No, the FTC Didn't "LIE" | But Neither Did Microsoft (VL755)

Key Points

• The FTC's claim that Microsoft misled the European Commission regarding the ZeniMax acquisition is not entirely accurate, as the European Commission itself indicated that Microsoft made no commitments about game exclusivity following the transaction.
• Microsoft's argument to the European Commission suggested that making ZeniMax games exclusive to Xbox would not be profitable enough to justify the loss of sales on rival consoles, a stance that could be questioned considering Microsoft's push towards a recurring revenue model with Game Pass.
• The European Commission concluded that even if Microsoft made ZeniMax titles exclusive to Xbox, it would not materially impact competition, implying that the FTC's contention of Microsoft's untrustworthiness based on this issue may be overstated.