It seems as though Sony isn’t the only large company not excited about the idea of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard. In a new report from Bloomberg, both Google and Nvidia expressed concerns to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) about deal and the potential of Microsoft to withhold games from competitors.
According to the report, both Google and Nvidia told the FTC that they feel Microsoft could “gain an unfair advantage in the market for cloud, subscription, and mobile gaming”.
In the case of Nvidia, specifically, the PC hardware and AI giant didn’t fully oppose the deal, the report says. Instead, the company just “stressed the need for equal and open access to game titles”.
The FTC filed a lawsuit in December against Microsoft to block the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has claimed that the basis of a lawsuit is frivolous. The company views that its acquisition is necessary to compete in the industry in the present and future.
“Acquiring Activision Blizzard would enable Microsoft to compete against these companies through innovation that would benefit consumers,” Microsoft’s president and vice chair, Brad Smith said in December. “Microsoft [wants to offer] consumers the option to subscribe to a cloud gaming service that lets them stream a variety of games on multiple devices for one reasonable fee.”
Should the acquisition ultimately go through, Microsoft would become owner of some of the industries biggest franchises such as World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Call of Duty, among others. Microsoft did announce a 10-year deal with Nintendo that would bring Call of Duty back to Nintendo hardware such as the Switch. It offered the same 10-year deal to Sony, though that was reportedly declined.
Want more Insider Gaming? Check out our story on what Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told his staff after the company reported significant financial losses.
