Microsoft CEO Confident Activision Blizzard Merger Will be Approved, Says ‘Let Us Have Competition’
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella remains confident the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will go through, stating, “If this is about competition, let’s have competition.”
and Interview with BloombergNadella said, “Obviously, an acquisition of this magnitude will be scrutinized, but we are very confident in coming out.”
A key concern, especially for the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is that the merger could become an anti-competitive factor for the gaming industry as a whole. However, Nadella points out that Microsoft’s main competitor, Sony, has also acquired studios, including big players like Bungie.
Nadella continues.
Concerns about the anticompetitiveness of the merger have centered on franchises such as Call of Duty, which may be exclusive to the Microsoft platform. Xbox’s Phil Spencer has already confirmed that Call of Duty will remain his multi-platform franchise for the time being, but he’s adding the title to Xbox Game Pass so that Xbox customers can use it in various ways. allow access.
However, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has called Xbox’s proposal to extend the availability of Call of Duty on PlayStation for an additional three years after existing contacts expire “inappropriate.” I condemned it vehemently.
Others, such as Electronic Arts, believe a successful merger could open up new opportunities for their franchises. CEO Andrew Wilson has said the multi-platform nature of the Battlefield franchise could benefit from the possibility of Call of Duty becoming Microsoft exclusive.
The nearly $70 billion deal is by far the largest gaming acquisition of its kind and is under scrutiny by regulators around the world. The deal is under investigation in the UK, US, Brazil and elsewhere. A final decision could be at least a few months away.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey.
