UK regulator details public responses to Microsoft’s Activision deal, with most gamers being in support

There were besides plentifulness of excluded responses, owed to “abusive content.” No astonishment there.

First spotted by Game Developer, the UK’s contention regulator — THE Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) — has published a summary of nationalist responses it has received successful absorption to Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Since the astir $69 cardinal acquisition was archetypal announced during the precise opening of 2022, determination has been a repeated backmost and forth, arsenic regulators globally analyse the merger, and what interaction it whitethorn person connected contention successful the markets. Just recently, it was revealed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to artifact Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

There’s besides been a backmost and distant betwixt Microsoft and Sony arsenic the 2 companies reason for oregon against the acquisition, with Microsoft stating that, "Call of Duty gamers are neither ‘special’ nor ‘unique’ successful presumption of either their spending oregon idiosyncratic engagement arsenic compared to gamers that favour different fashionable franchises.” It besides suggested that The Elder Scrolls 6 volition beryllium lone a ‘mid-size’ game… which I surely anticipation it isn’t.

The CMA has since issued a connection detailing a summary of nationalist responses to the merger. While 2600 emails received had to beryllium excluded from the reappraisal owed to “abusive content”, oregon being “blank” and “unintelligible”, the bulk of sincere responses are successful enactment of Microsoft’s plans.

Then, the CMA weighs up the nationalist arguments from some sides. “Of the 2,100 emails that we reviewed, astir 3 quarters were broadly successful favour of the Merger and astir a 4th were broadly against the Merger.”

Those successful favour of Microsoft’s plans to get Activision Blizzard felt that Sony and Nintendo person much powerfulness successful console gaming, with the merger helping Microsoft vie against the 2 companies. Additionally, the nationalist believes Call of Duty is improbable to beryllium made exclusive, and besides has plentifulness of contention from the likes of Battlefield, Grand Theft Auto, and FIFA. The nationalist besides believes the merger volition propulsion Sony to beryllium much innovative, and that the institution has been “historically progressive successful securing exclusive contented oregon aboriginal entree to fashionable cross-platform gaming franchises, specified arsenic Final Fantasy oregon Silent Hill.”

On the different broadside of the argument, however, those successful the nationalist against the acquisition judge that Microsoft is already ascendant erstwhile it comes to PC operating systems, and the merger volition simply let it to summation a akin presumption successful gaming.

The nationalist are besides of the content that Call of Duty volition go an Xbox exclusive, "just arsenic it did with Bethesda aft it acquired ZeniMax Media." People besides judge the merger volition mostly springiness Microsoft much bargaining powerfulness with crippled publishers, and volition marque it, ultimately, a much ascendant unit successful the gaming sphere.

The astir important constituent made by the 4th of the nationalist against the merger is that this is the largest merger successful gaming history. If this acquisition goes through, it’ll beryllium “paving the mode for a potential drawstring of aboriginal acquisitions of publishers specified arsenic Take Two, EA, Ubisoft, thereby expanding attraction successful the market.”

If it was down to the public, Microsoft’s woody with Activision Blizzard would possibly cruise connected by without an issue. However, the CMA’s survey responses are constricted to 2100 emails, which is simply a comparatively tiny illustration size and not astatine each typical of what gamers crossed the satellite mightiness beryllium thinking. Microsoft’s existent situation lies with contention regulators, moreso than the public.