On Tuesday, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ruled in favour of the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, representing a huge win for those in favour of the $69 billion acquisition.
“The JFTC concluded that the transaction is unlikely to result in substantially restraining competition in any particular fields of trade,” announced the commission via press release.
We need not remind you that Sony, a Japanese giant, has been on the forefront against the deal ever since its inception, bringing forth the argument of anti-competitiveness directly related to the cash cow that is Call of Duty.
Microsoft has since extended an olive branch to calm any scepticism, in a bid to appease regulators. The Xbox maker has penned four 10-year commitment deals with Nvidia, Nintendo, as well as cloud streaming services Ubitus, and Boosteroid.
The timed exclusive provides these companies access to a wealth of Activision Blizzard PC titles, including Call of Duty, should Microsoft’s long-drawn-out acquisition prove successful. Even though the offer has been extended to Sony, the deal has been, with the Japanese star labelling it as “inadequate on many levels.”
Nonetheless, Microsoft strategy to win over regulators has proven quite successful so far; competition watchdogs from Serbia, Chile, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have expressed zero qualms regarding the acquisition.
What’s more, the UK’s CMA is also slowly warming up to the idea, agreeing with Microsoft that removing Call of Duty from PlayStation and other platforms will be irrational for business, while the European Union is rumoured to be gearing towards an approval verdict.
Both final verdicts should arrive by the end of next month, leaving only the US Federal Trade Commission to contend with. Alas, the plot thickens.
