Wednesday, November 23rd was another landmark day in the ongoing back-and-forth over Xbox's deal with Activision Blizzard. Recent statements from both Microsoft and Sony in response to the UK CMA's investigation of the deal were finally made public, while a report also broke about the FTC potentially looking to file a lawsuit over the acquisition. Well, Activision has now responded to these events.
Activision Blizzard's Chief Communications Officer, Lulu Cheng Meservey, has shared the company's fighting stance towards any regulators potentially trying to derail the acquisition. Meservey says ActiBlizz will "fight to defend" its deal with Microsoft.
Activision's CCO also claims that any arguments that frame the acquisition as being anti-competitive are "absurd", also stating that the company believes the deal will "benefit gamers" and the US gaming industry at large.
"Any suggestion that the transaction could have anticompetitive effects is absurd. This merger will benefit gamers and the US gaming industry — especially as we face stiffer competition from abroad. We're committed to continuing to work cooperatively with regulators around the globe to allow the transaction to proceed, but won't hesitate to fight to defend the transaction if that's needed."
A very similar statement was also provided to Kotaku today, delivered by an "Activision spokesperson".
Whichever way this whole ordeal swings next, no interested party appears to be backing down anytime soon. Grab the popcorn folks, we're in this one for the long haul!
Where will this go next? Let us know if you think the deal will still be a success down below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 32
People looking to defend a buy out at a share price well above todays rates? Who's have thought it.....
I've just going to sit on the sidelines eating popcorn watching this one.
As a game pass subscriber, I win big if the deal goes through with lots of new games on Game Pass and the hope that dead brands like Tony Hawk's and Spyro can be resurrected.
On the other hand, if it doesn't, MS will just spend all that $60billion+ on what I'd consider much more interesting propositions and games than Activision Blizzard is in the first place.
It's win/win. Just very funny to see MS trying to play the plucky up-and-comer when this buyout would make them incredibly powerful, and funny to see Sony play hard-done-by when they have more 3rd party exclusive deals then ever and screw consumers over with high prices for the same games.
I'm going to need more popcorn 🍿😂
It’s time to bring the big guns
Microsoft’s and Xbox friend
The Rockkkkkkk 👾
All this drama is making Microsoft more salty to Sony in the future.
If this deal falls through, I could see Microsoft taking the gloves off and buying up every major Third Party exclusive they can get their hands on, such as COD when Sony's current deal with Activision ends. They could, quite frankly out of spite, pay an exorbitant amount of money to Activision to keep COD games exclusive to Xbox for 1 year, which would royally f**k Sony far more than this acquisition is ever likely to.
pip_muzz wrote:
Not necessarily true. Just because Microsoft are willing to spend $70bn on ABK doesn't mean they would necessarily want to spend that on other studios. They caught ABK at a weak moment when their stock tanked, they were open to selling and made an offer that was hard for shareholders to refuse. It was a relatively opportunistic deal that potentially wins them some huge IP.
Microsoft, not Xbox, may not want to invest in smaller studios or publishers to the same degree when they may have to pay over the odds (in their eyes).
@LoquaciousB
This is how I see it panning out. MS will have a very big war chest spare and a new found determination to go after Sony. Jim Ryan has been (typically it seems) a little bit short sighted in making such a fuss about COD.
@Titntin that and not to many places to turn for 69 billion dollars. Only a few brands have that type of cash. Apple Microsoft and Google, amazon thats about their choices off the top of my head. I hope the deal goes through cause if MS makes good on their promise to bring more games to more places and yes cloud is a huge part of that, even tho that tech isn’t for me i think this goes a long way in making other brands look to take some of their walled gardens down and that could only be a good thing, especially for families on a tighter gaming budget then say me and you have. Sure i have a full Sonos surround system, 65 LG C1 and all 3 consoles, so i have little to lose or gain, but the family that only has 1 console and a few mobile devices this approach from MS could be a huge benefit and strength to get people into this ecosystem. We have to trust them until they say or do otherwise.
@Green-Bandit Cant argue with any of that! 😀
Except the bit where you say 'we have to trust them' as I dont trust MS or any other corp. Im an old man and ive seen their lies and deceipt many times, so Im afraid I cant share your faith!
@Titntin trust me when i say the word trust and Microsoft in the same sentence i am going way out on a limb HAHA, so i see your point and agreed 1000%, however if they keep to their business strategy it could be a huge gain of new players. That would be their best move from not only a PR and marketing move but money also. So in that i say i will give them the benefit of the doubt until i can’t. But as a house that use’s all Apple Products and been a Apple user since 2004, the word trust and Microsoft are not say peanut butter and Jelly for me 😊
Yes! Go Activision! Get Sony with a left and right hook for their pathetic behaviour!
Well, start with telling Sony that when their contract ends MS will be the next ten years the premium partner with tons of extra's for players on XBox and PC.
@grumpypotato
And now tonight I'll have nightmares, thanks for that.
I really hope if this deal falls through, MS outbids Sony for their CoD marketing deal going forward AND pays to have the games on game pass. After all, that is the way Sony wants the game to he played.
@Kaloudz
Going to be devils advocate for a second:
I 100% believe Phil Spencer will keep his word about keeping CoD on PlayStation for as long as both CoD and PlayStation are viable. However: Phil Spencer is not immortal, more than that, he is an American, and despite how much of a Microsoft guy he his (he been in the company for like forever) he still is likely to eventually retire. Maybe just quit to start his own passion project some day. And once he is gone, whomever takes over next, might not see it on Microsoft or Xbox interests to continue doing so.
