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☆ Profit from video games that were turned into movies doubled in 2023. Hollywood wants more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hollywood is increasingly adapting video games into movies and TV shows. Video game studios are cautious, fearing adaptations could compromise their intellectual properties. But Hollywood has a backup plan: Video games. Ampere found that Hollywood shifted its focus away from comic books in movies and television shows last year in favor of video game adaptations like "The Last of Us." Video game adaptations typically get a bad rap as schlocky retellings, especially from younger gamers.

Persons: —, Ampere, Mario, Barbie, Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore, Helene Juguet, Lance Reddick —, Black —, Strauss Zelnik, Zelnik Organizations: Hollywood, Service, Wall Street, Ampere, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Mario Bros, Guardians, Marvel, Ubisoft Film, Television, Newsweek, Forbes, Miami, Electronic Gaming Association Locations: London, Austin

☆ Buy these 2 global stocks as inflation fades, HSBC says — giving one 85% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As high inflation appears to be waning, a long-neglected set of stocks stands to benefit as consumers settle into a "new normal" of spending, according to HSBC. The investment bank's latest consumer survey suggests positive signs amid the economic uncertainty of the past two years. Inspired by the survey results, HSBC named two companies it sees benefiting from these emerging consumer trends: French video game giant Ubisoft and Swiss travel retailer Avolta . Ubisoft HSBC said its research pointed to resilient consumer spending on video games, which will benefit video game developer Ubisoft . The bank has a buy rating on the stock with a price target of 35 euros ($37.90), representing more than 85% upside from the current share price of around 18.84 euros.

Persons: Paul Rossington, Pankaj Agarwala, Michael Bloom Organizations: HSBC, Ubisoft, Avolta, Ubisoft HSBC, Mar, AAA, U.S Locations: Swiss, U.S

☆ 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

☆ Skull and Bones, Singapore's first major video game title, launches to mixed reviews after decade-long wait
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Justin Farren, Creative Director at Ubisoft Singapore, reveals "Skull & Bones" during the Ubisoft E3 conference at the Orpheum Theater on June 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Ubisoft Singapore officially launched its first major video game, Skull And Bones, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Friday, ending an unusually long development saga that spanned over a decade. Ubisoft Singapore received a grant from the Economic Development Board in 2016 to aid in the development of an "AAA" game title from the city-state. The "AAA" game classification refers to titles that are produced and distributed by large, well-known publishers that will typically have high development and marketing budgets. According to data collected by market research company YouGov in 2020, at least three-quarters of the population in Singapore plays video or mobile games, which jumps to 90% among those aged 18 to 24.

Persons: Justin Farren, Jean, Francois Vallee, CNBC's Organizations: Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft, Orpheum, PlayStation, Economic, AAA Locations: Los Angeles , California, AAA, Singapore

☆ Ubisoft Singapore discusses 'Skull and Bones,' its first major video game
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUbisoft Singapore discusses 'Skull and Bones,' its first major video gameJean-Francois Vallee, managing director of Ubisoft Singapore, discusses the Friday release of "Skull and Bones," its first major video game which took more than 10 years to make.

Persons: Jean, Francois Vallee Organizations: Ubisoft Singapore

☆ The 'Prince of Persia' will speak Persian for the first time in 34 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview"Prince of Persia" released its first major installment in nearly 14 years and its first title since it was first unveiled in 1989 in which the characters will actually speak Farsi. Ubisoft released "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" on Thursday for the Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and PC. Related storiesThe game's designer, Mounir Radi, told the outlet that the developers wanted to "depict and to respect Persia and Iran" in the gameplay. Another Reddit user said under the same post that the option to use Persian dialogue in the game made him "finally feel seen" by others in the gaming community.

Persons: —, of, Prince of Persia, Mounir Radi, Radi, Abdelhak Elguess, Elguess, Reddit Organizations: Service, Business, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft Montpellier, BBC Locations: of Persia, Persia, Iran, USA

☆ Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of December 3
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’ Photo: UbisoftFilm• “Poor Things” (Dec. 8): The shapeshifting Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster,” “The Favourite”) works his directorial magic once again with this darkly comedic fantasy based on Alasdair Gray ’s novel. Emma Stone , Jerrod Carmichael , Willem Dafoe , Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef star in this tale of a woman brought back to life by an eccentric scientist who then flees to see the world. • “The Boy and the Heron” (Dec. 8): The newest film from anime icon Hayao Miyazaki (“My Neighbor Totoro”) and his much lauded Studio Ghibli follows a boy mourning the death of his mother, only to be told by a magical bird that she’s still alive in a different realm.

