The CMA offers drastic alternatives to Microsoft if it wants the operation to be approved.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the latest installment in the mainline series to hit consoles and PC.
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This same week, the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) del Reino Unidotral and as expected, has been positioned against the purchase of Activision Blizzard King by Microsoft and has blocked the operation until the opportune conditions exist for it to be carried out. Now the question is to know what those conditions will be approved by both the CMA and Microsoft, if they manage to reach an agreement and do not have to go to trial. Among the very drastic suggestions of the CMA, it suggests that MNiocrosoft carry out the purchase leaving out the Call of Duty franchiseamong other measures.
Aside from concerns about the huge authority in cloud and mobile gaming that Miocrosoft would have with its technology and the Activision Blizzard King licenses, the other hot potato in this matter is the call of duty franchise, one of the great economic engines of the industry today. According to this CMA report, nearly 25% of PlayStation users would leave the platform if Microsoft decided to make Call of Duty exclusive to its Xbox consoles. If Call of Duty is from Microsoft, the CMA determines, it could hurt players on other platforms.
CMA Suggestions to Microsoft
As we said, the CMA has blocked the agreement between Activision Blizzard King and Microsoft, but has been kind enough to share some suggestions to be taken into account by those from Redmond so that the agreement can be approved. Suggestions that could sound very drastic, everything is said, since it implies leave out part of the company or set aside franchises like Call of Duty. As of today, the CMA only contemplates three possible scenarios if they do not want a definitive blockade of the operation, as reported in a press release:
Sale of the part of the business that deals with Call of Duty Sale of the Activision segment of Activision Blizzard Sale of the Activision and Blizzard segments
All is not lost for Microsoft, as it now has to negotiate these conditions with the CMA or propose a scenario that meets their concerns in the coming weeks, as the final decision of the regulatory body will be shared at the end of next April. Speaking to Kotaku, Microsoft has once again reiterated its intention to “deliver effective and easily executable solutions that address the concerns of the CMA. Our commitment to grant Long-term 100% equal access to Call of Duty to SonyNintendo, Steam and others, preserve the benefits of the agreement for players and developers and increase competition in the market“.
For now, all that remains is to wait and see how the situation is resolved in the coming weeks. Microsoft now has to deal with the demands of the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the European Union and the CMA. In his defense before the FTC, he has even called PlayStation, the main affected if this purchase were to take place, to testify.
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