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Ladybbird · 28-04-23, 03:38

Microsoft Boss: Activision Blizzard Deal Block is Bad for Britain

One of Microsofts' senior leaders has hit out after the software giant's deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard was blocked by UK regulators.

The move was "bad for Britain" and showed that the European Union was a better place to set up a firm than the UK, Brad Smith told the BBC.

BBC News 28 APR 2023

But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its job was not to serve the interests of merging firms.

The CMA added that its decision would encourage growth.

The proposed $68.7bn (£55bn) takeover would see Microsoft get hold of massively popular games titles such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft.

But on Wednesday the regulator said it was concerned the deal would hit innovation and give gamers less choice in the fast-growing cloud gaming market, where people buy subscriptions to access games online.

Microsoft has already said the decision may have an impact on its UK investment.

In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Smith, who is Microsoft's vice chair and president, said the company was "very disappointed" about the CMA's decision, "but more than that, unfortunately, I think it's bad for Britain."

"There's a clear message here - the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom."

The UK government has made it one of its post-Brexit goals to bring in a "light-touch" set of rules for science and technology to encourage economic growth.

Mr Smith said that if the UK wants to bring in investment and make Britain a place "where technology is not only going to flourish, but be created", then "it needs to look hard at the role of the CMA and the regulatory structure".

He added that "people are shocked, people are disappointed, and people's confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken" by the CMA decision.

UK interests

However, the regulator hit back, saying: "It is the CMA's job to do what is best for the people, businesses and economy of the UK, not merging firms with commercial interests."

It added that its decision means that a range of firms, "large and small", can "continue to compete in this rapidly growing market".

This will mean more innovation, and more choice for consumers, it said.

"Those are the best conditions to attract investment and support growth," the regulator added.

Microsoft and Activision have said they would appeal the CMA's decision.

The Call of Duty titles have sold more than 400 million copies over the past 20 years

For the deal to work, it has to be approved by regulators in the UK, the US and the EU.

But it has fallen at the first hurdle. The CMA's decision may scupper the whole takeover.

Cloud gaming

This deal is important for Microsoft because it wants to make its position in the fast-growing cloud gaming market stronger.

Rather than buying games consoles, then games to play on them, cloud gaming means fans can stream titles via the internet rather than owning physical copies.

Microsoft has already invested a lot in this space, as it sees the future of gaming as people playing on their phones, consoles, internet TVs and other devices.

The deal would also give it some very popular games titles to be able to compete more with the likes of Sony, which has consistently opposed it.

Sony's position is that its PlayStation would have restricted access to some of the world's most popular titles, which would be bad for gamers.

Ladybbird · 14-06-23, 07:00

Microsoft-Activision: US Judge Temporarily BLOCKS $69bn Deal

The court says the temporary restraining order "is necessary to maintain the status quo while the complaint is pending".

BBC 14 JUNE 2023

A judge has granted a request by US regulators to temporarily block Microsoft's $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Activision Blizzard.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the deal could "substantially lessen competition" in the sector.

A two-day hearing is now due to take place from 22 June in San Francisco.

The deal to buy the Call of Duty publisher would be the largest in the history of the video games industry.

The FTC said that without a court order the deal could have been completed as early as the end of this week, despite the UK blocking the takeover in April.

Microsoft and Activision now have until 16 June to submit legal arguments to oppose a preliminary injunction and the FTC, which enforces competition law in the US, will have to reply on 20 June.

The FTC has argued that the deal would give Microsoft's Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold.

Microsoft has said the deal would benefit gamers and gaming companies, and has offered to sign a legally binding agreement with the FTC to provide Call of Duty games to rivals including Sony for a decade.

The move comes after the UK blocked the deal over concerns it would hurt competition, but the EU approved it.

Microsoft's proposed takeover of Activision has split global regulators, and in order for the deal to go through the parties need approval from regulatory bodies in the UK, the EU and the US.

The European Commission has approved the acquisition, saying that Microsoft's offer of 10-year free licensing deals - which promise European consumers and cloud game streaming services access to Activision's PC and console games - mean there would be fair competition in the market.

But the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal in April, saying it was concerned the takeover would offer reduced innovation and less choice for gamers.

Microsoft and Activision hit out at the CMA's decision and said they would appeal.

Microsoft president Brad Smith said it marked the company's "darkest day" in its four decades of working in Britain.

In response to the announcement by the FTC on Monday, Mr Smith said Microsoft welcomed the "opportunity to present our case in federal court" in its attempt to persuade US regulators to allow the deal to be completed.

"We believe accelerating the legal process in the US will ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market," he added.

The purchase of Activision, which also makes Candy Crush, is seen to be important for Microsoft, which is trying to catch up with its main competitor Sony.

However, this attempted investment from Microsoft could be seen as a play for the future of video games, with the firm betting big on its Xbox Game Pass service, which has been described as the "Netflix of games".

Microsoft believes the future lies in players having subscriptions to libraries and streaming games through "cloud gaming", rather than making one-off purchases - which is the main way of accessing games at the moment.

