The FTC Commissioner said he hasn’t met with Microsoft and Activision’s attorneys, nor has he coordinated any formal complaints about the games.
The FTC has pledged to crack down on mergers and acquisitions by already big tech companies, by joining Nvidia’s failed ARM acquisition attempt. The FTC launched an investigation earlier this year when a deal between Microsoft and Activision was announced. ..
Microsoft’s possible acquisition of Activision is one of the hottest topics in gaming news this year. Depending on who you listen to, it’s either a dramatic change in how video games do business or a relatively small force between the big three. While these arguments are being considered, the deal may take longer to complete or may not complete at all. ..
While Microsoft’s lawyers have generally argued that a single game series can neither make nor break a game console, Sony recently told the UK’s competition regulator that rival franchise Battlefield is out of Activision’s arsenal. Call of Duty said it “cannot compete” with Tariffs.
Microsoft has struck a 10-year deal with Sony to ensure that Call of Duty will be available on PlayStation consoles. At worst, that would give Sony a pretty long runway to develop its own suitable mission contender – but Sony doesn’t have much to say publicly about it. ..
