Logo of American video game publisher Activision Blizzard.
Brussels – The American company Microsoft has offered concessions to get approval to take over Activision Blizzard, maker of the Call of Duty and Candy Crush games. This is shown by the updated documentation of the European Commission (EC), which also functions as an EU antitrust authority. The EC, in line with its policy, did not provide any further details. He now solicits feedback from competitors and customers, then makes a final decision. That should drop by May 22.
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Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company is ready to offer licensing deals to competitors to ease concerns about distorting competition in the market. But he doesn't want to sell the lucrative Call of Duty. In recent weeks, the company has signed deals with three companies that want to bring the game to their platforms.
“We stand by our promise to bring Call of Duty to more players on more devices. I have closed deals to bring the game to console Nintendo and with the cloud game streaming services of Nvidia, Boosteroid and Ubitus,” said a Microsoft spokesperson.
According to Reuters sources, Microsoft is likely to get EU approval for the acquisition thanks to these licensing agreements and other measures. In Europe, the British antitrust authority is also investigating the merger, but it is not yet certain whether it will be approved there.
Microsoft announced that it will buy the game developer and publisher of interactive of entertainment content by Activision Blizzard last January. The acquisition, which is the largest takeover in the technology sector, is intended to accelerate the growth of Microsoft's gaming division. After the transaction is completed, Microsoft will be the world's third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. It is Sony that is a big critic of the transaction.
