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☆ Mark Zuckerberg says Meta will offer its virtual reality OS to hardware companies, creating iPhone versus Android dynamic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta will partner with external hardware companies, including Lenovo, Microsoft and Asus, to build virtual reality headsets using the company's Meta Horizon operating system, the company said Monday. The move will create new hardware devices that run on the same operating system and software as Meta's current first-party virtual reality hardware, such as the Quest 3 and Quest Pro. The move further defines the fault lines of the virtual reality hardware market, months after Apple released its $3,500 virtual reality headset called Vision Pro in January. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who shared the news in an Instagram video Monday, the announcement essentially recreates the Android versus iOS dynamic in smartphones — only for virtual reality headsets. Meta Horizon is based on a version of Android, allowing for easier ports of apps from phones to virtual reality.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Meta's, Meta Organizations: Lenovo, Microsoft, Asus, Quest Pro, Apple, Reality Labs, Meta, Apple's, Google, Steam, Gaming, Xbox

☆ Microsoft and NetEase to re-launch Warcraft game in China, ending feud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese video games giant NetEase said it is working with Microsoft to bring popular games including "World of Warcraft" back to the country after a public fallout that ended a decade-long partnership in 2023. NetEase was the publisher of Blizzard's games in China from 2008 to 2023. "We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China," said Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment. Additionally, Microsoft and NetEase said they have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Microsoft's Xbox gaming consoles and its other gaming platforms. A number of popular online games developed by Blizzard were taken offline in China last year after the company terminated its lucrative, 14-year-long partnership with NetEase, citing disagreement over intellectual property control.

Persons: NetEase, Johanna Faries Organizations: Microsoft, Blizzard Entertainment, Activision, Blizzard, NetEase Locations: U.S, China

☆ Microsoft's Xbox boss says jacking up video game prices can end up being 'manipulative'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Xbox games may be more expensive now, but Microsoft's gaming CEO realizes that there's a limit to how much gamers will take. "We've raised the price of games," Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told Game File, a newsletter focused on the business of gaming. AdvertisementBack in December 2022, Microsoft told The Verge that it would be raising prices to reflect "the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles." "Skull and Bones," an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, got some flack for charging $70 for its highly anticipated game. Ubisoft, the company behind the pirate video game, defended the price because it was a "quadruple-A" game.

Persons: We've, Phil Spencer, Spencer, didn't, Neil Macker, flack, they're Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft Gaming, Business, Microsoft, Hollywood, Morningstar, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard Locations: COVID

☆ Here's why Microsoft is going to let you play Xbox games on rival consoles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Big news for (some) video game players: Microsoft is going to stop making you use Microsoft devices to play (some) Microsoft games. AdvertisementVery short summary of the console video game business: It's common for video game hardware makers to also own or license games that are exclusively for their devices. The idea is that a single game (or several games) will be enough reason for a gamer to buy a specific device. Maybe, as Warren reports, Microsoft will also announce new hardware plans at the same time it makes the new software change. But it's hard to see how the games move alone is going to be anything more than Microsoft accepting reality.

Persons: Tom Warren, Mario Kart, I've, It's, Warren Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Business, PlayStation, Mario, Xbox, Activision, Netflix, Apple, Samsung

☆ PS5 is fully stocked for first time and on track for record sales this year, top Sony exec says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The PlayStation 5 is fully stocked in stores around the world and will hit Sony's sales target of 25 million units for the year, an executive at the company told CNBC exclusively. That comes after a series of successive console shortages, because of which many players around the world were unable to get their hands on PS5 units. Poor supply volumes linked to the global chip shortage and supply chain disruptions greatly limited the availability of PS5, and Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S.The PS5 and Xbox Series X were notoriously hard to find in stores after their November 2020 launch. Sony, for its part, has struggled to meet demand for the PS5, facing supply shortages each year following the PS5's release. Sony had set itself a target of 25 million PS5 units shipped throughout 2023.

