In an interview with CNBC, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer says that Microsoft will continue to make acquisitions after the Activision Blizzard deal. According to Spencer, it is a very “competitive market” in which there is no room to “take a break.” Both Tencent and Sony are mentioned as examples. Both companies are ‘bigger’ and continue to ‘invest’.
$MSFTs @XboxP3 talk #Tencent, #JRPG‘s, and @discord – and explains why it’s not time to follow $SONY‘s hike in prices. #Xbox #PlayStation pic.twitter.com/BCIY0wE8Gt
— Squawk Asia (@asiasquawkbox) September 16, 2022
Spencer indicates that the goal is still to remain a ‘big player’ in the market. To this end, investments are not only being made in ‘internal teams and collaborations’, but ‘possible acquisitions’ are also being looked at. The work “never stops” to keep “innovating and staying ahead of the competition,” Spencer said. You can see the whole story in the video above.
The battle between Microsoft and Sony over the Activision Blizzard deal continues. Microsoft has therefore now launched a special site to explain the consequences of the acquisition.
In January, Microsoft announced it plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. The deal is still not done, because it must first be approved by the various watchdogs. There are doubts whether Microsoft will not become too powerful after the takeover, partly fueled by statements from Sony.
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To explain the consequences of the Activision Blizzard deal, Microsoft has now launched a special site. On the site you can read what the vision of the American publisher is with the company behind Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Diablo, among others.
With the page, Microsoft also wants to make it clear that the company will not become too big a power within the game industry. In fact, according to an overview, ‘Sony and Nintendo remain the largest players’ in the field of games. Microsoft will also ensure healthy competition in the , where ‘a number of large players now dominate’.
Investigation into Activision Blizzard deal launched
The fact that Microsoft has now launched a special site to explain the consequences of the acquisition does not come at a strange time. In September it became clear that the EU and the watchdog of the United Kingdom have launched an investigation into the takeover. In particular, the possibility of Call of Duty becoming an Xbox-exclusive franchise would cause problems.
The deadline for the EU investigation is 8 November. On that date, the European Commission must give its approval, block the takeover or there is still a possibility to launch a more in-depth investigation. So it will be a while before we get more certainty about the Activision Blizzard deal.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is not going very smoothly. The deal is for a record amount of 69 billion and has many opponents. The deal is therefore being investigated by the necessary market authorities and the EU will take an important step in its investigation.
Microsoft is expected to receive a warning from the EU soon. The governing body has been investigating the potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard for some time, but has not yet made a decision in the matter. That will happen no later than April, but in the meantime Microsoft will receive a so-called statement of objections.
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That is, in fact, a list of objections and concerns that the EU has about the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has previously indicated that it wants to make concessions to get the deal through, but that seems impossible without first sending out a statement of objections. In the meantime, informal discussions are underway, Reuters reports.
What objections are there to the Activision Blizzard deal?
It is not yet known what exactly concerns the EU. But various parties, including Sony, Nvidia and Google think that Microsoft will become too powerful if it is allowed to take over Activision Blizzard. Microsoft insists it is not out for dominance and promises that Activision Blizzard’s games, especially Call of Duty, will also come to other platforms.
Despite this, Microsoft still has to convince several market authorities. In addition to the EU, the United Kingdom is also still investigating the deal. In the United States, Microsoft has been sued by the FTC, which is currently not considering a settlement.
It is normal to think that Activision Blizzard games would arrive more and more frequently on Xbox Game Pass; Although the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft has not yet materialized, both companies are already closer than ever, a situation that made it very credible the leak that claimed thatwould come to the famous subscription service. This, however, is completely false.
Diablo 4 says no to Xbox Game Pass… for now
In case you haven’t heard, excitement began to circulate among fans when an alleged Brazilian promotion claimed that would be available on Xbox Game Pass. The leak was even accompanied by an image that reiterated this, so many assumed that the official announcement would come in a matter of days.
Fast forward to today, it was the same president of Blizzard, Mike Ybarra, who refuted all thisresponding on social networks with a simple , and instantly breaking the hopes of all those who have not been able to enjoy this great contender for the 2023 Game of the Year.
Of course, this does not mean that It will never come to Xbox Game Pass; the house of affirmed long ago its intentions to launch its titles more frequently in the subscription service, this in order to further solve its alliance with Microsoft. It is the best-selling game in Blizzard’s history, so we don’t doubt that it will come true in the future, although for now, we can only wait.
Fans want to play Diablo 4
Needless to say that the community was extremely disappointed in what Blizzard saidWell, whether they did not like the lie or that Blizzard has responded in such a dry way, we can read comments full of disappointment and even anger, such as accusations against him for publishing a , and the discussion is just beginning at the time of this drafting.
If you are eager to play we recommend that you buy it instead of waiting for it to arrive on Xbox Game Pass, because it is a quite addictive and fun title, and in our review you can find all the good (and bad) that Blizzard did with this anticipated installment. Of course: try to measure your gaming sessions well, because the last thing we want is for you to end up in the hospital as has already happened to someone else.
