2022, nine months later. The biggest news in the global game industry is by far the Microsoft (Microsoft (MS) Activision Blizzard. Sony and Nintendo, along with Microsoft, in the console market, will be able to create an unparalleled wave of synergies when Microsoft acquires active vision.
The trading size is also $ 68.7 billion. Today’s exchange rate reaches 93.5 trillion won. Next, the transaction was $ 12.7 billion used to take over Taku’s Gongga. It is roughly compared to how big the Walt Disney spent 71.3 billion won in the 21st-century Fox acquisition of various TV production businesses such as Simpsons and X-Men and the acquisition of the 21st Century Fox.
However, even at the time, the world’s fourth largest company acquired the seventh largest company, of course, led to semi-dermal problems. And for Microsoft’s concern, the results of the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the 1st of the local perspective.
Concerns about the acquisition of the British Competition Market Office, why?
The British government posted the CMA’s opinion on Microsoft’s acquisition transactions on the official website on the 1st. The brightness of CMA was concerned about the damage to market competition. In other words, it has officially revealed negative views in Microsoft.
The problem with the CMA was not just a franchise pipeline based on sales synergy or solid IP. The most concerned is the synergy that Microsoft has the strength of the market with Activision Blizzard.
More than in detail, Microsoft has the world’s best console called Xbox, a cloud platform with a market influence called Azure, and a PC operating system Windows, which is the basis for the success of the cloud game.
The acquisition can be seen as a combination of Microsoft’s game department, Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard, but CMA decided to consider the infrastructure of Microsoft.
It doesn’t just end up expressing concerns. The CMA requested Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to submit a document on solving the concerns within 5 business days. If that doesn’t happen, it will be referred to the second phase of investigation. Yes. The survey was a relatively less professional panel, which was the first stage investigation.
CMA’s senior director Solka O Carol said, We are concerned that Microsoft can damage rivals such as game subscription services and cloud games based on popular games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. I said.
In the second phase, he also said he would appoint an independent and professional panel to examine in-depth problems.
Subscribe service and cloud point that you want to hide
Microsoft has been pointed out in the cMA’s survey. The company’s influence and cloud service.
As mentioned earlier, this deal was obvious that antitrust competition would be raised. Activision’s answer was the company’s size_ in game. Since the announcement of the acquisition in January, Microsoft has shared the reasons and visions of the transaction and also mentioned noticeable numbers.
That’s the number 3. In other words, Microsoft emphasized that no matter how much the company is in the top 10 video game sales, it is in third place after Tencent and Sony. Of course, this ranking is different for the changing sales records that change every moment, but once Microsoft acquires Activision, it is not the No. 1 market in the market.
This was one of the main evidence that Microsoft proved that there was no problem with antitrust problems.
However, in January, when the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the EU Executive Committee was conducted by the EU Executive Committee’s antitrust law investigation, it was not just the sales volume after the merger.
In order to prevent the FTC and the EU Commission from being called the big tech, the view of the company’s strengths in a specific field with strengths and a specific system has been strengthened. In fact, the company’s $ 40 billion acquisition of ARM, which expects to expand its influence in the mobile chip design, ended the acquisition transaction at the end of February this year at the movement of the regulatory authorities.
Concerns over the acquisition of the UK CMA also came from market competition in game subscription services and cloud game services.
MS, I try to prove no problem with openness instead of sales
MS Gaming CEO Phil Spencer issued a statement immediately after the announcement and shared directly on the view of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In addition, the claim for sound market competition has been played with openness and scalability instead of sales.
Phil Spencer expands the game area through a mobile platform through a game pass, and players argue that they will play their favorite games cheaper and develop more players to more players.
In addition, he emphasized the openness of the game with high market influence, such as Call of Duty, to be able to enjoy the play station on the day of launch. And as an example of this openness, I took a Minecraft, which was released on more platforms after the acquisition of the head. Minecraft has expanded its scope to various models such as PS Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Gear VR, and Apple TV.
Microsoft also said that it emphasizes the spirit of transparency and openness and does its best to foster industry.
As I explained for a while, the regulatory authorities’ movements for more meticulous antitrust violations were predicted, so I pulled out the next card that was prepared from Microsoft. With the goal of representing the interests of the industry and player, not just a trading for market monopoly.
At the same time, Microsoft expressed aggressive opinions through the Brazilian National Competitive Regulatory (COUNCIL for Economic Defense, CADE).
CADE listened to major game companies and publishers during the investigation period of the semi-dermal point of Microsoft’s acquisition. Many publishers about Call of Duty, a strong shooter with a strong influence on the market, have expressed their position that competition is natural. In fact, companies that service or develop competitive shooter games have a view that if the call of duty falls into the Xbox exclusive, there is no reason to interfere with the acquisition due to the benefits of the PS console.
Sony, on the other hand, is a company with a lot of profits from the store payment of Call of Duty, the main title. Microsoft says Sony’s Call of Duty, which has this difference, will not be exclusive. In addition, Sony also provided subscription services such as the game pass and had the opportunity to expand, and that the expansion of the service did not harm sound market competition.
MS-Activision Blizzard, next is your next time
Microsoft, along with the United States, was under investigation by the EU, which has a high market charges and influence. In particular, the FTC, which showed tight regulatory movements, did not submit any opinions, exceeded a large mountain, and the possibility of acquisition seemed to increase.
But with the announcement of this opinion, Microsoft had to cross another mountain. Even if the US FTC is approved, it is likely that the ruling will be applied worldwide unless the EU and CMA are not approved for inadequate transactions.
Microsoft, however, has been approved by Activision Blizzard shareholders for the acquisition and signed a labor neutral agreement to promise to provide workers and union selection authority. For gamers, you can see that the two companies are walking early in the scene where Microsoft released Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 in the Xbox & Bethesda showcase.
There are many arguments that the Activision Blizzard is an independent company to bypass the antitrust violation, but it is a deal that is impossible for the current movement.
If major regulators continue the problem to the second investigation stage, the process may continue until 2023. The power of the franchise or the monopoly in the cloud service, the Call of Duty, goes to the main topic, but in the end, it is maintained that consumers are not damaged in the competitive market. And if you prove it, Microsoft will be able to continue this deal.