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☆ FTC’s Tussle With Microsoft Puts Spotlight on Cloud Gaming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Aaron Tilley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gaming in the cloud is a small part of the current videogame market, but it is a key piece of the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp.’s purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. Cloud gaming is an emerging technology that allows people to stream videogames to nearly any internet-connected device, similar to how movies and shows are viewed on Netflix , Hulu and other streaming platforms.

☆ FTC’s Move to Block Microsoft’s Deal for Activision Blizzard Came Despite Charm Offensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft Corp. had been working for close to a year to calm regulators’ concerns about its acquisition of videogame developer Activision Blizzard Inc., but the Federal Trade Commission’s suit to block the deal raised doubts about the company’s pledge not to shut out rivals. The FTC this week took one of its biggest swings ever against a big technology company and sued to stop the planned $75 billion acquisition, setting the stage for a court challenge over a deal the antitrust agency said would harm competition.

☆ Microsoft Case Poses Crucial Test for FTC’s Fight Against ‘Vertical’ Mergers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Brent Kendall | Dave Michaels | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Federal Trade Commission argues the deal would give Microsoft the incentive and ability to degrade or withhold Activision’s content on rival systems. In challenging Microsoft Corp.’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., the Federal Trade Commission is building its marquee antitrust case of Chair Lina Khan’s tenure on expansive legal theories that haven’t prevailed in other recent cases. The lawsuit targets a so-called vertical merger that would combine Microsoft’s software, devices and cloud-computing business with Activision’s library of blockbuster videogames. The FTC argues the deal would give Microsoft the incentive and ability to degrade or withhold Activision’s content on rival systems, principally hurting Sony , its major competitor in gaming consoles and other platforms.

☆ Microsoft Faces Tougher Path to Closing Activision Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Shares of Activision fell a day after the FTC sued Microsoft to block its planned acquisition of the ‘Call of Duty’ publisher. The Federal Trade Commission’s suit to block Microsoft Corp.’s $75 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. puts the software giant in regulators’ crosshairs and leaves Activision in limbo. Microsoft, after earlier offering concessions to regulators, is prepared to defend its purchase of the “Call of Duty” publisher in court, Microsoft vice chairman and president, Brad Smith , said Thursday. Activision Chief Executive Bobby Kotick said the regulatory environment is focused on ideology and misconceptions.

☆ S&P 500, Nasdaq snap losing streaks after jobless claims rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wall Street's main indexes had come under pressure in recent days, with the S&P 500 shedding 3.6% since the beginning of December on expectations of a longer rate-hike cycle and downbeat economic views from some top company executives. Such thinking had also weighed on the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), which had posted four straight losing sessions prior to Thursday's advance on the tech-heavy index. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNine of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors rose, led by a 1.6% gain in technology stocks (.SPLRCT). The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and three new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 82 new highs and 232 new lows.

The Federal Trade Commission Thursday sued Microsoft Corp. to block its planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., taking one of its biggest shots under the Biden administration at halting a merger of technology giants. The lawsuit sets the stage for a court challenge over the deal as Microsoft agreed as part of negotiations with the “Call of Duty” publisher to defend the acquisition against a government lawsuit.

The Federal Trade Commission Thursday sued Microsoft Corp. to block its planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., taking one of its biggest shots under the Biden administration at halting a merger of technology giants. The lawsuit sets the stage for a court challenge over the deal as Microsoft agreed as part of negotiations with Activision to defend the acquisition against a government lawsuit.

☆ Microsoft Pledges to Put ‘Call of Duty’ on Nintendo Switch If Activision Deal Is Approved
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft Corp. pledged to give Nintendo Co. access to the popular “Call of Duty” games for a decade if its $75 billion deal to buy the game’s developer, Activision Blizzard Inc., gets approved, the software giant’s latest move to head off possible American regulatory action to block the acquisition. The offer follows a similar pledge that Microsoft made to Sony Group Corp., maker of the PlayStation videogame console. Sony has been the loudest of the critics of the planned Activision deal, arguing that it could hurt competition if Microsoft restricts access to Activision games. Sony has also said Microsoft could hinder competition in the global videogame industry if it were to gain ownership of “Call of Duty.”

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) will voluntarily recognize a union of about 300 videogame testers at subsidiary ZeniMax Studios if they vote to unionize, a first for the company in the United States, the Communication Workers of America union (CWA) said on Monday. Voluntarily agreeing to bargain with the union would allow Microsoft to avoid a formal election overseen by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board and the legal battles that often ensue. The company in June entered into an agreement with the CWA to remain neutral in union organizing campaigns at Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), which Microsoft is seeking to purchase for $69 billion. Game testers at Activision units Blizzard Albany and Raven Software have voted this year to join unions amid claims by the CWA that the company has threatened and retaliated against union supporters. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] The entrance to the Activision Blizzard Inc. campus is shown in Irvine, California, U.S., August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Mike BlakeDec 2 (Reuters) - Workers who test games at Activision Blizzard Inc.'s (ATVI.O) unit Blizzard Albany have voted to form a union months after the games developer began negotiating with employees at its Wisconsin unit, the first in the company to unionize. Blizzard Albany has developed installments of popular video game franchises including Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Activision had argued that Blizzard Albany's entire workforce of about 100 employees, including production workers, should have been involved in the union vote and not only game testers. The vote announced on Friday came after about two dozen employees of Activision unit Raven Software voted to unionize in May.

