The Federal Trade Commission is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft’s $69 billion takeover of video game giant Activision Blizzard, maker of the hit games Call of Duty and Candy Crush, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
The investigation remains ongoing, but much of the heavy lifting is completed, including depositions of Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella and Activision head Bobby Kotick, the people with knowledge of the investigation said. If the agency does move ahead with a case, it could come as soon as next month, said the people, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss a confidential matter.
To a lesser extent, Google is also an opponent of the deal, according to two of the people with knowledge of the matter. The company has argued that Microsoft has purposely degraded the quality of its Game Pass subscription service when used with Google’s Chrome operating system, and owning Activision would further its incentive to do so, ultimately steering hardware sales towards Microsoft and away from Google, the people said.
The FTC’s concerns however extend beyond Call of Duty, and investigators are trying to determine how Microsoft could leverage future, unannounced titles to boost its gaming business, according to two people with knowledge of the review. Microsoft spokesperson David Cuddy said the company “is prepared to address the concerns of regulators, including the FTC, and Sony to ensure the deal closes with confidence. We’ll still trail Sony and Tencent in the market after the deal closes, and together Activision and Xbox will benefit gamers and developers and make the industry more competitive.”
Pioneers:-
Chad Loder is suspended because Musk doesn't understand liability in the slightest.
And what is our fine government trying to extort from Microsoft.
Because Lina Khan is corrupt. She needs to prove something but chose small potato for it. There are much bigger acquisitions that hurt consumers but she doesn’t care. They probably did not get enough bribes by MS yet.
Nice
they can have activision, blizzard, or king, not all three.
🤦🤦
All these old dudes don't care bout no toy maker mergers. There's some backroom stuff going on.
Lmao
This acquisition does not form a monopoly and would even make Call of Duty more accessible in more emerging countries (I'm from Brazil) when entering Game Pass and Xcloud. That is, regulatory bodies can harm consumers/competition in the name of protecting consumers/competition.
Ridiculous
Crap that sucks. I was hoping for Blizz to start making good games again. Oh well, I guess Bobby can keep riding the players.
'Challenge' is all they can do. They can try. But they will be CRUSHED in court LOL
Someone at Sony with deep pockets is definitely doing favours at FTC
What about Disney and Fox. Wtf!
this is why nowadays most news outlets are irrelevant and untrustworthy.
But Sony don’t get investigated pulling the same shit they complain Microsoft might do
The ftc has lost cases in the past it has to be illegal for them to block it but it isn’t
Cc EliotReyna luchox50 RegularTweetsUK DailyNickNews
Doesn’t mean anything unless the FTC can prove the deal is illegal. It isn’t.
When they're done with that can someone tell them to maybe look into how like 8 of the top 10 dating sites *on earth* are all owned by Match group? I'd think that should be a little higher priority than which video game company gets to be the publisher for their weekend FPS game
But they won't look at Ticketmaster, Warner-Discovery, or Disney for this shit? Thanks for nothing FTC, I just want Crash 4 on gamepass
These people trying to block this are ass hats. Would bring life back to blizzard, this is f'n ridiculous.
Your three 'sources' Sony employees?
I use better bait when I go fishing.
this is good news! linakhanFTC Microsoft ruin everything they touch and ‘compete’ by taking away everyone’s ability to compete.
Jajajajaja Fuck yeah Xbox will FOREVER BE THE LAST PLACE, PATHETIC, IRRELEVANT GAMING PLATFORM That gets clowned on THANK YOU LINAKHANFTC FTC EU_COMMISSION CMAGOVUK for showing pathetic, low quality, Woke sjw Xbox & their gamers their place On their knees to Playstation
Why Activision has like a few games , what anti trust , playstation will still get CoD , all about 1 game really ?
Hopefully it goes through. Really sick of cod being a ps exclusive. Y’all can keep that Spiderman x button spamming crap.
it's nice when the government won't let you buy a crappy failed business. Bet someone's jealous right now.
No one told Politico that their article is supposed to back up their headline... What in the fucking clickbate did I just read? 😂😂
Nice try
“Per three people” 😂
Weird thing is I haven’t seen Sony make any effort with FTC to this point yet. So this was either based of Europes investigation or their own unless behind the scenes stuff is going on. Doesn’t help that MS & the FTC have a history
The_CrapGamer Happy thanksgiving ! 😊😊
Clickbait
Clickbait
Bring it Microsoft will end the career of the Marxist
towelthetank pretty clickbaity title, alot of non-fact backed speculations
Gotta love American regulators fighting to protect a Japanese company over two American companies trying to complete a merger. What treason is this lol.
