Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty / Activision Blizzard
Microsoft has been desperate for good news regarding its mega $68.7 million acquisition of Activision Blizzard and finally got some from the EU.
EU regulators have approved Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision Blizzard. The European Commission came to its decision thanks to Microsoft’s commitments to cloud gaming, just weeks after the UK said nah to the acquisition.
Microsoft “would have no incentive to refuse to distribute Activision’s games to Sony,” the EU determined, adding, “Even if Microsoft did decide to withdraw Activision’s games from the PlayStation, this would not significantly harm competition in the consoles market.”
But, like the UK’s argument against the acquisition, the EU is also concerned about harming competition around the distribution of PC and console games through cloud gaming services, The Verge reports.
“Our decision represents an important step in this direction, by bringing Activision’s popular games to many more devices and consumers than before thanks to cloud game streaming,” Margrethe Vestager, executive VP in charge of competition policy at the European Commission, said. “The commitments offered by Microsoft will enable for the first time the streaming of such games in any cloud game streaming services, enhancing competition and opportunities for growth.”
A Major Hurdle Cleared, Still The UK & US Could Hate On The Deal
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal because it felt it “reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come” regarding the cloud gaming market. Microsoft is appealing the decision and has been working hard for the past few months to address the regulator’s concerns.
Microsoft’s recent moves were enough to please the EU, but that wasn’t the case for the UK, but the EU’s approval could help Microsoft get this deal fully approved, but the US and UK are still holding it back.
Still, that is some positive momentum, plus they got the Xbox Showcase coming up, so there could be more good news on the horizon for Xbox fans.
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Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty