Dec 20 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) was deed connected Tuesday successful U.S. tribunal with a backstage user suit claiming the exertion company's $69 cardinal bid to acquisition "Call of Duty" shaper Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) volition unlawfully squelch contention successful the video crippled industry.

The complaint filed successful national tribunal successful California comes astir 2 weeks aft the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a case with an administrative instrumentality justice seeking to halt Microsoft, proprietor of the Xbox console, from completing the largest-ever acquisition successful the video-gaming market.

The backstage suit besides seeks an bid blocking Microsoft from acquiring Activision. It was filed connected behalf of 10 video crippled players successful California, New Mexico and New Jersey.

The projected acquisition would springiness Microsoft "far-outsized marketplace powerfulness successful the video crippled industry," the ailment alleged, "with the quality to foreclose rivals, bounds output, trim user choice, rise prices, and further inhibit competition."

A Microsoft typical connected Tuesday defended the deal, saying successful a connection that it "will grow contention and make much opportunities for gamers and crippled developers." After the FTC sued, Microsoft President Brad Smith said, "We person implicit assurance successful our lawsuit and invited the accidental to contiguous our lawsuit successful court."

In a statement, plaintiffs' lawyer Joseph Saveri successful San Francisco said, "As the video crippled manufacture continues to turn and evolve, it's captious that we support the marketplace from monopolistic mergers that volition harm consumers successful the agelong run."

Private plaintiffs tin prosecute antitrust claims successful U.S. court, adjacent portion a related U.S. bureau lawsuit is pending. The takeover, announced successful January, besides faces antitrust scrutiny successful the European Union.

The FTC antecedently said it sued to halt "Microsoft from gaining power implicit a starring autarkic crippled studio." The bureau said the merger would harm contention among rival gaming platforms from Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) and Sony Group Corp (6758.T).

Reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Leigh Jones, Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Oatis

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