The deal of the century is on its way. The New York Post states that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will tend to approve the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. two out of four councilors would see him with one eye friendly. Relief after rumors of body complaints.
This is a significant victory for Microsoft, which aims to complete the acquisition in 2023. game changer for the industry and that there are many obstacles to its realizationsuch as regulators or competition objections.
Microsoft wants to give confidence in acquiring Activision Blizzard
Announced in early 2022, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is the largest in the video game industry at $69 billion. If done, Microsoft will have a broad portfolio of licenses. Like Diablo, Warcraft, Candy Crush and also and especially Call of Duty.
Second, it scares Sony, Microsoft’s main competitor in the console segment. Caloffe For those who are sincere, it is indeed the flagship license of PlayStation, which is one of those that will sell consoles every year. Although Xbox boss Phil Spencer offered Sony a 10-year contract, Japanese society remains suspicious and fears it can no longer benefit from it.
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice president, defended the piece of fat in a column in the newspaper. wall street diary. According to him, the merger is good for gamers because it will give them the opportunity to enjoy their favorite games on more platforms like PC or Cloud. Moreover, Smith compares his company more to Apple or Google than Sony.
Sony is putting up a great fight in this editorial, to be exact. Smith remembers that Microsoft is only the third console maker, and that the Japanese firm should not fear its supremacy for the time being. However, he was the fiercest opponent of the transaction. A similar position to “Blockbuster (an American chain of video clubs) facing the emergence of Netflix”. Strong words, but they reflect Microsoft’s vision well: they represent the future and Sony the past. They will appreciate it.
In any case, the takeover of Activision Blizzard now appears to be on the right track.
Source : New York Post