Microsoft told New Zealand regulators that there is no “nothing unique“in the titles of Activision Blizzard, in its latest attempt to get the costly merger approved. In a document submitted to the Business Acquisitions and Authorizations Commerce Commission, Microsoft claims the video game giant does not produce titles. “unmissable“and therefore should be authorized to proceed with the acquisition.
This statement is part of Microsoft’s efforts to alleviate fears that the merger with Activision Blizzard threatens the video game industry, creating competition problems in the market. In this way, Microsoft has stated that its rivals would do just fine without the Activision Blizzard titles and would still be able to compete in a gaming market. “lively“.
“The vast majority of games are developed and published by parties other than [Activision Blizzard]such as Sony, Nintendo, EA and Take-Two“, reads the document, which responds to concerns about the monopolization of industry (via Twisted Voxel).
“In particular, when it comes to Activision Blizzard’s video games, there is nothing unique about the video games developed and published by the company.“, the statement continues. There would therefore be no”must have“for rival PC and console game distributors.
This might sound surprising language from the tech giant wanting to buy the studio, but it’s unlikely to refer to the quality of Activision Blizzard’s games. Rather, it seems like a statement intended for regulators who may not understand the video game market and therefore need to be made aware that Activision Blizzard does not have a monopoly on a particular genre.
This is not the only point the company raises to allay concerns that the merger will give it an “unfair advantage” in the industry. Microsoft also claims that the gaming industry has “low barriers to entry“, which means”content will remain available to rival distributors on PC, console and mobile devices“.
Microsoft is increasingly likely to get the regulatory approval needed to proceed with the merger soon. As was recently reported, the deal could be cleared by US regulators as early as August, potentially just weeks away. It depends on whether or not companies are required to submit additional evidence to regulatory authorities. Otherwise, the operation can go on.
Source: Thegamer.
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