Subj : Activision responds to CMAs preliminary approval of Microsoft mer
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Sep 22 2023 13:30:03

Activision responds to CMAs preliminary approval of Microsoft merger, CEO 
Bobby Kotick remains optimistic

Date:
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:12:51 +0000

Description:
Activision Blizzard says that it's "pleased the CMA has responded positively 
to the solutions Microsoft has proposed", in light of the regulator's 
preliminary approval of the merger.

FULL STORY
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Activision Blizzard has officially responded to the news that the UKs 
competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has 
issued a preliminary approval for the companys proposed merger with 
Microsoft. 

In a statement celebrating the great news, Activision Blizzard wrote: The 
CMAs preliminary approval is great news for our future with Microsoft. Were 
pleased the CMA has responded positively to the solutions Microsoft has 
proposed, and we look forward to working with Microsoft toward completing the 
regulatory review process. 

Furthermore, CEO Bobby Kotick sent an email to employees to reiterate his 
optimism about the deal, and the future of Activision. 

As I said when we announced the deal, this transaction will help us 
accelerate our ambitions for the future of gaming and enable us to better 
serve our players, he wrote. Microsoft recognizes the commitment to 
excellence and creative independence that has served us well for the last 30 
years. I am confident that their resources, technology, and tools will 
provide us even greater opportunities to create even better games. 

This is a significant milestone for the merger and a testament to our 
solutions-oriented work with regulators, he continued. I remain optimistic as 
we continue the journey toward completion and am very grateful to each of you 
for your dedication and focus throughout this process. 

Earlier this year, the CMA prevented Microsofts proposed acquisition of 
Activision from going ahead due to its concerns that it could harm 
competition in cloud gaming in the UK. Last month, however, Microsoft 
announced that it would sell Activision's cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft 
if the deal went ahead, which has helped change the UK regulators opinion. 

This is a new and substantially different deal, which keeps the cloud 
distribution of these important games in the hands of a strong independent 
supplier, Ubisoft, rather than under the control of Microsoft, said the CMAs 
senior director of mergers and Phase One decision maker, Colin Raftery. 

The CMA has now opened a consultation for Microsofts updated deal, which will 
run until October 6. 

 If you want some new game recommendations, look no further than our lists of 
the best Xbox Series X games , and the best PC games .



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/activision-responds-to-cmas-preliminary-appro
val-of-microsoft-merger-ceo-bobby-kotick-remains-optimistic


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