Microsoft has announced a new proposal to address the antitrust concerns raised by its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the maker of popular video games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch and World of Warcraft.
The tech giant said it would create a separate gaming division within its organization, which would operate independently from its other businesses and have its own leadership, budget and strategy. Microsoft also said it would commit to maintaining fair and reasonable licensing terms for Activision Blizzard's games and platforms, and to preserving the creative autonomy and diversity of its studios and employees.
Microsoft's offer comes after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit last week to block the $68.7 billion deal, arguing that it would harm competition and innovation in the gaming industry. The FTC said that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard would give it control over some of the most popular and profitable games in the world, and that it would reduce the incentives for Microsoft and its rivals to invest in new and innovative games.
Microsoft has defended its deal as pro-competitive and pro-consumer, saying that it would bring more choice, quality and value to gamers across different devices and platforms. The company also said that it would continue to support cross-play and cross-progression features, which allow gamers to play with and against each other regardless of the hardware or software they use.
The deal, which was announced in January, is expected to close in mid-2022, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. If completed, it would be the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history and one of the biggest deals ever in the gaming sector.
No comments:
Post a Comment