As noted before, UK regulator Competition and Markets Authority recently dropped most of their objections to Microsoft's attempt to purchase Activision Blizzard setting the stage for their official approval of the deal for the UK region.
Sony recently issued an official statement criticizing the CMA for revising their earlier stance against MS's attempt to purchase AB. Sony claims that CMA's reason for their reversal is "surprising, unprecedented, and irrational" over them being pleased at MS's 10 year offer to Sony & Nintendo for the CoD series and no longer having concerns that MS owning the CoD series would give them a near monopoly-like status in the console gaming industry.
Microsoft filed a response in regards to Sony's statement stating that they have no financial reason for wanting to purposely "withhold or degrade access to Call of Duty" that would cost them billions of dollars as a strategy to do so.
An official decision by the CMA is currently expected to be made by April 26th.
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Originally Posted by Destructoid
Sony has issued a new statement regarding the Competitions and Markets Authority, or CMA, and its recently narrowed scope of concerns over Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The paper, submitted last month and recently publicized, sees Sony describing the CMA’s “reversal” of its position on its consoles theory of harm as “surprising, unprecedented, and irrational" ...
Sony’s response goes into several errors it believes the CMA has made in its findings, including an assertion that Minecraft, which is already on multiple platforms, says “nothing” about whether Microsoft would pursue Call of Duty exclusivity.
In one instance, Sony cites a recent quote from Arkane’s Harvey Smith to IGN. In it, Smith said that Redfall was in development for PlayStation 5 prior to Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda.
“We got bought by Microsoft and that was a huge sea change,” Smith said. “They said, ‘No PlayStation 5. Now we’re gonna do Game Pass, Xbox, and PC.'”
Sony asserts that this provides compelling evidence of Microsoft’s ability, and incentive, to “foreclose rivals to acquired games.” The company also brings up a point it’s mentioned before: that any degradation of performance or quality of play on PlayStation, or delays in release, would harm Sony’s reputation.
It ultimately calls on the CMA to revisit its analysis of Microsoft’s incentives and partial foreclosure. “In conclusion, SIE respectfully submits that the Addendum does not justify the CMA’s U-turn on the consoles theory of harm,” Sony’s statement concludes ...
Microsoft also had a response, issuing the following statement today (via Eurogamer):
“The Provisional Findings Addendum correctly confirms that Microsoft has no incentive to withhold or degrade access to Call of Duty. As Microsoft has explained throughout the course of the CMA’s investigation, such a strategy makes no commercial sense and would result in Microsoft writing off billions from the deal value.”
The CMA is expected to deliver its final decision on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard no later than April 26.
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Link:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...E_response.pdf ,
https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-pounc...on-acquisition ,
https://www.destructoid.com/sony-rep...blizzard-deal/