Persons: Eric Lempel, that's, Lempel Organizations: PlayStation, CNBC, Sony

The company reported quarterly net income of $22.29 billion, or $2.99 per share, which beat Wall Street expectations. The Redmond, Washington-based software maker posted revenue of $56.52 billion in the quarter, up 13% from last year, also beating expectations. Analysts polled by FactSet Research expected Microsoft to earn $2.65 per share on revenue of $54.52 billion. Analysts are currently projecting Microsoft will produce revenue of $58.67 billion for the October-December quarter. Its productivity business segment, which includes its Office suite of email and other workplace products, grew 13% to $18.59 billion for the quarter.

Persons: REDMOND, Satya Nadella Organizations: Microsoft, FactSet Research, Windows, Activision, Microsoft Corp Locations: Wash, Redmond, Washington, California

☆ How finally closing its Activision purchase will diversify Microsoft's revenue streams
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft (MSFT) closed its landmark acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI), according to a company regulatory filing Friday, furthering the Big Tech name's video game ambitions. However, this biggest video game deal ever was completed despite the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) ongoing fight to block it. Activision reported $7.5 billion in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year, in comparison to Microsoft's $212 billion in sales for the same period. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Microsoft submitted a new proposal to U.K. regulators for the takeover of American game publisher Activision Blizzard after its initial proposal was rejected.

Persons: Victoria Graham, Jim Cramer, Jim, Tony Hawk, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Big Tech, Activision, pushback, Markets, CMA, Ubisoft, Federal Trade Commission's, CNBC, FTC, Xbox, Nurphoto, Getty Locations: U.S, OpenAI

☆ Meta Connect: All the details on Quest 3, Ray-Ban smart glasses, AI chatbots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 27, 2023. AI CHATBOTS, STICKERSMeta unveiled more than two dozen chatbots that will work within its social media applications. The company announced Meta AI Studio, a platform for developers to build custom AI chatbots. RAY-BAN SMART GLASSESMeta announced new generation Ray-Ban smart glasses, priced at $299. The smart glasses will also have Meta AI built in, with the ability to give information on the item a user is looking at.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Carlos Barria, Snapdragon, Meta, Microsoft's Bing, Bear Grylls, Chloe Kim, Josh Richards, RAY, Yuvraj Malik, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Meta, REUTERS, Gaming, Facebook, United States, Thomson Locations: Menlo Park , California, U.S, WhatsApp, United, Bengaluru

LONDON (AP) — British competition regulators gave preliminary approval Friday to Microsoft’s restructured $69 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, easing a final global hurdle that paves the way for one of the largest tech transactions in history to go through. The updated offer “opens the door to the deal being cleared,” the watchdog said, though there are lingering concerns. “The CMA’s position has been consistent throughout — this merger could only go ahead if competition, innovation and choice in cloud gaming was preserved," CEO Sarah Cardell said. Crucially, it got a thumbs-up from the 27-nation European Union after agreeing to allow users and cloud gaming platforms to stream its titles without paying royalties for 10 years. The CMA then put its original decision on hold and opened a new investigation into the revamped proposal.

Persons: Sarah Cardell, “, Brad Smith, ”, Bobby Kotick Organizations: Microsoft’s, Activision, The, Markets Authority, Microsoft, Union, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, CMA, Ubisoft Entertainment Locations: British, U.S, Britain

☆ Microsoft's Xbox plans revealed in emails tied to FTC case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Kevin Collier | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An attorney with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) carries an XBOX game console box following a hearing at the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. A huge collection of purported Xbox files related to the Federal Trade Commission's case against Microsoft have been published online, spilling some of the company's plans for the gaming console into public view. They include more than 100 documents, many of them partially redacted, related to Microsoft's Xbox plans. The files include emails from corporate executives like Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and timetables for gaming releases. Some of the documents include Microsoft Gaming senior employees discussing the value of the exclusive hold they have on key video game titles.

Persons: Phillip Burton, Douglas Farrar, Phil Spencer, It's Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Phillip Burton Federal Building, Federal Trade, Microsoft, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, Activision Blizzard, NBC News, Microsoft Gaming, Sony, Elder Locations: San Francisco , California, Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ Ubisoft shares pop 9% on revised Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Yves Guillemot, CEO and co-founder of Ubisoft, speaks at the Ubisoft Forward livestream event in Los Angeles, California, on June 12, 2023. Shares of French game maker Ubisoft popped 9% in Europe trading Tuesday after Microsoft submitted a new deal for the takeover of Activision Blizzard to try and appease wary U.K. regulators. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority confirmed it blocked the original $69 billion deal that Microsoft first put forward in January 2022. Instead, these rights will be divested to Ubisoft before Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Ubisoft offers cloud games on services like Amazon Luna and Nvidia 's GeForce Now, which compete with Microsoft's Xbox streaming service.

