Reuters
UK drops console concern over Microsoft-Activision deal
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s competition regulator said Microsoft’s 69-billion purchase of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard would not harm competition in gaming consoles, removing a major obstacle to the deal. In findings based on new evidence, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday that it would not make financial sense for Microsoft to make “Call of Duty” exclusive to its Xbox console, and it would instead still have the incentive to continue to make the game available on PlayStation. The CMA had noted Activision’s flagship “Call of Duty” franchise was important in driving competition between consoles, and it worried that Microsoft could benefit by making the game exclusive to Xbox, or only available on PlayStation under materially worse conditions.
