Toys
October 14, 2022, 21:28
The UK Competition and Markets Authority does not believe that Microsoft will not stop releasing the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation when it acquires Activision Blizzard. The regulator fears this could hurt consumers and distort competition in the gaming hardware market.
Image source: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) / Activision Blizzard.
And the
arguments Microsoft, to dispel Doubt The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the negative impact that Redmond’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard could have on Sony and other players in the gaming hardware market, The regulator did not convince. Posted today statement He presented his unwavering skepticism regarding the possible consequences of the analyzed deal, with a particular focus on the future. call of duty series And it’s on PlayStation.
Simply, The CMA can’t believe Microsoft will release the next versions of this popular shooter game series on Sony consoles – not in the long run. Admittedly, the American company has repeatedly confirmedThat such a move “would be devoid of commercial logic” … but this statement applies only to the next few years. As we read in the Capital Markets Authority’s statement:
Microsoft’s past business practices indicate this It may be willing to take losses in the short term to increase its reach and expand its user base [w dalszej perspektywie – dop. red.]. In fact, Microsoft has already acquired publishers and made their new games available exclusively on Xbox, even if earlier these companies released their products on all consoles; The company used such a strategy, acquiring much less valuable brands than Activision’s, despite potentially enticing customers to buy the console. [Xbox]She was much smaller.
In other words, CMA is concerned that Microsoft’s arguments are a kind of smokescreenwith the aim of reducing the negative perception of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition in the world – including in the eyes of PlayStation players, who fear future installments of the series Call of duty It will not be released on their platform. The regulator said it does not see convincing evidence that the Redmond giant is completely devoid of exclusive participation in the game, and that its motives could be much broader than it claims.
In addition, the CMA suggested making a series Call of duty An Xbox exclusive can influence the buying decisions of players a lot, thus distorting the competition in the console market. Microsoft has two weeks to comment on the statement UK Competition and Markets Authority.
Sociologist by education, passionate player. His adventure with games began at the age of four – with Pegasus. Currently, he prefers PC and demanding RPG games, but he doesn’t shy away from consoles or other genres. He has been writing professionally since 2016. He joined GRYOnline.pl five years later – although he has known the site since he had access to the Internet – to combine his passion for words and games. It deals mainly with news and journalism. When he is not playing or writing, he is more passionate about reading, watching TV series (often movies), Premier League matches, listening to heavy music and walking the dog. He loves Stephen King’s work almost randomly. He does not give up his plans to follow in his footsteps. However, he keeps his first “literary achievements” deep in a drawer.
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