Persons: ’, Alasdair Gray ’, Emma Stone, Jerrod Carmichael, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Hayao Miyazaki Organizations: Ubisoft, Ghibli

☆ Inside Apple’s chip lab, home to the most ‘profound change’ at the company in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Its most advanced silicon is primarily manufactured by one vendor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. "We built what we call the unified memory architecture that is scalable across products," Srouji said. Apple's silicon team has grown to thousands of engineers working across labs all over the world, including in Israel, Germany, Austria, the U.K. and Japan. The primary type of chip Apple is developing is known as a system on a chip, or SoC. Apple's senior director of hardware validation Godfrey D'Souza shows off an M3 SoC in an Apple chip lab in Cupertino, California, on November 14, 2023.

Persons: John Ternus, Srouji, we're, Katie Tarasov, Andrew Evers, Ben Bajarin, Bajarin, Apple, Apple there's, Pro Max, Kaiann Drance, That's, who's, Ternus, Nvidia —, Tesla, Stacy Rasgon, Apple's, Godfrey D'Souza, Sydney, they've, Rasgon, Apple's Srouji, It's Organizations: AMD, MU, Apple Watch, U.S, Apple, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Microsoft, CNBC, Apple's, Amazon, Google, Tesla, Semiconductor, Creative, Pro, Triple, MacBook Air, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Bernstein Research, Sydney Boyo, Bluetooth, Broadcom, Samsung, Micron, Thursday Apple Locations: Cupertino , California, Israel, Germany, Austria, Japan, Silicon Valley, San Diego, Austin , Texas, AirPods, Taiwan, China, Arizona, Peoria , Arizona, Asia, Europe, U.S

☆ Here are the dozen brands that have paused ads on X amid ongoing crisis for Elon Musk’s platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —At least a dozen major brands have halted ad spending on X, formerly Twitter, since its latest advertiser exodus began last week over concerns about antisemitism and hate speech on Elon Musk’s social media platform. The ongoing exit of advertisers marks a deepening crisis for X, which was already struggling to woo brands back to the platform following Musk’s takeover last year. IBM’s decision also came after Musk had publicly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory in a post on X earlier in the week. X also said it had made the pro-Nazi accounts identified by Media Matters ineligible for monetization, meaning ads can no longer be run on their pages. (Media Matters has vowed to fight the lawsuit from X and says it stands by its reporting.)

Persons: Axios, they’d, Musk, Apple, Linda Yaccarino, Richard Spencer, —, CNN’s Oliver Darcy, Liam Reilly, Brian Fung Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, Fox Sports, Ubisoft, TechCrunch, Paris, CNN, White, IBM, Media, Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, Media Matters, University of Michigan, D.C, National Football League Locations: New York, Washington

The puzzle game on his Android phone had been interrupted by a video showing Hamas militants, terrified Israeli families and blurred graphic footage. Reuters has not been able to establish how the ad came to her son's video game, but her family isn't alone. In at least one case, the ads were played inside the popular "Angry Birds" game made by SEGA-owned developer Rovio (ROVIO.HE). Google ran more than 90 ads for the foreign ministry but declined to comment on where it displayed those ads. In the Cassis family's case, the ads appeared in a game called "Alice's Mergeland" made by a developer called LazyDog Game.

Persons: Maria Julia Assis, Hannah McKay, Maria Julia Cassis, Rovio, Lotta Backlund, David Saranga, Saranga, Outbrain, Holland –, Alexandra Marginean, Marginean, Stack's, Raphael Satter, Sheila Dang, Katie Paul, Ken Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reuters, SEGA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israeli Foreign Ministry, Google, West Bank, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Holland, Stack's Ubisoft, Subway, SYBO, Apple, Standards Authority, Thomson Locations: Israel, London, Britain, Brazil, Europe, Gaza, France, Austria, Germany, Munich, Austrian, Danish, Washington, New York

[1/2] A view of the Ubisoft Entertainment logo in Saint-Mande, near Paris, France, September 8, 2022. The maker of the blockbuster "Rainbow Six" franchise reported net bookings of 554.8 million euros ($584.09 million)for the three months to September 30, well above its target of 350 million euros. For the third quarter, the company expects net bookings of around 610 million euros. The group reported operating income of 16.1 million euros for the six months to end September, after a loss of 215.3 million euros in the same period last year. ($1 = 0.9498 euros)Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli and Olivier Cherfan, editing Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, Mirage, Enrico Sciacovelli, Olivier Cherfan, Jane Merriman Organizations: Ubisoft Entertainment, REUTERS, Ubisoft, Pandora, Rainbow Six Mobile, Thomson Locations: Saint, Paris, France

☆ ‘Video games are in for quite a trip’: How generative AI could radically reshape gaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“You can tell there is something off about what you’re seeing or hearing.”Enter generative AI. That offers another opportunity for generative AI to reshape the gaming experience. While the developers retain control over procedurally generated content, generative AI has the potential to develop unplayable levels, or deviate in unintended ways from the game’s narrative. An additional toolWhile gamers are excited about the potential for gameplay, generative AI is likely to impact development before it alters the user experience. “I think with generative AI, it’s essentially the same thing – or at least, we’re approaching it with the exact same mindset here at Ubisoft.” However, there are still a lot of unanswered “legal and ethical aspects” to using generative AI, including artists’ copyright, he adds.

