Microsoft explains the $69 billion Activision deal

The Microsoft logo can be seen on a smartphone with characters from Activision Blizzard games in the background

In a hearing for the EU competitions, Microsoft defended its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, the company behind popular video games like Candy Crush and Call of Duty.

Microsoft claims that it is confident that the $68.7 billion (£56.8 billion) agreement will give more gamers more options.

The merger, according to competitor Sony, which was present at the hearing, would give Microsoft excessive control over some of the most well-known video games in the world.   .

Xbox by Microsoft's main rival, Sony, owns the PlayStation gaming platform.

The EU hearing on Tuesday was called "an important day" by Microsoft President Brad Smith.

He also dismissed Sony's worries that if the merger goes through, access to Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games may be restricted to Xbox users.

"This has never been about spending $69 billion so we could buy games like Call of Duty and make them less accessible," he said following the hearing.

"That's not the best way to transform a $69 billion asset into something that will appreciate over time. ".

Activision Blizzard issued a statement that read, "We are confident regulators will find that our proposed merger will enhance competition, create greater opportunities for workers, and improve games for our players. ".

Although the hearing was closed to the press and the public, it was believed that chip designer Nvidia and Google were also present.

An agreement between Nvidia and Microsoft would make Activision Blizzard games and Xbox PC games accessible through GeForce Now, Nvidia's cloud-streaming service.

The tech company must persuade regulators all over the world that the largest gaming deal in history won't hurt its rivals.

Some nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Chile, and Brazil, have already given their approval.

The European Commission launched an investigation, and the UK's competition watchdog recently declared its opposition to the deal, though it has not yet made its final decision.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority suggested, among other things, that Call of Duty could be sold off separately.

For at least the next ten years, Microsoft has promised to make all current Activision Blizzard games available on Nintendo, Sony, and Steam platforms. However, Sony has so far rejected this offer.

Previous acquisitions by the company include Fallout creator Bethesda and Minecraft creator Mojang. It has already been made known that when Bethesda's new game Starfield debuts, it will initially be an Xbox exclusive.

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