Microsoft’s Activision Takeover Probed in The UK
In a statement Wednesday, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it seeks to determine whether the acquisition would “result in a substantial lessening of competition” within any UK markets. Such a result could constitute a violation of the Enterprise Act 2002, which authorized the government to intervene with mergers that could potentially threaten national security, media plurality, financial stability, or public health.
Microsoft appears unbothered by the probe. “We will fully cooperate with the CMA’s merger review. We expect and think it’s appropriate for regulators to take a close look at this acquisition,” corporate VP and general counsel Lisa Tanzi told CNBC reporter Ryan Browne. Tanzi added that Microsoft was committed to answering regulators’ questions.
“We remain confident the deal will close in fiscal year 2023 as initially anticipated,” Tanzi said.
The CMA’s review follows the US Federal Trade Commission’s, which launched in early February. The FTC’s review coincides with the organization’s attempts to strengthen its antitrust reviews as several industries become “more concentrated and less competitive.” It’ll also require the FTC to consider the impact by and on Microsoft’s physical and digital assets: namely, its video game titles and hardware. From the consumer’s perspective, a merger could mean removing Blizzard games from PlayStation—Microsoft’s biggest console competitor—and turning them into Xbox and PC exclusives, which would muddle many gamers’ libraries.
But due to the CMA’s incredibly brief statement, it’s unclear as to whether the UK will be focusing on hardware at all. Australia’s antitrust authority, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), is also reviewing the potential acquisition, though its focus appears to be on Microsoft’s and Activision’s software. The ACCC’s probe is considered an informal review and may not carry as significant an impact on the bid as the reviews occurring in the US and UK.
The CMA has invited third parties—which would in this case likely include other players in the gaming industry, such as developers and sales platforms—to comment on the bid through most of July, during which the organization will conduct an ongoing consultation. Regulators hope to have made an initial decision regarding the proposed merger by September 1.
Continue reading
Xbox Series X Launch Is Microsoft’s Biggest Ever, Causes ISP Traffic Spike
Microsoft claims the Xbox Series X is its most successful debut in history and specifically calls out the Xbox Series S for bringing new players into the fold.
Apple: ‘It’s Up to Microsoft’ to Get Windows Running on New ARM Macs
According to Apple, the question of supporting Windows on the M1 is entirely in Microsoft's court.
Microsoft’s FPS Boost Will Massively Speed Up Older Xbox Titles
Microsoft is introducing a new framerate-boosting feature in specific games. Five titles are covered by FPS Boost now, with more to come this spring.
Windows 10X, Microsoft’s Chromebook Competitor, Supposedly Coming Later This Year
Windows 10X will reportedly ship on systems in H2 2021. Originally intended to compete as a high-end OS variant for premium devices, Windows 10X is now intended for educational markets, where Chromebooks have recently made huge strides.