Addressing concerns regarding the $69 billion acquisition of Activision disrupting the gaming market equilibrium, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has said that making Activision games exclusive would make no strategic sense.
The battle for Activision is now a long-running one with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claiming that Microsoft would have exclusive access to Activision titles leaving competitors like Nintendo and Sony struggling. Microsoft, however, has clarified time and again that they would not make the games exclusive.
During the 45-minute testimony, Nadella disagreed with the concerns that were brought up. “I grew up in a company that always believed that software should run on as many platforms as possible,” Nadella said.
Responding to the exclusivity concerns wherein Microsoft would not allow Activision games on other platforms for higher sales of their Xbox console, Nadella said that the move will make no economic or strategic sense.
“It makes no economic sense or no strategic sense. Our goal with Activision in particular, in their content and our content is to get it on more platforms. That’s what we’ve done with Office and that’s what I want to do with gaming,” he added as quoted by The Times of India.
The FTC recently requested to temporarily block Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard which was approved by District Judge Edward Davila.
Previously, Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick also testified regarding the acquisition and said that if Microsoft chose to make the games exclusive it would affect millions of gamers worldwide, especially for a game like Call of Duty.
Kotick also argued that there was no incentive for Microsoft to make such a big game exclusive to their console. “You would have a revolt if you were to remove the game from one platform,” he said, claiming that the game is vital across multiple platforms like PC, consoles and mobile.
As of now, Microsoft has to convince the FTC and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Apart from them, several other markets have given their nod for the acquisition.