Featured Image Credit: Google, Billy Freeman via Unsplash
Topics: Call Of Duty, Microsoft
Google has entered the ring to fight the oncoming acquisition of Activision by Microsoft, citing concerns over the company's presence in the cloud gaming sector.
Let's go over the details as quickly as possible. One year ago, Microsoft announced its intentions to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, which would transfer ownership of things like Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush and more to Microsoft. As this is one of the most expensive acquisitions in history, this has to be scrutinised by governmental commerce bodies across the world for its potential impact on the market and they'll decide whether it is allowed.
All the while, Sony has been blustering over how unfair this acquisition would be and has sent its head honchos out to meet those government bodies to try and convince them of its case. Cue no small amount of sniping between the two and a trial from the Federal Trade Commission to stop the deal set for August, and that brings us to today.
One of Microsoft's counterpoints against Sony's argument was that PlayStation already has a lot of high quality exclusives - speaking of, here's the trailer for Horizon Forbidden West's DLC!
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Bloomberg states Google and Nvidia have been in touch with financial regulators in the United States in order to offer their two cents on the acquisition (thanks Eurogamer). The two "expressed concerns" that, if successful, Microsoft could corner the competition in the mobile, subscription and cloud gaming sectors. However, Nvidia didn't explicitly say anything that could be construed as an opposition to the acquisition and was clear to champion equal access to games.
This stance is surprising as Microsoft did block Nvidia's potential acquisition of the semiconductor company Arm which it ultimately abandoned in 2021. I guess that hatchet is buried deep.