Therefore, I’ll indeed say that should this be indeed a true promise that Sony is expected to take seriously, some sort of real long term accommodation would be required. Not a “forever” contract, but perhaps CoD publishing rights (not ownership, nor development) should he divested to an independent company that can survive so long CoD can survive.
Don't tell us that Actibliss, tell the corrupt idiotic regulators! I can see Microsoft and Actibliss taking the US and U.K. and maybe EU regulators to court. And they better be prepared to get their claws out too.
@themightyant yes and no. Whilst they may not spent all $60+billion again exactly, the intent that MS is willing to invest heavily in the Xbox ecosystem isn't going to go away.
As such, it can be assumed that they will not exactly walk away as if nothing happened should the deal fall through
MS have a 69 billion dollar war chest if this deal fails. I hope they buy year long exclusives on every damn game not made by Sony and stick them ALL day and date on Game Pass. That'll ruin Sony at their own pathetic game.
@Kaloudz Well when it comes to the UK regulators forget it. They are as stupid as stupid gets, like letting the Chinese buy a British fabrication plant and company that makes equipment for the military, after they were warned by several organisations of the security risks, although I think Kwasi was forced to stop that after it became public. And then they blocked Nvidia buying Arm because the Chinese didn't like it.. says it all. Corrupt and stupid.
@pip_muzz I agree. My point was that we also can't assume they will spend so heavily within Xbox, though I agree it's unlikely they wouldn't spend something if the deal falls through. (Which I don't think it will)
Microsoft have put Minecraft and others on PlayStation and nintendo so it's not like they wouldn't do the same with Activision games
At this point, I honestly don't care. If it goes through, it goes through. If it doesn't, great. If only they could just deal with it and then it'd be over and one with.
@themightyant I actually think the likelihood is higher the deal won't go through. Microsoft are going to end up taking the brunt of regulator failures for Facebook's and Buena Vista's dominance and pushback. Compared to the 20th Century Fox buyout this is nothing but a drop in the water but for some reason gets more attention (entitled Sony gamers and their ubiquitousness being the reason).
I agree, this was an opportunistic move with MS looking to expand and Activision reeling from sexual harassment claims. The objective part of me (as an all console owner) can't help but feel MS is being made a scapegoat here for past regulator failings.
@pip_muzz two wrongs have never made a right. Just because regulators failed to act on other deals doesn’t mean they shouldn’t act now.
To be clear acting DOESN’T mean stopping the deal, but it DOES mean giving it proper scrutiny.
Microsoft are currently the fourth largest publisher by revenue, ABK the fourth. If the deal goes through MS likely become the second just behind Sony. They are also the third largest company in the world by market cap, which gives them a competitive advantsge.
If you take bias out of the situation and look at this objectively it’s clear that this is EXACTLY the sort of deal these antitrust commissions are set up to investigate and regulate. It has little to do with “entitled Sony gamers and their ubiquity”, that’s BS frankly, and everything to do with doing their job properly.
Lastly Microsoft always expected there would be some scrutiny, why do you think they set such a long window for getting the deal done and hoped it would be completed by summer 2023? This is the normal way of doing big business.
The company that let a monster like Bobby kotick run amuck should probably just keep their mouth shut before they make things worse..
Well they are correct. Any opposition to this deal is basically anti-American.
This is what we want to hear! im Glad the ACTiViSiON side and reactions!
@Xiovanni OMG... nonsense
If the deal falls through, then you could see the end of A/B as a company. They could not continue under the direction and demands from Shareholders that lead them to this point. Its not as if A/B were operating 'well'.
If it falls through, then what? Keep barreling towards disaster? Having all their eggs in 1 or 2 baskets isn't a great place to be. How long before they have to merge/move 'Blizzard' into CoD to make sure that makes it annual launch window to keep their most profitable game on schedule.
Activision Board voted for this deal to go through with an overwhelming majority. Not only because the Company was 'losing' them money as their Share Price dropped, but the 'value' of A/B was dropping. $70bn sounds like a lot - but that's because MS is willing to pay 'more' than A/B is actually 'worth' to acquire it. Each share was worth less than the amount MS offered to buy them.
In other words, they might not be around 'forever' and end up having to sell off 'assets' to keep going - maybe like SE - sell off some Studio's and IP's to streamline and bring in some revenue to keep going for a while...
Why is everyone fighting Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King, if Sony has a bigger market, and Sony's games are exclusive? Why is Sony so aggressive towards Microsoft and playing dirty when they buy exclusivity deals for third-party content, which is the worst thing that they could do from a competition point of view, since every game could potentially become exclusive and removed from other platforms? I just hope that this deal goes through as soon as possible and Sony can go back to their business, which is making exclusive games and remasters and buying long-term exclusivity for third-party games and DLC that they have not developed. They're acting like spoiled children that don't get everything for themselves.
Honestly Thanks a lot Activision this is not just my opinion we know that this is millions peoples opinion…
@LoquaciousB if i was MS i would take the gloves off NOW, start throwing money at other third party studios for exclusives, if the deal falls through id tell activision hers that 60bn now how long is COD exclusive to xbox? if you throw that kind of money you can get pretty muich any franchise exclusive, id go as far as trying to nab GTA6 as a exclusive in some matter, scorched earth would be my path if i loss the deal.....No lie, id drop the price of the xbox by 100$ on each system, make xbox live free, gamepass ultimate a tad cheaper, id lose money hand over fist in the xbox divison just to drive sony out... they dont have the cash that MS has to deal with something like that....hell i still think MS should drop the price of the systems by 100$ or include a year of gamepass or something, not sure why these companies dont try and knock one another out of the game... sony is the most vulnerable if they playstation brand started to fail sony as a company would be in trouble.....its pretty much their only profitable business anymore....
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