28-04-23, 03:38	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,647 Thanks: 27,646 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	US Judge BLOCKS Microsofts' $69Bil Activision Blizzard Game Deal Microsoft Boss: Activision Blizzard Deal Block is Bad for Britain One of Microsofts' senior leaders has hit out after the software giant's deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard was blocked by UK regulators. The move was "bad for Britain" and showed that the European Union was a better place to set up a firm than the UK, Brad Smith told the BBC. BBC News 28 APR 2023 But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its job was not to serve the interests of merging firms. The CMA added that its decision would encourage growth. The proposed $68.7bn (£55bn) takeover would see Microsoft get hold of massively popular games titles such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft. But on Wednesday the regulator said it was concerned the deal would hit innovation and give gamers less choice in the fast-growing cloud gaming market, where people buy subscriptions to access games online. Microsoft has already said the decision may have an impact on its UK investment. In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Smith, who is Microsoft's vice chair and president, said the company was "very disappointed" about the CMA's decision, "but more than that, unfortunately, I think it's bad for Britain." "There's a clear message here - the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom." The UK government has made it one of its post-Brexit goals to bring in a "light-touch" set of rules for science and technology to encourage economic growth. Mr Smith said that if the UK wants to bring in investment and make Britain a place "where technology is not only going to flourish, but be created", then "it needs to look hard at the role of the CMA and the regulatory structure". He added that "people are shocked, people are disappointed, and people's confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken" by the CMA decision. UK interests However, the regulator hit back, saying: "It is the CMA's job to do what is best for the people, businesses and economy of the UK, not merging firms with commercial interests." It added that its decision means that a range of firms, "large and small", can "continue to compete in this rapidly growing market". This will mean more innovation, and more choice for consumers, it said. "Those are the best conditions to attract investment and support growth," the regulator added. Microsoft and Activision have said they would appeal the CMA's decision. The Call of Duty titles have sold more than 400 million copies over the past 20 years For the deal to work, it has to be approved by regulators in the UK, the US and the EU. But it has fallen at the first hurdle. The CMA's decision may scupper the whole takeover. Cloud gaming This deal is important for Microsoft because it wants to make its position in the fast-growing cloud gaming market stronger. Rather than buying games consoles, then games to play on them, cloud gaming means fans can stream titles via the internet rather than owning physical copies. Microsoft has already invested a lot in this space, as it sees the future of gaming as people playing on their phones, consoles, internet TVs and other devices. The deal would also give it some very popular games titles to be able to compete more with the likes of Sony, which has consistently opposed it. Sony's position is that its PlayStation would have restricted access to some of the world's most popular titles, which would be bad for gamers. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

14-06-23, 07:00	#2
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,647 Thanks: 27,646 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: US Judge BLOCKS Microsofts' $69Bil Activision Blizzard Game Deal Microsoft-Activision: US Judge Temporarily BLOCKS $69bn Deal The court says the temporary restraining order "is necessary to maintain the status quo while the complaint is pending". BBC 14 JUNE 2023 A judge has granted a request by US regulators to temporarily block Microsoft's $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Activision Blizzard. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the deal could "substantially lessen competition" in the sector. A two-day hearing is now due to take place from 22 June in San Francisco. The deal to buy the Call of Duty publisher would be the largest in the history of the video games industry. The FTC said that without a court order the deal could have been completed as early as the end of this week, despite the UK blocking the takeover in April. Microsoft and Activision now have until 16 June to submit legal arguments to oppose a preliminary injunction and the FTC, which enforces competition law in the US, will have to reply on 20 June. The FTC has argued that the deal would give Microsoft's Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation out in the cold. Microsoft has said the deal would benefit gamers and gaming companies, and has offered to sign a legally binding agreement with the FTC to provide Call of Duty games to rivals including Sony for a decade. The move comes after the UK blocked the deal over concerns it would hurt competition, but the EU approved it. Microsoft's proposed takeover of Activision has split global regulators, and in order for the deal to go through the parties need approval from regulatory bodies in the UK, the EU and the US. The European Commission has approved the acquisition, saying that Microsoft's offer of 10-year free licensing deals - which promise European consumers and cloud game streaming services access to Activision's PC and console games - mean there would be fair competition in the market. But the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal in April, saying it was concerned the takeover would offer reduced innovation and less choice for gamers. Microsoft and Activision hit out at the CMA's decision and said they would appeal. Microsoft president Brad Smith said it marked the company's "darkest day" in its four decades of working in Britain. In response to the announcement by the FTC on Monday, Mr Smith said Microsoft welcomed the "opportunity to present our case in federal court" in its attempt to persuade US regulators to allow the deal to be completed. "We believe accelerating the legal process in the US will ultimately bring more choice and competition to the market," he added. The purchase of Activision, which also makes Candy Crush, is seen to be important for Microsoft, which is trying to catch up with its main competitor Sony. However, this attempted investment from Microsoft could be seen as a play for the future of video games, with the firm betting big on its Xbox Game Pass service, which has been described as the "Netflix of games". Microsoft believes the future lies in players having subscriptions to libraries and streaming games through "cloud gaming", rather than making one-off purchases - which is the main way of accessing games at the moment. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

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