Xbox and Activision
Preliminary hearing in Federal Trade Commission (FTC) v. Microsoft case has concluded . There has been a lot of discussion in recent months regarding the attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard by Xbox, now it seems that the clearest road is leading towards an agreement strongly desired by Redmond himself.
This "first meeting" it did not take place in the best way, given that the live online revealed several technical problems in progress, limiting the viewing possibilities of many enthusiasts. Being that this is an extremely hot and very popular topic, it is not surprising that the call was literally invaded by thousands of people, probably even from all over the world, interested in seeing how this first meeting and the strategy adopted by Xbox would develop. However, the problems in question also seem to have influenced the hearing itself and the interventions of the people directly involved.
Microsoft at preliminary hearing before FTC ALJ Judge Michael Chapell:
"We expect the EU and UK to settle soon, possibly with remedies and then go to the FTC with those results to expedite the FTC's resolution."
MSFT says neither EU or CMA has not issued a block to the deal. pic.twitter.com/0K9l7UZWgE
— Idle Sloth (@IdleSloth84_) January 3, 2023
The ongoing discussions, at least for now, have not yet led to a definitive resolution of the situation, with James Weingarten, an attorney on behalf of the FTC, convinced that for now the situation will not be taken to federal court, with the agency would be discussing a possible and subsequent agreement with Microsoft. The latter, for its part, would like to resolve the deadlock between Xbox and Activision as soon as possible, reporting that it expects "an agreement with the European Commission and the United Kingdom as soon as possible, possibly with some concessions so as to be able to continue with these findings to the FTC and expedite the resolution” of the situation. Based on recent statements from both sides, it seems that time has become a central element in the Activision Xbox acquisition, to the point that both sides are looking to use it to their advantage.
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