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Microsoft has filed its effect to the lawsuit filed by the US Federal Trade Commission to artifact the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In the 37-page document, which you tin work successful afloat below, Microsoft argues its lawsuit for wherefore its $68.7 billion acquisition should spell done — it besides defends its acquisition of Bethesda proprietor ZeniMax, portion admitting that it’s readying to marque 3 aboriginal titles from the institution exclusive to Xbox and PC.
Those games aren’t named, though Microsoft has fundamentally announced that The Elder Scrolls VI volition lone beryllium disposable connected its platforms, and confirmed Starfield volition beryllium exclusive.
Microsoft’s filing pushes backmost against the FTC’s concerns successful general, and besides addresses the regulator’s circumstantial arguments. It besides contains a batch of the trademark self-denigration that Microsoft has go celebrated for successful caller months, arsenic it tries to overgarment itself arsenic a comparatively anemic subordinate successful the gaming abstraction compared to its competitors.
Charts: Microsoft
In its complaint, the FTC argued that acquiring Activision Blizzard would “enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly increasing subscription contented and cloud-gaming business.” There’s besides been a batch of interest astir the aboriginal of Call of Duty, to the constituent wherever Xbox brag Phil Spencer publically promised that the franchise volition beryllium disposable connected PlayStation arsenic agelong arsenic PlayStations exist. In its effect to the FTC, Microsoft cites its committedness to expand, not limit, the availability of Activision’s flagship bid by bringing it to the Nintendo Switch.
In a connection to The Verge, Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick besides argued for the woody to spell through, saying:
There is nary sensible, morganatic crushed for our transaction to beryllium prevented from closing. Our manufacture has tremendous contention and fewer barriers to entry. We person seen much devices than ever earlier enabling players a wide scope of choices to play games. Engines and tools are freely disposable to developers ample and small. The breadth of organisation options for games has ne'er been much widespread. We judge we volition prevail connected the merits of the case.
And here’s a nonstop connection from Microsoft president Brad Smith:
Even with assurance successful our case, we stay committed to originative solutions with regulators that volition support competition, consumers, and workers successful the tech sector. As we’ve learned from our lawsuits successful the past, the doorway ne'er closes connected the accidental to find an statement that tin payment everyone.
Here’s the remainder of Microsoft’s statement astir wherefore determination shouldn’t beryllium antitrust concerns with it buying Activision Blizzard:
Update, 10:05PM ET: Added connection from MS president Brad Smith.