Wouldn’t this allow bobby kotic to remain in charge without any real overseer? Wouldn’t this just allow Activision/Blizzard to make the same mistakes? I thought everyone wanted this to happen SO Bobby would be relieved of his position
Still don't understand why American Regulators would fight against an American company to compete and protect the Japanese and Chinese Companies to continue their dominance.
What about disney or amazon ?
You would need full proof of an antitrust lawsuit to even let this pass. So far there is zero accusations that Microsoft has not been anti-trustful Sony is complaining they’re not gonna win this battle Microsoft already one and people don’t even see it.
Wooooow... ...is this because of Call of Duty?
The deal being blocked is good for the majority. Microsoft have ruined everything they’ve touched. Nokia, Skype and every studio they’ve acquired.
Riverboatjack A lot more of these are needed. Too many organizations are at the point where they are doing more harm than good for healthy competition to control prices and inflation.
Microsoft suffered very little from their lost antitrust lawsuit in the 1990s (unlike AT&T in the 1950s). Of course Microsoft is going to do it again.
A lot of people in the replies are calling this FTC reporting “clickbait” only because they don't like the notion. Reminder: reading comprehension is crucial.
Clickbait and false.
FTC cares so much about antritrust laws with Microsoft but won't touch tencent lol
JayDubcity16
It's bizzare what legal grounds do they have to block the deal? Other than Sony doesn't like it because........
I guess Sony bought off enough ppl. So much for D4 coming to gamepass
Poorly written
En otras palabras 'vamos a darle más dinero al actual CEO de ActivisionBlizzard y para rematar si llega a ganar la demanda ActivisionBlizzard seguirá siendo una empresa multimierda con cada 2 meses cargos de agresión sexual por parte de empleadas contra empleados o el mismo CEO'
Source: Trust me Bro. Way to mislead 5 million followers. Good job if that was your goal.
TigerCA123 Good news. Time to stop industry consolidation.
BrokenGamezHDR_ Fake clickbait
I find it odd tho that sony has been blocking games for decades taking digital game and video purchases away from consumers and thats ok but a big hell naw for xbox i find it racially bias and a lot of bull
Clickbait is strong
Clickbait clowns like always
Your clickbait is not welcome here.
i guess we the people are gonna have to sue the ftc then because really we are tired of the bull
Leave MSFT alone. Go fry the GOOG, APPL, DIS, or AMZN fish.
Did you read any of this article before coming up with this headline?
Are they gonna reign in crypto lands unregulated exchanges/frauds? Tackle social media apps/Apple tracking our every move online? Nope they wanna stop Microsoft buying Activision
They must own Sony stock
Hard times at politico clickbaiting on these twitter streets.
L
Uh huh......Imma rob you of the clicks u wanted desperately
yea nice clickbait (also try next time to not contradict yourselves in the article) 😅🤣
Clickbait
CLICKBAIT
Clickbait
Good article very bad headline. But I guess you'll do anything for clicks these days.
Nice ... Jim Ryan keep winning
Bobby Kotick waiting for the free 2 bn$ from Microsoft
Gonna be amazing to see how fast the leftoids in the video game industry turn on Joe Biden ☕️
They’ll fail if they do
Clickbait trash from Crapolitico
Nice
nice
This sucks ass for gamers
Clickbait headline that doesn't reflect the contents of the article. Unprofessional and incompetent.
Nice clickbait
HoegLaw 🚨
Your article does not support this headline.
'A lawsuit challenging the deal is not guaranteed and the FTC’s four commissioners have yet to vote out a complaint or meet with lawyers for the companies, two of the people said. However the FTC staff reviewing the deal are skeptical of the companies’ arguments those peoplesaid'
This is what the government should be focused on
Nothing but totally rational reactions to this I bet
The federal govt spent over $6 TRILLION last year, but the FTC is worried about a much, much, much smaller concentration of power.
Why.... Just. Why.
This would be the FTC’s biggest move yet under Lina Khan to rein in the power of the world’s largest tech companies. It would also be a major black mark for Microsoft, which has positioned itself as a white knight of sorts on antitrust issues in tech.
It’s just video games..who cares.
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