Persons: Yves Guillemot, Brad Smith, Tom Clancy's, Smith, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Ubisoft, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, CMA, Activision Blizzard PC, Activision, Amazon, Nvidia Locations: Los Angeles , California, Europe, U.S

☆ Activision, Microsoft extend deal deadline to secure UK approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Wednesday extended the deadline for the close of their $69 billion deal by three months to Oct. 18 as the American companies work to secure UK approval for the biggest gaming deal in history. The extension will "provide ample time to work through the final regulatory issues," Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet. Strength in those titles helped Activision beat market estimates for second-quarter net bookings and adjusted profit in the second quarter, it announced on Wednesday. The deadline extension came after the companies had to contend with varying concerns from regulators in the UK and the United States. Microsoft responded to these concerns by offering 10-year licensing deals to rivals after the deal closes.

Persons: Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Chavi Mehta, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Reuters, HK, Sony, Diablo, FTC, Nintendo, PlayStation, CMA, Sony Group, Xbox, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ Buffett cut Activision stake before judge approved Microsoft merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned about 14.7 million Activision shares, or 1.9%, worth $1.24 billion on June 30, down from 49.4 million shares, or 6.3%, on March 31. The filing did not discuss the prices of any sales, or whether Berkshire bought or sold Activision stock in July. One of Berkshire's portfolio managers invested in Activision in late 2021, with Buffett boosting the stake to nearly 10% in 2022. Berkshire's remaining Activision stake - 14,658,121 shares - is exactly the size it was before Buffett started buying, suggesting that he has exited the arbitrage bet. Activision shares rose 10% to $90.99 on July 11 after U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco rejected U.S. Federal Trade Commission arguments that the merger would hurt competition in cloud gaming, consoles and subscription services.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Jonathan Stempel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Activision, Berkshire, Buffett, U.S, Federal, Commission, Markets Authority, BNSF, Apple, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, San Francisco, Omaha , Nebraska, New York

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Activision Blizzard, Chewy, Yelp, Tesla and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chewy — Shares jumped more than 5% after Goldman Sachs upgraded them to buy from neutral. Paramount Global — Shares of the entertainment company fell 2.8% in premarket trading after the latest installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise underperformed expectations at the box office. State Street — The financial giant slipped about 2% in premarket trading. The stock was downgraded by JPMorgan to underweight from neutral following State Street's earnings release Friday. Figs — Shares of the apparel company fell 4.6% in premarket trading after Raymond James downgraded Figs to market perform from outperform.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Yelp, Goldman, Tesla, Raymond James, —, Jesse Pound, Hakyung Kim, Michael Bloom Organizations: Activision, Warfare, Microsoft, Sony, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard, PepsiCo, Paramount, Variety, Citi, JPMorgan, State Street's

Released in 2019, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is a premium gamepad built for hardcore gamers. I've spent weeks with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and it's a definite improvement over the classic Xbox gamepad. Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller This high-end Xbox and PC controller has a rechargeable battery, four extra paddle buttons, and extra tools to customize its buttons. Deal Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Controller (White) The Xbox Elite Series 2 is a fantastic high-end controller with rubber grips and adjustable triggers. Xbox Elite Series 2 vs. Elite Series 2 Core: What's the difference?

Persons: —, It's, I've, William Antonelli, you've, it's, aren't Organizations: Elite, Xbox Elite, Microsoft

Why the CMA blocked the Microsoft-Activision dealThe U.K. CMA efficiently blocked the acquisition in April, saying the deal raises competition concerns in the nascent cloud gaming market. Like other regulators, the CMA is concerned that Microsoft could take Activision games and make them exclusive to its own platforms. Cloud gaming is a technology that enables gamers to access games via remote servers — effectively streaming a game like you would a movie on Netflix. The CMA, Microsoft and Activision now look set to hash out a possible resolution to the regulator's concerns to get a deal over the line. watch nowMicrosoft has already offered concessions to the U.K. regulator which were rejected.

