New Delhi:- After a U.S. judge approved a $69 billion (about 565,480 billion) takeover offer and suggested to British regulators that it might reconsider its resistance, Microsoft announced Tuesday that the video game Cleared a major hurdle in the manufacturer's plan to acquire Activision Blizzard.
Activision shares surged 10% on the day as the United States and Britain were the two countries that opposed Microsoft's biggest deal in history and the biggest in video game industry history. Microsoft shares rose 64 cents to $332.47 (about 27,425 rupees).
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corey of San Francisco said the deal hurts consumers by giving Xbox console maker Microsoft exclusive access to games, including best-selling Call of Duty. dismissed the claim.
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Shortly after the U.S. judge's order, the U.K. Competition Market Authority (CMA) said it was open to considering Microsoft's proposal to resolve the U.K.'s antitrust concerns, citing both parties as working toward a solution. suggested that it could be reached.
"All of the different testimony that came to light during the US trial undermines the UK antitrust authorities' claims," ​​said Joost Van Dreunen, an associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. Stated.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has argued that Microsoft's use of Activision games could help it outperform rival game console makers such as Nintendo and market leader Sony Group.
Mr. Corey disagreed with this. The FTC believes the combined company will likely sell Call of Duty from Sony PlayStation, or that ownership of Activision content will increase competition in video game library subscriptions, sharply reducing the cloud gaming market. It does not indicate whether the deaf claim will succeed. ' she wrote.
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The court gave the FTC until Friday to appeal the decision. FTC spokesman Douglas Farrar said the Antitrust Agency was "disappointed with this outcome, given the clear threat this merger poses to free competition in cloud gaming, subscription services, and consoles." said. In the coming days, we will be announcing the next steps as we continue our fight to stay competitive and protect consumers. "
The company is also considering appealing the court's decision, according to people familiar with the matter. The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked about its plans to appeal the ruling. According to PwC estimates, gaming market revenue is expected to grow 36% to $321 billion (about $2,643,884 billion) over the next four years.
Corey's decision is a setback to the Biden administration's broader efforts to cut costs to consumers, including negotiations to lower prices on insulin drugs and eliminate "junk fees" on airline tickets.
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Microsoft president Brad Smith said the company appreciates the "quick and thorough" decision. He also tweeted that going forward, the focus will be on how deals can be amended to address CMA concerns.
``It looks like Microsoft and the CMA could reach an agreement within the next few weeks,'' said Franco Granda, an analyst at DA Davidson & Company.
While much of the testimony at the latest trial focused on Call of Duty, Activision also has other bestsellers such as World of Warcraft, Diablo, and his mobile game Candy Crush Saga. are producing. The FTC's complaint raised concerns about the loss of competition not only in console gaming but also in subscription and cloud gaming. To address the agency's concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license Call of Duty to competitors, including a 10-year deal with Nintendo until the merger is complete.
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During a five-day trial in June, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella argued that the company had no incentive to sell more of Microsoft's Xbox consoles, barring Sony's PlayStation and other competitors.
Microsoft after acquiring the gaming manufacturer of Call of Duty named Activision Blizzard resulted in the highest purchase in the whole gaming industry and also the share value of Microsoft increased at about 66% roughly.