Google and Nvidia have reportedly raised concerns to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The two companies join Sony, which has been the most vocal against the deal. The news of Google and Nvidia’s comments are via a report by Bloomberg.
Google and Nvidia believe that if Microsoft does acquire Activision, then it would gain an unfair advantage in the cloud, mobile, and subscription gaming markets. One source did tell Bloomberg that Nvidia did not express opposition to the acquisition, but that it believes in the importance of equal access to game titles.
The report does not seem to give much detail into the specific concerns from the companies. In regards to mobile gaming, Microsoft has a fairly small presence. Additionally, Nvidia GeForce Now and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass are strong contenders in cloud gaming, but Google Stadia failed to reach this level of success.
One of the reasons that Microsoft had believed that Activision would be good for it was because of King, the mobile division at Activision. Xbox boss Phil Spencer stated that King was the keystone of the acquisition. Microsoft wants to use King to create a new “Xbox mobile platform.”
Microsoft has been facing serious opposition from Sony and the FTC. The FTC announced it would sue to block Microsoft’s attempted acquisition over concerns that it would harm competition from rival console-makers through exclusivity. The UK’s CMA raised similar concerns as well.
Microsoft has tried to counter these concerns, offering to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for 10 years and promising to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms.
Bloomberg noted that the FTC lawsuit will go to trial in August, but it is unclear if Nvidia or Google will have a role in the trial.
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
