In terms of Xbox and gaming advantages for Microsoft, it is normal to hear its leader Phil Spencer be the spokesperson for the tech giant, but this time and about the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft’s true face and leader had something to say.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Satya Nadella believes that regulators will have the purchase approved and had some words for Sony.
“Of course, any acquisition of this size will go through scrutiny, but we feel very, very confident that we’ll come out.
Microsoft is either the No. 4 or No. 5 competitor in the video game industry, depending on how you count and the No. 1 player, Sony Group Corp., has made several recent acquisitions. So if this is about competition, let us have competition”
The timing of this interview came as in November will be the first anniversary where Microsoft announced that he was buying the Activision Blizzard conglomerate with houses Activision and first party studios with franchises that includes Call Of Duty, Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, along with King, the developers of Candy Crush Saga and Blizzard Entertainment which is a conglomerate itself of more 1st party studios and know for Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo and Overwatch along their respectives spinoff.
While the timing of the announce came where Activision Blizzard CEO’s Booby Kotick being in the center of toxic workplace scandal that including mistreatment and sexual harransment cultuure and was actually in his knowledge and had some situation himself, which lead many to believe the sale is both a distraction and a escape route to Kotick probably, never truly answer as CEO.
About the Sony comment, as owner of Playstation and since the last few months, have expressed concern and have already appealed to regulators on not approving the purchase having Call Of Duty as example as it is one of the main third party income for Playstation in general.
Personally I don’t understand why Sony took WAY TOO MUCH TIME to reply, specially if the Call Of Duty’s Playstation “being the focus platform agreement” is still live and Microsoft have publicly said that expects that this will continue regardless of COD being available from Day 1 on Game Pass beginning on 2023.
At least regulators in Saudi Arabia did not object to the transaction, meanwhile Sony's retaliation was strong on Brazil market theater and finally, UK regulators recommended their Phase 2, which is big scrutiny of the purchase.
Finally in the US and seeing as the “real market that will rule what is going to happen in the rest of the world”, there have been words that the FTC is at any moment to say if they will object the sale or not, but it is known that the FTC under Biden Administration’s desire not more tech companies buying each other and grow uncontrollably.
But this appears to be a vertical transaction which will limit a strong legal standpoint for the FTC object a tech company buying a gaming conglomerate and evidently, Activision Blizzard going for Microsoft is not the end of gaming development competition.
Via Bloomberg
