Microsoft thinks Activision Blizzard deal will provide devs with “better revenue and fair marketplace rules”
Microsoft has tried to explain how the upcoming acquisition of Activision Blizzard will benefit players, developers, and the games industry as a whole. The company thinks that “we all win” from this $68.7 billion deal.
A special page titled “Our vision of gaming” appeared on Microsoft’s official website. It is dedicated to the Activision Blizzard acquisition and contains comments from the company’s president Brad Smith and Xbox head Phil Spencer.
On top of that, Microsoft posted a table where it tried to explain benefits of the upcoming deal.
“We want to enable people to play games anywhere, anytime and on any device,” the message reads. “And developers deserve more options to build, distribute and monetize their groundbreaking games. When we do this, we all win.”
How does the Activision Blizzard acquisition benefit the industry, according to Microsoft?
- Players will get more titles on more platforms and more choice in how and where to buy games, Microsoft says.
- The company noted that 95% of users who play on phones will get “alternatives to gaming offerings from the dominant mobile platforms.”
- Game developers will get “better revenue and fair marketplace rules through our app store principles” and “flexibility in payment systems.”
- The deal will drive competition in mobile and create a “greater competition in traditional gaming, where Sony and Nintendo will remain the biggest.”
- Microsoft will also encourage “positive workplace culture” and increase its investments in studios and ecosystems across the globe.
Regulatory concerns
- Despite Microsoft’s attempts to justify the deal, many developers and regulators across the globe are concerned about the biggest acquisition in video game history.
- The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has already launched a second, in-depth phase of its investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The company also faces an extensive probe in the EU, where regulators plan to scrutinize the deal.
- Sony, Microsoft’s main rival in the console market, has been criticizing Microsoft’s efforts for months. The company is worried that Call of Duty may become exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem, saying that no other company except Activision can make a franchise like this.
- Phil Spencer recently said that Microsoft has no plans to stop its acquisition spree: “It is a competitive market and I want to make sure Xbox is at the forefront of innovation and competition.”
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also noted that the company feels “very confident” about the deal, which is expected to close next year.
