Xbox, Activision, and the EU Phase 2 Review | A Legal Look (VL739 LIVE)

Key Points

• The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard to assess potential competition concerns in the markets for console and PC video games distribution, including multi-game subscription services, cloud gaming streaming services, and PC operating systems.
• One concern is that Microsoft may foreclose access to Activision Blizzard's popular games like Call of Duty for rival console game distributors, potentially leading to higher prices, lower quality, and less innovation for console game distributors and consumers.
• The European Commission's preliminary investigation into the merger also questions whether Microsoft could use the acquisition to disadvantage rival PC operating system providers by tying Activision Blizzard's games and Microsoft's game distribution via cloud streaming to the Windows platform.