Green Light

<p><strong>Microsoft moves closer to UK regulator approval with its revised bid for Activision Blizzard</strong></p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-regulator-s-green-light-strong"><strong>Regulator’s Green Light</strong></h2> 
<p>The UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has hinted towards the potential clearance of Microsoft’s revised proposal to take over Activision Blizzard. The initial bid of $69 billion was hindered due to fears of reduced competition in the emerging cloud gaming market.</p> 
<p>Addressing the concerns, Microsoft altered their proposal. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/22/microsofts-activision-blizzard-deal-set-to-be-cleared-by-uk-regulator">new deal</a> suggests the relinquishment of cloud rights for Activision’s current and future games (for the next 15 years) to French gaming company, Ubisoft Entertainment, before completing the sale.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-residual-concerns-strong"><strong>Residual Concerns</strong></h2> 
<p>Even with the changes, the CMA still held minor reservations, particularly about the enforcement of the sale of Activision’s cloud rights to Ubisoft. Microsoft responded with solutions to ensure these rights are upheld, leading the CMA to provisionally accept the remedies.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-optimistic-voices-from-the-tech-giants-strong"><strong>Optimistic Voices from the Tech Giants</strong></h2> 
<p>Both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard expressed optimism. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair, voiced confidence in their proposed solutions, aiming for the deal’s approval by October 18. Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, also showed enthusiasm, seeing the preliminary approval as a positive step.&nbsp;</p> 
<p>At the core of this acquisition debate is cloud gaming’s transformative potential, echoing <a href="https://walletinvestor.com/magazinadmin/netflix-ventures-into-cloud-gaming/">Netflix’s</a> impact on TV. This tech could diminish the need for high-priced gaming consoles, enabling diverse device gameplay.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-broader-reception-strong"><strong>Broader Reception</strong></h2> 
<p>While the CMA had the strongest resistance to this acquisition, EU officials had already cleared the deal earlier in May. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, on the other hand, failed in its bid to halt the acquisition through the courts.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 
 <p dir="ltr" lang="en">UK regulator provisionally approves Microsoft’s $75bn Activision deal <a href="https://t.co/ZBFmFuMuwF">https://t.co/ZBFmFuMuwF</a></p> 
 <p>— FT Breaking News (@ftbreakingnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ftbreakingnews/status/1705162287621849263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></p>
</blockquote> 
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p> 
<h2 id="">&nbsp;</h2> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-timing-is-everything-strong"><strong>Timing is Everything</strong></h2> 
<p> Sarah Cardell, CMA’s chief executive, underlined the importance of prompt solutions, suggesting Microsoft should’ve proposed the restructured deal earlier to avert needless delays.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2 style="text-align: center;" id="strong-what-s-next-strong"><strong>What’s Next?</strong></h2> 
<p>The CMA’s consultation on the proposed solutions will conclude on October 6. If all goes well, Microsoft is hopeful for the acquisition to finalize before its agreement with Activision Blizzard expires on October 18.</p> 
<p>This high-profile deal, set against the backdrop of the evolving gaming industry, underlines the significant attention regulators worldwide are giving to “Big Tech” acquisitions.</p> 
<p>&nbsp;</p>

UK Authority Tentatively Greenlights Microsoft’s $75bn Activision Acquisition

Table of Contents

WalletInvestor

Other articles published on Sep 22, 2023

Apecoin DAO to invest $12.5M in YugaLabs, community decides

Chainlink Price Prediction: Will LINK Escape the Long-Term Range?

Toronto Prepares for an Epic Showdown as Overwatch League 2023 Grand Finals Near

Massive Bull Run Imminent for XRP According to Little-Known Indicator

Polygon, Arbitrum, and Pomerdoge garner attention from analysts

The Fascinating Origin Story of Dogecoin: From Joke to Legitimate Cryptocurrency

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!