Regulators around the world are scrutinizing Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and its impact on the market, employees and consumers.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority today completed its initial investigation into the acquisition and decided on the second stage with an in-depth investigation due to concerns that Activision Blizzard’s takeover by Microsoft could significantly limit competition in game consoles, subscriptions and cloud gaming services.
The British authorities mention Call of Duty in particular in the report and de facto echo the concerns recently voiced by Sony. Call of Duty is among the most popular games, requiring thousands of developers each year to release, and very few other games of its caliber or popularity. Authorities fear acquisition could hurt PlayStation sales.
Phil Spencer quickly responded to the concerns of the British authorities. The CEO of Microsoft’s gaming division confirmed that PlayStation will release Call of Duty on the same day as other platforms. In order to avoid possible discussions in the future, he added that it will be the same version, and support for cross-platform play is also expected.
In this context, Spencer recalls mine craftwhich is available on multiple platforms, and with Mojang’s entry into the Xbox family, the brand has expanded to other platforms.
Source: Microsoft/Activivision BlizzardFirst Market Approves Microsoft Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
GAME PASS AND MOBILE GAMES
Spencer has been open about the fact that Microsoft plans to expand the Game Pass library to include Activision Blizzard games, including Call of Duty, Diablo, and Overwatch.
“Game developers around the world are creating innovative and revolutionary games. We believe we can do more to bring this experience to billions of players around the world.” writes the head of Xbox. “As much as we love consoles, we understand that it’s not the only way people play games.”
“The largest and fastest growing segment of gaming today is mobile platforms. To reach billions of players, no matter where they are or what device they are playing on, we need to make a choice. When you give players choices about how they play games, they become more accessible and result in larger, more vibrant gaming communities. Choice is just as important for game developers. Developers benefit from a variety of distribution models and business models for their games. Choice opens up opportunities for innovation and allows the industry to grow.”
Microsoft wants to continue not only the growth of the Game Pass service, but also expand its appeal to mobile phones and tablets. They are valued in this area the experience of Activision Blizzard teams helping to understand how to create games that attract players from all over the world.
The American company is also paying attention to the competition as industry leaders (Tencent and Sony) are also making purchases.
“We will continue to work with regulators in a spirit of transparency and openness in evaluating this acquisition. We respect and welcome the difficult questions we are asked. Today the gaming industry is strong and dynamic. Industry leaders including Tencent and Sony continue to expand their vast gaming libraries, as well as other entertainment brands and franchises that gamers around the world love. We believe a thorough analysis will show that the combination of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will benefit both the industry and players.” Phil Spencer added.
Source :Indian TV
