summary
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Microsoft wins the legal challenge of winning Activision-Blizzard despite the FTC objections.
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The exclusiveness of franchises like Call of Duty for Xbox Multi-Platform strategy.
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Future acquisitions of gaming companies by Microsoft may not dramatically affect the multi-platform approach.
Three years ago, the gaming world shaking when Microsoft announced it was garnering Activision-Blizzard in the largest $70 billion deal in gaming history.
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) attempted to block it by citing antitrust concerns, but the 2023 ruling fell in favor of Microsoft, but has not stopped the FTC from sueing the decision.
Microsoft currently officially owns Actives-Blizzard-King
The Federal Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected the FTC’s legal challenges regarding the acquisition of Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard. (via Reuters).
In 2023, District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley refused to block the acquisition, saying the FTC had not shown that Microsoft’s Activision ownership would “significantly reduce video game library subscriptions and competition in the cloud gaming market.” This means that Microsoft officially owns Activision-Blizzard-King with the FTC interference finally ending.
Even though Microsoft owns Mega-Publisher, the possibility of Call of Duty, Diablo, and other franchises for Activisions is Xbox-Exclusive. Not only has Sony signed a new annual agreement to make Call of Duty available on the PlayStation platform, but Microsoft’s recent multi-platform release strategy for games means that even first-party games like Gears of War will head towards PlayStation.
At the time, initial concerns about the acquisition seemed valid, but with the exception of PlayStation Platforms’ exclusive beta and Call of Duty content from the table, it has proven to be much different in practice.
Will Microsoft be buying more gaming companies? With the multi-platform future of the Xbox Division, it may not be important even if they are.
