The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) did not stop Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard The end of the series on this date. American company , According to Reuterssaid it would appeal the UK regulator’s decision with the “strong support” of the video game publisher.
As if that weren’t enough, Bradford Smith, Microsoft’s president, issued a series of powerful statements on Thursday. In an interview with BBC radio, the CEO stated he was “disappointed” with the blockade. In this context, he said: “But more than that, unfortunately, I think it’s bad for the United Kingdom.”
With the eyes of the European Union
However, Smith’s offense did not end there. Perhaps taking into account that the regulators United States and European Union Still undecided whether to approve or block the operation, a Microsoft representative pinned part of his hope on the rest of Europe: “This is a clear message: the EU is a much more attractive place to start a business than the UK.”
This group of statements, which appeared as a missile on the waterline against the British position, angered the authorities, who did not hesitate to respond. As reported by the Economic TimesA spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Smith’s allegations were “not supported by the facts”. In addition, make sure that the CMA is an independent body.
The Competition Authority also came out to defend itself. Through its director, Sarah Cardell, he said the blockade responds to his need to “create an environment in which a large number of different companies can compete effectivelythey can grow and innovate.” But Microsoft may take a bigger hit in the coming weeks.
While the CMA has closed the doors to the deal between Microsoft and Activision in the UK, its eventual decision could have a direct impact beyond simply setting a precedent. “Activision is so intertwined in different markets, you can’t separate it from the UK. Therefore, this decision prevents the deal from happening globally,” says the regulator.
The winner, so far, in this whole issue is Sony. The company has presented itself to regulators as one of the biggest losers. One of his concerns was that Microsoft would make Call of Duty Xbox exclusive gamewhich, according to the Japanese, will result in an exodus of followers of the War franchise from PlayStation to the competing console.
Sony’s proposal was simple, on paper at least. If Microsoft gets rid of Call of Duty, the company will take a step back. Those from Redmond, for their part, emphasized that it made no sense to make the franchise an Xbox exclusive and promised to continue distributing it on PlayStation for 10 years. But those negotiations did not bear fruit.
Like we say, Microsoft’s streak of buying Activision isn’t over yet. Everyone involved is waiting Final decision From the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Commission. If realized, the Redmond giant will spend 68,700 million and become the protagonist of the largest acquisition in the history of the industry.
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