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NEW YORK (AP) — Several exclusive Xbox games will be soon making their way to rival consoles, the video gaming brand and its parent company, Microsoft, announced Thursday. In a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that four Xbox games will no longer be exclusive. Microsoft has already been moving away from this through its “Game Pass” subscription service that works something like a Netflix for video games. The tech giant's recent acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard allows that service to grow even further. On Thursday, Xbox President Sarah Bond announced that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, starting March 28.

Persons: Phil Spencer, Spencer, “, ”, Indiana Jones, Sarah Bond, ” Bond Organizations: Microsoft, Bethesda, Netflix, Activision Blizzard, Activision, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Windows, Sony Locations: Diablo, Redmond, Washington

☆ Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to step down at the end of the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-20 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will step down from his role as head of the video game company on Dec. 29, according to an internal memo from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer on Wednesday. The leadership change was expected after Microsoft closed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October. He first joined the company as Director and CEO of Activision Inc., in February 1991 before serving as CEO of Activision Blizzard beginning in July 2008. In a memo to employees Wednesday, Kotick expressed "gratitude and appreciation" for his time at Activision Blizzard. Thomas Tippl, the vice chairman of Activision Blizzard; Rob Kostich, president of Activision Publishing; Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard Entertainment; and others will report to Matt Booty, the president of Microsoft's Game Content and Studios.

Persons: Bobby Kotick, Phil Spencer, Kotick, Bobby —, Spencer, Tony Hawk, Thomas Tippl, Rob Kostich, Mike Ybarra, Matt Booty, Brian Bulatao, Dave McCarthy, — CNBC's Jordan Novet Organizations: Activision, Microsoft Gaming, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Activision Inc, CNBC, Activision Blizzard's, Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Blizzard, Gaming, CNBC PRO Locations: U.S, Europe

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

☆ 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

☆ Britain says may clear restructured Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 - Microsoft's (MSFT.O) restructured acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) "opens the door" to the deal being cleared, Britain's antitrust regulator said on Friday. The Ubisoft divestment "substantially addresses previous concerns," the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said in a statement. "While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues," the regulator said. The CMA said there were "residual concerns" that certain provisions in the Ubisoft deal could be circumvented, terminated or not enforced.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Varun, Jason Neely Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Markets Authority, CMA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru, London

☆ UK says grounds to clear Microsoft's Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Friday said there were grounds to clear Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty owner Activision Blizzard. "The CMA now gives notice ... to the Parties that it considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered, or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA ... and that it is considering the offer," the CMA said in a document published by the British government. Reporting by William James; Editing by Paul SandleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Activision Blizzard, William James, Paul Sandle Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, CMA, Thomson Locations: British

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. "While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues," the regulator said. The European Union waved the deal through in May after accepting Microsoft's commitments to license Activision's games to other platforms, the same remedies that Britain had rejected. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also opposes the deal, but it has failed in its attempts to stop it. The CMA said there were "residual concerns" around the Ubisoft deal, but Microsoft has offered remedies to ensure the terms of the sale were enforceable by the regulator.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith, Sarah Cardell, Sophie Lund, Yates, Hargreaves Lansdown, Yadarisa, Paul Sandle, Varun H, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Ubisoft UK's CMA, CMA, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Competition, Markets Authority, Ubisoft, Union, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thomson Locations: U.S, Britain, Bengaluru, London

☆ UK minister rejects Microsoft criticism of decision to block Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - British business minister Kemi Badenoch said on Tuesday she did not agree with Microsoft (MSFT.O) President Brad Smith that the Competition and Market Authority's initial decision to block its purchase of videogame maker Activision was bad for Britain. "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) has since said it will sell its streaming rights in a fresh attempt to win approval from Britain's anti-trust regulator, the CMA, for its $69 billion sale to Microsoft. "If the CMA is doing something wrong, I think that will become evident through a pattern which is not yet the case." Reporting by Alistair Smout and Muvija M; Editing by Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kemi Badenoch, Brad Smith, Badenoch, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Britain, CMA, Thomson Locations: United States

