The tug of war between Microsoft and the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues, which wants to block the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In fact, the authority believes that the merger would lead to a monopoly of the gaming market. Hypothesis, this, also endorsed by Sony (Microsoft’s biggest competitor) and several US players. Ten of which, news of a few days ago, have even filed a class action.
The official response from Microsoft arrived today, in the form of a 37-page document in which the company explains its reasons.
Microsoft: This is why worries about Activision are unfounded
In the Microsoft document dismisses all concerns expressed by the FTC, responding to all the points contested by the regulator. In particular FTC says acquisition of Activision Blizzard ‘would allow Microsoft to suppress competition’. The concern is that Activision owns some major gaming franchises (one of which is Call of Duty), and the acquisition would allow Xbox to obtain exclusivity on those titles. Hypothesis repeatedly rejected by Phil Spencer and other top Microsoft executives. A position also confirmed in the document presented today, which reads:
“Our industry is very competitive and there are few barriers to entry. Today, there are more platforms than ever before that allow gamers to access vast gaming possibilities. Development engines and tools are freely available to everyone, developers large and small. The choice of game distribution options has never been greater.”
Throughout the 37 pages there is also a statement by Brad Smith, president of Microsoft:
“While we are confident in the legitimacy of our positions, we are open to discussions with regulators to find creative solutions to preserve the competitiveness of the market, consumers and industry insiders. As demonstrated by our history, we never exclude ourselves from the possibility of finding compromises that can benefit everyone”
The full document was shared publicly by The Verge. You can consult it here.