{"id":92878,"date":"2023-04-27T00:07:12","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T00:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2023\/04\/27\/microsoft-boss-activision-blizzard-deal-block-is-bad-for-britain\/"},"modified":"2023-04-27T00:07:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T00:07:12","slug":"microsoft-boss-activision-blizzard-deal-block-is-bad-for-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2023\/04\/27\/microsoft-boss-activision-blizzard-deal-block-is-bad-for-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft boss: Activision Blizzard deal block is bad for Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of Microsoft’s senior executives has lashed out after the software giant’s deal to buy US video games company Activision Blizzard was blocked by UK regulators.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The move is “bad for Britain” and shows the European Union is a better place to set up a company than the UK, Brad Smith told the BBC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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However, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its job is not to serve the interests of merging companies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The CMA added that its decision would encourage growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The proposed $68.7bn (\u00a355bn) takeover would see Microsoft getting its hands on hugely popular game titles like Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But on Wednesday, the regulator said it was concerned the deal would innovate and give players fewer choices in the fast-growing cloud gaming market, where people buy subscriptions to access games online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Microsoft has previously said the decision could impact its investments in the UK.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today, Mr Smith, Microsoft’s vice-chairman and president, said the company was “very disappointed” with the CMA’s decision, “but beyond that, unfortunately, I think it’s bad for the UK. “<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“There is a clear message here – the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the UK.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The UK government has made it one of its post-Brexit goals to introduce a ‘loose’ regime of science and technology to encourage economic growth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Smith said that if the UK is to bring in investment and make the UK a place “where technology doesn’t just thrive, it’s created” then “it needs to look closely at the role of the CMA and the regulatory structure”. .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He added that “people are shocked, people are disappointed and people’s confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken by the CMA decision”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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However, the regulator hit back, saying: “It is the job of the CMA to do what is best for the people, businesses and economy of the UK and not to merge companies with commercial interests.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It added that its decision means a number of companies, “big and small”, “can continue to compete in this fast-growing market”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This will mean more innovation and more choice for consumers, it said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“These are the best conditions to attract investment and support growth,” the regulator added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Microsoft and Activision have announced that they will appeal the CMA’s decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For the deal to work, it needs to be approved by regulators in the UK, US and EU.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But it failed at the first hurdle. The CMA’s decision may nullify the entire acquisition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This deal is important for Microsoft as it aims to strengthen its position in the fast-growing cloud gaming market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rather than buying game consoles and then playing games on them, cloud gaming means fans can stream titles over the internet rather than owning physical copies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Microsoft has already invested heavily in this area as it sees the future of gaming in people playing on their phones, consoles, internet TVs and other devices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The deal would also get it some very popular game titles to compete more with Sony, which has consistently opposed it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sony’s position is that its PlayStation would have restricted access to some of the world’s most popular titles, which would be bad for gamers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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