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The European Commission had cleared the deal in May after Microsoft agreed to license popular Activision games such as "Call of Duty" to rival game-streaming platforms. That clearance was given before Microsoft proposed the Ubisoft deal to appease the UK regulator. However, the EU antitrust watchdog has since emailed companies to ask for feedback, the sources told Reuters. An EU investigation looks unlikely, other sources said, citing the structuring of Microsoft's CMA proposal to ensure compliance with its EU remedies.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Microsoft's, Foo Yun, Jason Neely, David Goodman Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Rights, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Entertainment, Britain's, Markets Authority, European Commission, Ubisoft, Reuters, CMA, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, U.S, EU

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - GameStop (GME.N) on Wednesday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly revenue and posted a smaller-than-expected loss, buoyed by strong demand for videogames, collectibles and consoles. The company's shares rose nearly 6% in extended trading as the results indicated that efforts to boost its digital presence were paying off. Sales of software and collectibles contributed to about 49% of total revenue in the second quarter, the company said. Revenue rose about 2% to $1.16 billion for the quarter ended July 29, GameStop said, topping estimates of $1.14 billion, according to three analysts polled by LSEG. On an adjusted basis, GameStop lost 3 cents per share, compared with analysts' estimates of a loss of 14 cents.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ryan Cohen, John Oh, Akash Sriram, Sriraj Organizations: GameStop, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Wednesday, Wall, Gamers, Activision, Arts, LSEG, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The carve-out is designed to not upset a deal with Brussels for Microsoft to license content to rival cloud services. The CMA's block in April drew fury from the merging parties, with Microsoft saying that Britain was closed for business. It said on Tuesday that it had not felt any political pressure over its handling of the deal. The CMA will also avoid having to defend its original block in court, and Microsoft finally looks set to secure its deal.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ronan Scanlan, Arthur Cox, Gustaf Duhs, Scanlan, Antony O'Loughlin, Setfords, Tom Smith, there's, Smith, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle, Martin Coulter, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, REUTERS, Markets Authority, U.S, Ubisoft Entertainment, European Union, U.S ., CMA, Reuters, Stevens & Bolton, Ubisoft, European, Geradin Partners, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Britain, U.S, Brussels, Dublin, United States, European Union, China, London

☆ Microsoft submits new Activision Blizzard takeover deal to British regulator after initial block
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dado Ruvic | ReutersMicrosoft on Tuesday submitted a new deal for the takeover of Activision Blizzard, offering a spate of concessions after U.K. regulators rejected its initial proposal. Under the restructured deal, Microsoft will not acquire cloud rights for existing Activision PC and console games, or for new games released by Activision during the next 15 years, the CMA said. Regulators previously argued that Microsoft could also take key Activision games, like Call of Duty, and make them exclusive to Xbox and other Microsoft platforms. To cross that line, Microsoft offered concessions, such as offering royalty-free licenses to cloud gaming platforms to stream Activision games, if a consumer has purchased them. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission was fighting a legal battle with Microsoft in an effort to get the Activision takeover scrapped.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brad Smith Organizations: Activision, Reuters Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Markets Authority, Microsoft, CMA, Redmond, Activision PC, Ubisoft Entertainment, Ubisoft, Netflix, European Union, Federal Trade Commission Locations: U.S, Europe

☆ 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

☆ Video-gaming revenue to grow 2.6% in 2023 on console sales strength - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Akshita Toshniwal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker holds a Playstation 5 at a Best Buy store during Black Friday sales in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Jim VondruskaAug 8 (Reuters) - Global video-games market would return to growth in 2023 on the back of strong sales of consoles such as Sony's Playstation 5, according to gaming market research firm Newzoo. Newzoo said it expects industry revenue to rise 2.6% to $187.7 billion in 2023, driven by a 7.4% rise in console sales in the year. Market research firm Circana said U.S. consumer spending on video-game hardware was up by 23% in the first half of 2023. Reporting by Akshita Toshniwal and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Newzoo, Tom Wijman, Circana, Akshita Toshniwal, Chavi Mehta, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Gaming, PlayStation, Sony, Activision, Electronic Arts, EA Sports FC, Newzoo, Apple, Google, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Cramer's Lightning Round: Zimmer Biomet is a buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Zimmer Biomet's year-to-date stock performance. Zimmer Biomet : "Turn on the jets, I say buy, buy, buy ZBH." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Vital Energy's year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon HighPeak Energy's year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Activision Blizzard's year-to-date stock performance.

