurdle of the FTC, however, across the pond, Microsoft still faces pushback from regulators in the United Kingdom who argue that the deal could stifle competition in the cloud gaming market. And Microsoft is re...
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Microsoft’s $69 Bn Activision Deal May Get New UK Probe
13Jul By adminNo Comments
Technology

Microsoft’s $69 Bn Activision Deal May Get New UK Probe

[ad_1] Britain's antitrust watchdog said that a new merger investigation into Microsoft Corp.'s $69 billion Activision Blizzard Inc. deal may be needed if the duo restructure their deal in a bid to reverse a UK veto.After a US court approved the largest-ever gaming deal, all parties decided to put on hold an appeal trial against the CMA's decision to block it. That pause gives the firms a chance to suggest potential fixes aimed at easing UK concerns that the takeover would stymie competition. “Merging parties don't have the opportunity to put forward new remedies once a final report has been issued, they can choose to restructure a deal, which can lead to a new merger investigation,” a spokesperson from the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement Wednesday. Sending the dea...
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Microsoft can move ahead with record $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, judge rules
12Jul By adminNo Comments
Technology

Microsoft can move ahead with record $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, judge rules

[ad_1] A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Regulators sought to ax the deal saying it will hurt competition.U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in a ruling that the merger deserved scrutiny, noting it could be the largest in the history of the tech industry. But federal regulators were unable to show how it would cause serious harm and wouldn't likely prevail if they took it to a full trial, she wrote. The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust laws, “has not raised serious questions regarding whether the proposed merger is likely to substantially lessen competition” between video game consoles or in the growing markets for monthly game subscription...
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Microsoft’s Lineup of Exclusive Games Draws Fire From Deal Foes
29Jun By adminNo Comments
Technology

Microsoft’s Lineup of Exclusive Games Draws Fire From Deal Foes

[ad_1] US officials suing to stop Microsoft Corp.'s $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. argue the software giant's recent acquisition history suggests it's motivated to rope off blockbuster video games from competitors.Microsoft routinely distributes its video games across multiple consoles, but with the 2020 purchase of gaming conglomerate ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion, the company placed an increased emphasis on exclusive, top tier titles. As the Federal Trade Commission seeks in court to block the Activision merger, the agency pointed to the ZeniMax deal to poke holes in Microsoft's assertion that the acquisition will be good for the industry and question its intention to make more games available on multiple platforms. Starting with the ZeniMax purchase, Microsoft made...
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Sony’s gaming chief met EU’s Vestager on Microsoft’s Activision deal – Reports
27Jan By adminNo Comments
Technology

Sony’s gaming chief met EU’s Vestager on Microsoft’s Activision deal – Reports

[ad_1] Sony's gaming chief Jim Ryan met EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager on Wednesday to discuss Microsoft's $69 billion bid for "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The meeting came as the EU competition watchdog prepares to warn Microsoft this week about the potential anti-competitive effects of the U.S. software giant and Xbox maker's acquisition in the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Microsoft is looking to Activision to help it compete better with leaders Tencent and Sony. The latter has criticised the deal and even called for a regulatory veto. The person declined to provide details of the discussion between Ryan and Vestager. The European Commission, which is scheduled to rule on the deal by April 11, ...
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