Persons: Jitao Zhou, Alexis Rolland, ”, Rolland, Ubisoft's, Zhou, Julian Togelius, “, Togelius, Takehiko Hoshino, It’s, Hoshino, “ Fortnite, Creatives, We’ve, it’s Organizations: Rikkyo University CNN —, La, La Forge, Ubisoft, Rikkyo University, New York University, Rokkyo University, Maxis, EA, UGC, CNN, Forge Locations: La Forge China, Tokyo, La

The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Activision Blizzard said: "The CMA's official approval is great news for our future with Microsoft, and we look forward to becoming part of the Xbox Team." The European Commission said the new commitments given by Microsoft to the CMA did not interfere with its EU commitments.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa Shabong, Aditya Soni, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: CMA, Microsoft, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Activision, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, REUTERS, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The deal was blocked in April by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which said it could give the U.S. computing giant a stranglehold over the nascent cloud gaming market. The deal was the biggest test of the CMA's global power to take on the tech giants since Britain left the European Union. "The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming as this market takes off, preserving competitive prices and services for UK cloud gaming customers," it said in a statement. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission opposed the deal but after failing to stop it, the CMA was left standing alone.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Cardell, Ben Barringer, Brad Smith, Activision Blizzard, Paul Sandle, Yadarisa, Foo Yun Chee, Varun H, Kate Holton, Sonali Paul, Jane Merriman Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, CMA, LONDON, Activision Blizzard, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain, European Union, PlayStation, Sony, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, British, Finance, Xbox, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Britain, Cheviot, London, Bengaluru, Foo

☆ 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

☆ Microsoft-Activision: Ubisoft deal helps win Britain's nod
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Friday cleared Microsoft's (MSFT.O) acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) after the restructured deal substantially addressed its earlier concerns. In August, Activision agreed to sell its non-European streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment (UBIP.PA) to get the biggest deal yet in video-gaming past Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). "We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide," Microsoft President Brad Smith said. The company had in July extended the deadline to close the deal by Oct. 18. Here is a snapshot of key events in the Microsoft-Activision saga:Reporting by Tiyashi Datta, Jaspreet Singh and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Shinjini Ganguli and Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brad Smith, Tiyashi Datta, Jaspreet Singh, Yadarisa, Anil D'Silva, Shinjini Organizations: Activision, Ubisoft Entertainment, Markets Authority, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Plus, it will be “productive for the gaming industry as a whole and healthy for competition in the gaming market,” he said. In the meantime, the U.K. regulator was the last major obstacle to the transaction going through. British regulators had initially blocked the transaction over concerns Microsoft could withhold Activision titles from the cloud gaming market. One factor was the EU’s approval, granted after Microsoft promised to automatically license Activision titles royalty-free to cloud gaming platforms. But the CMA's flip-flopping makes the U.K. regulator look “weak and indecisive,” he said.

Persons: Activision Blizzard, Candy, Overwatch —, Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Joshua Chapman, ”, Sarah Cardell, Max von Thun, ” von Thun, Matt O’Brien Organizations: —, Activision, Markets, Microsoft, Xbox, Union, Sony, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Ubisoft Entertainment, U.K, PlayStation, European Commission, Open Markets, CMA, AP Locations: Konvoy, U.K, Europe, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Microsoft closes $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard after lengthy regulatory review
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a blog post . Microsoft has closed its $69 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard , according to a regulatory filing by the company Friday. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will stay on as CEO through the end of the year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who took the helm in 2014, is aiming to diversify the company's business beyond its core areas such as operating systems and productivity software. WATCH: Microsoft deal with Activision Blizzard set to clear final hurdle

Persons: Phil Spencer, Tony Hawk, It's, Bobby Kotick, Satya Nadella, pushback, Victoria Graham, Activision Blizzard Organizations: Activision, Blizzard, Microsoft, Markets Authority, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission, Markets, Economic, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Sony, Nvidia, San, U.S, Appeals, Circuit, Ubisoft, FTC Locations: U.S, San Francisco federal

☆ Microsoft-Activision Blizzard takeover approved as UK removes final hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —UK antitrust officials have approved Microsoft’s planned takeover of Activision Blizzard, the maker of “Call of Duty” and other hit games, greenlighting one of the biggest tech deals of all time. The Competition and Markets Authority announced Friday that the merger had been cleared after the companies agreed to give up certain cloud gaming rights, removing the final regulatory hurdle to the deal closing. Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled the deal in early 2022, but it was blocked in April by the UK competition regulator. “The new deal will stop Microsoft from locking up competition in cloud gaming,” the agency said Friday. Alongside “Call of Duty,” it also produces “World of Warcraft” and “Overwatch.”Microsoft, which sells the Xbox gaming console, offers a popular video game subscription service called Xbox Game Pass, as well as a cloud-based video game streaming service.

