The series of the Activision Blizzard takeover by Microsoft is starting to tire you? Here is a new episode on the program.
Whether or not you follow Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard very closely has not escaped your notice, but this one is taking much longer than expected. Because yes, buying such a big box with billions of dollars is not so simple, especially when a certain Call of Duty comes into the equation. Remember: according to the New York Post, the study of the takeover in the United States had to move in the right direction as it could be hurt in this news. Except that in the meantime, the FTC came to torpedo the project of the green giant (it was easy this one). To add a layer, it is the players who are now taking action.
The new Activision Blizzard episode
If in France the voice of a few does not often have weight in justice, this is not the case in the USA where everything can very quickly be taken seriously. So we can learn from the BloombergLaw newspaper that a group of 10 players in the United States has joined forces to file a federal antitrust complaint against Microsoft regarding its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The lawsuit in question argues that the acquisition will give Microsoft enough leverage in the gaming industry”to exclude rivals, limit production, reduce the choice of consumptionators, raise prices and further impede competition”. Joseph Saveri of the law firm of the same name says:
The proposed acquisition would give Microsoft an unrivaled position in the gaming industry, delivering the most must-have games and iconic franchises.
As the video game industry continues to grow and evolve, it is essential that we protect the market from monopolistic mergers that will harm consumers in the long run.
Note that other lawsuits of this type are likely to emerge during the takeover maneuver by Microsoft. Even if this is unlikely to change the game, it could be an additional grain of sand that will undermine the Microsoft cog.
Wait and watch.