Microsoft, 'Call of Duty' maker set to seal tie-up
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, maker of the "Call of Duty" video game, announced on Friday they were set to seal one of the biggest technology tie-ups after overcoming a final hurdle. British regulators have approved Microsoft's US$69-billion takeover, having blocked the deal in April over competition concerns. The Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement on Friday that it had cleared "the new deal for Microsoft to buy Activision without cloud gaming rights" after concluding "it would preserve competitive prices and better services". Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick said the two companies had "all regulatory approvals necessary to close [the deal] and we look forward to bringing joy and connection to even more players around the world". Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith thanked the CMA for its "thorough review" and approval. "We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide," he added in a statement. Microsoft launched its blockbuster takeover in January last year, an acquisition that would make it the world's third-largest gaming company by revenue, but it faced stiff scrutiny from regulators, including also in the United States. The CMA had blocked the deal over fears it would damage competition in the fast-growing cloud gaming sector, where games are bought virtually and players can use a variety of devices rather than just consoles. But it dropped those objections last month ahead of its formal approval on Friday. Microsoft, which makes the Xbox console and already has a stable of games under its belt including "Minecraft", "Elder Scrolls" and "Fallout", is already the dominant player in the cloud-gaming world – its Game Pass service claims 25 million subscribers. (AFP)