Microsoft seeks UK regulator's renege on ActiBlizz block, citing PlayStation deal and industry's most powerful player.

 

Even though the CMA never blocked the deal on the basis of consoles, Microsoft has pointed to Sony’s signature as a reason it should now allow the deal to pass. In a document submitted to the department, it said that the buyout “ensures that perhaps the most powerful player in the video games industry will have access in the long term to the Activision game it considers most important”

The Redmond firm also noted a deal it signed with cloud gaming company NWare, which was inked days after the CMA’s decision. For these reasons, it’s urged the division to reconsider its conclusion. Personally, these strike us as weak incentive to reconsider based on the regulator’s original conclusions, but it seems increasingly obvious to us that everyone involved is just looking to save face here.