Persons: “, Tencent, Brad Smith, “ we’re, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, CMA, Microsoft, Activision, European Union, Ubisoft Entertainment, Sony, Twitter Locations: Hong Kong

☆ Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard takeover approved by UK, clearing way for deal to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Competition and Markets Authority said it had cleared the deal for Microsoft to buy Activision but without cloud gaming rights. Microsoft offered a spate of concessions, which centered around divesting the cloud rights of Activision games to French game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment. The U.K.'s regulatory U-turnRegulators globally were concerned that the takeover would reduce competition in the gaming market, in particular around cloud gaming. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission was fighting a legal battle with Microsoft in an effort to get the Activision takeover scrapped. "As cloud gaming grows, this intervention will ensure people get more competitive prices, better services and more choice.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, we've, Sarah Cardell, Cardell Organizations: Activision, Markets Authority, Microsoft, CMA, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Netflix, Reuters, Authorities, European Union, EU, Federal Trade Commission, Activision PC Locations: U.S, Europe, U.K

Signage is seen at the Federal Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. In the United States, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also fought the deal, and has an argument scheduled before an appeals court on Dec. 6. The agency said on Friday that it remained focused on that appeal. "The FTC continues to believe this deal is a threat to competition." Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Victoria Graham, Diane Bartz, Susan Fenton Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Entertainment, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Britain, United States

☆ Microsoft could buy Activision Blizzard by the end of the week. Here's what that means for 'Call of Duty.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Activision President Rob Kostich said he thinks the deal will make "Call of Duty" better. "This deal is good for the industry," Kostich told Games Beat. AdvertisementAdvertisementActivision Blizzard's president thinks that Microsoft could make the "Call of Duty" franchise even better. The UK Competition and Markets Authority previously blocked Microsoft's attempts to buy Activision Blizzard, causing Microsoft to reorganize the deal. "As we've said previously, this deal is good for the industry and will bring more games to more players," Kostich told Games Beat.

Persons: Rob Kostich, Kostich, —, we've, Activision Blizzard Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Activision, Service, Markets, Ubisoft, Cloud Gaming, Sunday

☆ Microsoft looks to close Activision deal next week - The Verge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 6 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) is aiming to close its $69 billion deal for "Call of Duty" publisher Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) on Oct. 13 if it gets approval from Britain's antitrust regulator, the Verge reported on Friday, citing a source. The Xbox maker had in July extended the cutoff date for the deal to Oct. 18 to get more time to secure approval from the UK. Microsoft won preliminary approval from the Competition and Markets Authority last month after Activision agreed to sell its streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment (UBIP.PA). Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft's, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Competition, Markets, Ubisoft Entertainment, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

In our view, the companies in the regulators' sights — Alphabet 's (GOOGL) Google, Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) — are not engaged in anti-competitive behavior. In January, the DOJ filed a second, separate antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. MSFT YTD mountain Microsoft YTD U.K. regulators have also hounded the Big Tech name, aiming to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision over cloud gaming concerns. In a showdown years in the making, the FTC last month filed a highly-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against e-commerce giant Amazon. The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone and a laptop screen.

Persons: Satya Nadella, —, Nadella, Bing, Jim Cramer, Activision Blizzard, ChatGPT, Morgan Stanley, Joe Biden, Lina Khan, Khan, Jim, Jim Cramer's, Justin Tallis Organizations: Big Tech, Google, Microsoft, Washington D.C, Justice, District of Columbia, DOJ, Eastern, of, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Ubisoft, U.K, Markets Authority, Yale Law, Amazon, CNBC, Apple, Facebook, Getty Locations: Washington, U.S, of Virginia, Virginia, Amazon

☆ Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of October 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A still from ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ Photo: UbisoftFilm“The Exorcist: Believer” (Oct. 6): Scaredy-cats should say a prayer—the hit possession-based horror franchise is getting another installment. This one sees a family plagued by demons seeking advice from just about the only person who might know what’s happening: Chris MacNeil , mother of the petrifying possessed girl in William Friedkin ’s 1973 classic. Ellen Burstyn is back again as Chris, now joined by Leslie Odom Jr ., Ann Dowd , Norbert Leo Butz and Jennifer Nettles .

Persons: ‘, Chris MacNeil, William Friedkin ’, Ellen Burstyn, Chris, Leslie Odom Jr, Ann Dowd, Norbert Leo Butz, Jennifer Nettles Organizations: Ubisoft

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