Persons: Redmond, Michael Ciaglo, Alex Haffner, Fladgate, It's, it's, Haffner, Microsoft Organizations: Activision, Markets, Federal, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, CMA, Netflix, Warfare, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, FTC, Nintendo, European Union Locations: Denver , Colorado

☆ Activision Blizzard jumps 11% after judge rules Microsoft can buy the video game publisher in a win over FTC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Activision Blizzard stock popped 11% after a judge paved the way for Microsoft to complete its takeover of the game publisher. She said the deal would in fact enhance access to popular game franchises like "Call of Duty" and other titles published by Activision. The company has said it is concerned that Microsoft will make popular franchises like "Call of Duty" exclusive to its consoles. Microsoft has said it doesn't intent to do this, but critics point to the firm's $11 billion takeover of Zenimax in 2021. The deal can now proceed before a hearing that the FTC had scheduled for August, in which it was set to challenge the merger.

Persons: Microsoft's, Jaqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Bobby Kotick Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, Service, Privacy, US, FTC, Activision, That's, Sony, Xbox Locations: Wall, Silicon, Zenimax

☆ Microsoft CFO Amy Hood warned employees not to 'build a gold toilet'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

From left, Tim Stuart, chief financial officer of Xbox at Microsoft; Phil Spencer, Microsoft's CEO of gaming; and Microsoft finance chief Amy Hood arrive to court in San Francisco on June 29, 2023. Microsoft's finance chief advised employees not to "build a gold toilet" during a 2018 meeting, according to emails that came up during federal court hearings last month over the software maker's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. The quip might invoke a 2016 social-media claim (proven false by Snopes) that former President Donald Trump owned a solid gold toilet. "I've made that mistake on too many products, and I'm sure everyone else has too, when we've built features before we answered the core questions," Gluckstein wrote. Read the emails from Spencer and Gluckstein regarding Hood's "gold toilet" comments below.

Persons: Tim Stuart, Phil Spencer, Amy Hood, Donald Trump, MC Hammer, Catherine Gluckstein, Gluckstein, Xbox's, I've, we've, Spencer, xCloud, it's Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Bluetooth, TAM, Cloud, Google, Federal Trade Commission Locations: San Francisco

☆ The biggest takeaways from Microsoft's courtroom showdown with the FTC over Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +21 min

The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. The impulse to expand Microsoft's gaming business on mobile devices at least in part inspired the Activision acquisition. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, wasn't happy with a Microsoft-generated list of Activision Blizzard games that would remain accessible on the PlayStation after the acquisition closes. Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have agreed to terminate the deal if it's not done by July 18.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Phil Spencer, Spencer, James Weingarten, Weingarten, Jim Ryan, Sony, Ryan, Amy Hood, Bobby Kotick, Sarah Bond, Kotick, Amazon Weingarten, Bond, Tim Stuart, Nadella, Bernstein, Mark Moerdler, Hood, Stuart, it's, Jacqueline Scott Corley, she'll Organizations: Northern, Northern District of, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Mobile, Activision, Xbox, Zynga, Sega Sammy, Nintendo, Enix, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Management, Sony Group, Amazon, Microsoft's Xbox, Bernstein Research, Symantec, Sony PlayStation Locations: U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco, cybersecurity, United Kingdom, FarmVille, Asia, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Microsoft says it looked at acquiring Zynga but opted to go bigger with Activision
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Zynga was originally for the Facebook hit social game FarmVille, before eventually expanding into mobile games, largely through acquisitions. Prior to the Microsoft offer, Activision met with a financial firm to work on topping Take-Two's purchase of Zynga, CNBC reported at the time. Spencer didn't say when Microsoft was in talks with Zynga, and the company wouldn't provide further comment. Spencer said that after the company went to Zynga, he worked with Microsoft finance chief Amy Hood to look for mobile opportunities. Activision grew its portfolio of mobile games with the 2016 acquisition of King, publisher of Candy Crush Saga.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Justin Sullivan, Spencer, Spencer didn't, Tencent, Amy Hood, King, Candy Organizations: FRANCISCO, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, Activision Blizzard, Zynga, Federal Trade Commission, Facebook, FarmVille, CNBC, Sony, Apple Locations: CALIFORNIA, San Francisco , California, San Francisco

