Microsoft appeals UK's block on Activision deal

Microsoft has filed an appeal against the UK competition watchdog’s decision to block its takeover of game developer Activision Blizzard, just days after China became the latest country to approve the deal. The British government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced in April it was opposed to Microsoft’s …

[VoiceOfTruth]

Desperately waving a flag

-> the UK competition watchdog

To pretend we are relevant. The British "government" is the MeToo of wannabes.

[Anonymous Coward]

The CMA is one the good things to come from Brexit.

[AIBailey]

I still don't understand why the UK objecting to a merger of two US companies has any relevance at all.

Surely as long as the US is okay with is, they can go ahead anyway?

[Zippy´s Sausage Factory]

They can go with it provided they shutter their UK business units and don't do any business in the UK.

If two EU companies wanted to merge and the US said no, that would be the same deal - close their US entities.

Honestly, what amazes me is that only the UK has objected so far, I'd have expected the EU to object as well. Maybe the US will block it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Amazed any authority has accepted takeover

My simple question would be, show me an example of when MS has NOT abused its dominance in a market? It is simply their modus operandi

There is only one way things go if they takeover Activision, and it isn't more choice and more competition for consumers. Doesn't take a genius or generative AI to figure that one out!

[Cxwf]

Re: Amazed any authority has accepted takeover

I suspect a lot of the ambivalence in the user base is due to the way ActiBlizz has sabotaged their own reputation over the last few years, to the point that many of us are saying “it couldn’t be worse, maybe Microsoft ownership will be better”. So as a former ActiBlizz customer, I’m in favor of the merger.

Now how that translates to regulators is a bit more opaque to me.

[Richard 12]

Re: Amazed any authority has accepted takeover

Oh, it absolutely can be worse.

Imagine ActiBlizz management with Microsoft clout.

Once you've finished screaming, have a pint. You'll need it.