News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

SPECIAL GAMING EDITION

Microsoft Acquires Gaming Giant Activision-Blizzard for $69 Billion

Microsoft has acquired gaming giant Activision-Blizzard, concluding a process of intense scrutiny from competition regulators around the world, in a $69 billion purchase that is the largest in the video game industry’s history.

The proposed merger raised concerns that Microsoft will become too dominant in the video game space, a fear Microsoft has attempted to mitigate through promises not to make franchises like Call of Duty exclusive to its consoles.
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The merger cements Microsoft’s position as the second-largest video games company in the world, almost doubling its revenues in relation to Nintendo, and bringing it within striking distance of market leader Sony.
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Microsoft swiftly closed the deal after receiving the nod of approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the last major regulator that had been standing in the way of the acquisition.
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Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard has been approved by UK regulators. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded that the deal can proceed after Microsoft recently restructured the deal to transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft. The decision clears the way for the deal to close now that the UK regulator has given the green light.
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While the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sought to block the deal, it was overruled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this summer. The FTC is appealing that decision, which raises the possibility of the U.S. regulator causing problems for Microsoft at a later date.

Yes, my dear readers, the FTC is the only regulator in Microsoft's way that might prevent it from controlling the gaming world.