Persons: Zimmer, Zimmer Biomet, Vital, HighPeak Organizations: Vital Energy, HighPeak, Energy, Activision

☆ 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

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 shares surged 10% on the day, as the U.S. and Britain have been the two countries opposed to what would be Microsoft's biggest deal ever and the largest transaction in the videogame industry's history. Microsoft shares rose 64 cents to $332.47. Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. "It does seem like the Microsoft and the CMA could work out a deal within the next couple of weeks," said D.A. The FTC's complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, ”, Joost Van Dreunen, University's, Corley, Douglas Farrar, we'll, Dado Ruvic, Biden, Brad Smith, Franco Granda, Satya Nadella, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Jaspreet Singh, Aditya Soni, Chris Sanders, Caitlin Webber, Matthew Lewis David Gregorio, Muralikumar Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Biden, U.S, Markets Authority, University's Stern School of Business, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, FOCUS Gaming, CMA, Davidson &, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, British, Britain, San Francisco, New, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Activision Blizzard stock surges 10% after judge rules on Microsoft deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of Activision Blizzard closed up 10% on Tuesday after a judge denied the Federal Trade Commission's motion for a preliminary injunction to stop Microsoft from acquiring the video game maker. Activision Blizzard's stock reached a 52-week high of $92.91 per share, and the move reflects the biggest jump for the video game publisher since the deal was first announced on Jan. 18, 2022. Activision Blizzard shares hit their highest close since July 2021. Microsoft agreed to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, or $95 per share, but the acquisition has faced opposition in the U.S. and abroad over concerns that it could stifle competition. The FTC can now bring the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and Microsoft and Activision Blizzard must find a way forward to resolve opposition from the Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Bobby Kotick, — CNBC's Jordan Novet Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Federal, Microsoft, Activision, Jan, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, Court, FTC, U.S ., Appeals, Circuit, Competition, Markets Authority Locations: U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, United Kingdom

☆ 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

☆ Diablo IV crosses $666 million in sales in five days, a record for Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activision Blizzard's new Diablo video game broke $666 million in global sales in the span of five days, the company said Wednesday. Diablo IV, which launched June 6, has become Activision subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment's fastest-selling game ever, the company added. Microsoft dominates the space, and with a possible Activision acquisition, it would be able to make popular franchises beyond Diablo exclusive to Microsoft's cloud platform, the CMA said. Diablo IV isn't available on Game Pass, an Activision executive said in March. The sales record, while record breaking for Blizzard, is not an industry record.

Persons: Diablo Organizations: Activision, Blizzard, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, FTC, Authority, CMA, Marquee, Electronic Arts, FIFA, Madden Locations: California

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

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (TTWO.O) on Wednesday rounded off a strong March quarter for the sector that saw its three major players post net bookings growth of between 11% and 66%. The company said "NBA 2K23", "Grand Theft Auto V" and "Grand Theft Auto Online" were some of the top contributors to its net bookings growth in the reported quarter. The company forecast net bookings of more than $8 billion for next year, which was above analysts' estimates. "It (the GTA VI release) would be a watershed moment for the category of open-world games," said MoffettNathanson analyst Clay Griffin. "Tens and tens of millions of units would be sold immediately, and a new or completely refreshed GTA: Online would redefine what a modern 'metaverse' really looks like."

☆ Microsoft wins EU antitrust approval for Activision deal vetoed by UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Microsoft has in recent months signed licensing deals with Nvidia (NVDA.O), Nintendo (7974.T), Ukraine's Boosteroid and Japan's Ubitus to bring Activision games to their platforms should the deal go through. "The European Commission has required Microsoft to license popular Activision Blizzard games automatically to competing cloud gaming services. CLOUD GAMING MARKET GROWTHVestager said the Commission had a different view from UK regulators of how the game streaming market, which accounted for just 1% of the total market last year, would develop. "Microsoft and Activision’s lawyers will also use the decision to provide greater ballast to their appeal of the CMA's decision."

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