Microsoft welcomes UK board of directors’ reassessment of ActiBlizz takeover, while Sony complains of guilt

This is one of those “water is wet” news, considering the parties involved, but in the interest of following Microsoft’s ever-extending multi-billion dollar acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, we’re going to break it down below. anyway up.

Readers may recall that the UK Competition and Markets Authority made a tentative U-turn in its assessment of the transaction’s competitive impact last week, finding that the transaction would not be detrimental call of Duty franchise on PlayStation and also does not impact console competition. Both Microsoft and Sony have since shared their reactions to the CMA addendum, and those reactions aren’t too surprising.

Sony continues to ring alarm bells as it claims the CMA failed to look at the full picture of Microsoft’s exclusivity behavior, accusing the regulator of instead using a biased model “based on pure speculation, not evidence.” Sony also called the regulator’s change in position “surprising, unprecedented and irrational” and called on the CMA to “reconsider its analysis of Microsoft’s incentives and partial foreclosure and to correct the errors identified therein.” [its response].”

Microsoft, meanwhile, is pleased with the updated results of the CMA. “Microsoft has made it clear since announcing the merger: It has no intention to deny or downgrade access call of Duty or other Activision content on PlayStation,” reads the response. “Such a strategy would be in direct conflict with the interests of players in the UK and around the world. Rather than limiting choice or access, Microsoft intends to use the merger to bring more games to more people, on more platforms and devices.”

We reiterate that the results of the CMA are still preliminary and the UK transaction is yet to receive a green light. A final report is planned for April 26th.

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