☆ S&P 500 inches higher as Black Friday sales kick off
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Retailers in focus as Black Friday sales startActivision down on likely FTC lawsuit to block Microsoft dealApple slips, Foxconn China plant sees lower shipmentsIndexes: Dow up 0.5%, S&P inches 0.1% higher, Nasdaq off 0.3%Nov 25 (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 edged higher on Friday, with focus on retailers as Black Friday sales kicked off against the backdrop of stubbornly high inflation and cooling economic growth. The S&P 500 retail index (.SPXRT) slipped 0.1% on Friday, bringing its year-to-date losses to a little over 30%, while the S&P 500 is down 15% so far this year. "We're going have a higher-than-expected Black Friday sales number. The S&P 500 (.SPX) rose 3.41 points, or 0.08%, at 4,030.67, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) slipped 36.70 points, or 0.33%, at 11,248.61. The S&P index recorded 16 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 39 new highs and 42 new lows.

☆ FTC likely to file lawsuit to block Microsoft bid for Activision -Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion takeover bid for video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), Politico reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The acquisition could damage the industry if Microsoft refused to give rivals access to Activision's best-selling games, Britain's antitrust regulator has said. The deal has drawn criticism from Sony, maker of the Playstation console, citing Microsoft's control of games like "Call of Duty." A spokesperson for Microsoft said: "We are prepared to address the concerns of regulators, including the FTC, and Sony to ensure the deal closes with confidence.

☆ FTC likely to file lawsuit to block Microsoft's $69 bln bid for Activision - Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion takeover bid for video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), Politico reported on Wednesday. However, the FTC staff reviewing the deal are skeptical of the companies' arguments, the report said. The FTC and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The proposed bid is also facing EU scrutiny as regulators opened a full-scale investigation earlier this month and warned about the impact of the deal. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Activision Blizzard to End Most Game Services in China, NetEase Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE— Activision Blizzard Inc. is halting most online game services in China in January, including “World of Warcraft,” “StarCraft” and “Diablo III,” as it and China’s NetEase Inc. end a 14-year licensing partnership. Blizzard Entertainment Inc., an Activision Blizzard subsidiary, and NetEase failed to reach a deal to renew their licensing agreements, the two companies said Thursday China time. One obstacle to renewing the deal was a disagreement between the two parties over how data of Chinese players are controlled, people familiar with the negotiations said. Data collected by powerful internet companies and how those are handled has become a point of friction between the U.S. and China in recent years.

Google, Activision and Riot did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new filing. Epic last year mostly lost a similar case against Apple Inc (AAPL.O), the other leading app store provider. The deal with Activision was announced in January 2020, soon after it told Google it was considering launching its own app store. Google around the same time was forecasting billions of dollars in lost app store sales if developers fled to alternative systems. Epic's lawsuit alleged that Google knew signing with Activision "effectively ensured that (Activision) would abandon its plans to launch a competing app store, and Google intended this result."

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I no longer advocate that you should sell Activision Blizzard
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Advanced Micro Devices Inc : "We've cut the position back for my Charitable Trust. ... We're happy and content to leave the rest and let it run up $8 today." Loading chart...Activision Blizzard Inc : "I actually think that Activision Blizzard on its own right, at this point, could be worth what it's selling for. And therefore, I no longer advocate that you should sell it." Disclaimer: Cramer's Charitable Trust owns shares of AMD.

☆ EU to Probe Microsoft’s $75 Billion Deal for Activision Blizzard More Deeply
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Sarah E. Needleman | Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The European Union’s competition watchdog said it would pursue an in-depth investigation into Microsoft Corp.’s planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., adding to the global scrutiny of whether the deal could harm competition in the videogame industry. The European Commission, which opened its initial, formal probe of the deal in late September, said it is concerned that the deal may reduce competition in the markets for console and personal computer distribution, videogames and PC operating systems. It said it was concerned that Microsoft may block access to Activision Blizzard games to other game distributors, especially the publisher’s most successful franchises such as Call of Duty.

☆ Microsoft powers up search for Chinese gaming hits in race against Sony
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterGrowing Western interest in Chinese games reflects a maturing of China's game development industry, analysts said. Chinese games are now on a par with big-budget Western games, said Daniel Ahmad, senior analyst at researcher Niko Partners. "Chinese game developers are trying to standardise their development tools, create advanced production processes, invest in really large-scale teams," Ahmad said. Microsoft has been building a team to scout for Chinese games, two industry sources said. Gaming executives now point to "Genshin Impact" as a global industry milestone, lauding its production value and seamless cross-platform game play.

[1/2] A man walks towards the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, U.S. June 22, 2018. Tesla in a filing in state court in Oakland on Monday also revealed that it is separately being investigated by the U.S. The state agency last month lost a bid to block an $18 million settlement between the EEOC and Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) in a sex discrimination case. The state agency in its lawsuit accused Tesla of fostering a "racially segregated workplace" at its Fremont, California plant where Black workers were subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against in job assignments, discipline and pay. read moreA federal judge in California last week awarded $15 million to a former Tesla elevator operator in a race bias case.

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