☆ FTC to argue Microsoft's deal to buy Activision should be paused
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday will argue in federal court for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block Microsoft's acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, stopping the deal from closing before the government's case against the deal is heard. But if the court pauses the deal, Microsoft and Activision will have to agree to extend it past a July 18 termination date built into their original agreement. The FTC fears that without action by the federal court, the combined firm "could alter Activision's operations and business plans" and could allow Microsoft to access sensitive business information. Resolving the U.S. lawsuit is one of several key antitrust battles Microsoft and Activision have fought around the world to get the deal finalized. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick are among the witnesses planned for a five-day evidentiary hearing.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Bobby Kotick, Chris Sanders, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Microsoft, Microsoft Corp, Activision Blizzard Inc, FTC, EU, Nintendo, Sony Group, Sony, Thomson Locations: San Francisco

☆ US FTC asks court to block Microsoft acquisition of Activision
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 12 (Reuters) - The Federal Trade Commission asked a court to temporarily block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) on Monday, seeking to halt the deal from closing before the government's case against the $69 billion deal is heard. The FTC said Microsoft and Activision had signaled the deal could close as soon as Friday and asked a federal judge to block any final agreement before 11:59 p.m ET June 15. Shares in Microsoft closed up 1.5% Monday, while Activision fell 0.8%. "We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court," said Microsoft president Brad Smith in a statement. When announcing the deal in January 2022, Microsoft said they expected it would close in their 2023 fiscal year, which ends in June.

Persons: Brad Smith, Joe Biden, Rami Ayyub, David Shepardson, Doina Chiacu, Nick Zieminski, Conor Humphries, Anna Driver Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, FTC, Activision, Nintendo, Sony Group, EU, Sony, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday applied for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction seeking to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard before the deal's July 18 deadline. If the deal falls apart, Microsoft might wind up owing Activision Blizzard a termination fee worth up to $3 billion. The FTC sued to block the acquisition in December 2022, choosing to bring the case before its internal administrative law judge. A hearing on the FTC's case will begin on Aug. 2, the agency said in Monday's filing. Regulators had originally felt that Microsoft might be able to prevent other companies from distributing Activision Blizzard games on other consoles other than Microsoft's Xbox.

Persons: Satya Nadella, it's, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Jim Ryan, Lulu Cheng Meservey Organizations: Microsoft Corp, Bloomberg, Economic, Federal Trade Commission, Activision Blizzard, CNBC, FTC, Microsoft, Activision, Sony, Xbox, Competition, Markets Authority, Regulators, Sony PlayStation, Sony Interactive Locations: Davos, Switzerland, U.S

☆ US FTC seeks court order to block Microsoft acquisition of Activision -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will seek a court order to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), a source familiar with a planned court filing said on Monday. Shares in Microsoft rose 0.8% Monday, while Activision fell 0.5%. The FTC plans to make the filing seeking the order in the Northern District of California, the source said. "We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court," said Microsoft president Brad Smith in a statement. But antitrust experts say the FTC faces an uphill battle to convince a judge to block the deal because of the voluntary concessions offered by Microsoft to allay fears it could dominate the gaming market.

Persons: Brad Smith, Joe Biden, Rami Ayyub, David Shepardson, Doina Chiacu, Nick Zieminski, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, FTC, Activision, Nintendo, Sony Group, EU, Northern District of, Sony, U.S, Thomson Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

☆ Explainer: What next for Microsoft's $69 billion Activision deal after UK ban?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday blocked Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of 'Call of Duty' maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) over concerns it would hinder cloud gaming. The regulator's decision reflected a flawed understanding of the market, it said. Microsoft can appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), an independent judicial body, which will only examine the CMA's decision-making process, not the merits of the merger. "The CAT aims to deal with 'straightforward' cases in under nine months – and Microsoft/Activision is anything but straightforward," Lane, said. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block the deal, which Microsoft has indicated it will fight.

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