List of All Articles with Tag 'tech'

Microsoft Corp. and Activision Blizzard Inc. are considering giving up some control of their cloud-gaming business in the

The US Federal Trade Commission filed a notice in court that it intends to appeal a ruling by

The US Federal Trade Commission is leaning toward appealing a federal judge’s ruling against the agency’s bid to

Microsoft’s attempt to buy the developer of Call of Duty in the biggest tech deal ever may be pressing ahead. A judge ruled that Microsoft could go ahead with its purchase of Activision, despite objections from its rival PlayStation. The US Federal Trade Commission had attempted to block the deal amid fears that it could limit competition in gaming. But the court said that it would not stop the deal. Now the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which originally blocked the deal earlier this year, said that it would consider new proposals from Microsoft that might make the deal reach approval in the UK, too. “After today’s court decision in the US, our focus now turns back to the UK,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president at Microsoft. “While we ultimately disagree with the CMA’s concerns, we are considering how the transaction might be modified in order to address those concerns in a way that is acceptable to the CMA. “In order to prioritize work on these proposals, Microsoft and Activision have agreed with the CMA that a stay of the litigation in the UK would be in the public interest and the parties have made a joint submission to the Competition Appeal Tribunal to this effect.” The deal would be the largest for Microsoft and the biggest in the history of the videogame business. In its arguments, the FTC has said Microsoft would be able to use the Activision games to leave rival console makers like Nintendo and market-leader Sony Group out in the cold. Microsoft President Brad Smith tweeted that the company was “grateful” for the “quick and thorough” decision. “Our merger will benefit consumers and workers. It will enable competition rather than allow entrenched market leaders to continue to dominate our rapidly growing industry,â€Â Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO, said in a statement. The FTC’s complaint had cited concerns about loss of competition in console gaming, as well as subscriptions and cloud gaming. To address the FTC’s concerns, Microsoft agreed to license “Call of Duty” to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing. During the five-day trial in June, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella argued the company would have no incentive to shut out Sony’s PlayStation or other rivals in order to sell more Microsoft Xbox consoles. At issue in the Microsoft-Activision deal is leadership in a gaming market whose sales are expected to increase by 36% over the next four years to $321 billion, according to a PwC estimate. And while much of the testimony in the recent trial focused on “Call of Duty,” Activision produces other bestsellers like “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo” and the mobile game “Candy Crush Saga.” Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Microsoft Teams stops working in the middle of the working day Scientists invent cloak inspired by Roman god that could help us live on Mars Record-breaking sugar battery could supercharge transition to renewable energy Scientists invent cloak inspired by Roman god that could help us live on Mars Record-breaking sugar battery could supercharge transition to renewable energy Why the Battle of the Boyne has made its way into your iPhone

A federal judge will not block Microsoft from closing its $69 billion deal to acquire video game giant Activision Blizzard, a defeat for US regulators who had asked for a temporary injunction while legal challenges to the merger unfold.

Sales of Square Enix Holdings Co.’s new Final Fantasy game tumbled during the second week after its release,

Adobe Inc.’s $20 billion takeover of design software company Figma Inc. faces a merger review by European Union

Niantic, the creator of hit mobile game Pokemon Go, announced it is laying off 230 employees and reorganizing its business as it grapples with new macroeconomic uncertainty.

A number of previously secret details about the relationship between Xbox and PlayStation have become public in the latest fight over the future of the consoles. Microsoft has been attempting to buy Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion merger that would become one of the most valuable corporate deals in history. But regulators across the world have voiced concerns that the merger would give the new company too much power. That includes the US Federal Trade Commission, which has asked a US judge to postpone the deal to allow it to investigate the deal. Court hearings between the US body, and a variety of gaming companies, began this week to decide that question. Already they have led to what appears to be the accidental publication of highly confidential information from Sony. Court documents supplied by PlayStation boss Jim Ryan were made available to the public with some of the information blacked out – but the way the document was scanned meant that information was visible behind the redactions, The Verge reported. Those documents reveal that the game Horizon Forbidden West cost $212 million to make, over the course of five years, and that the Last Of Us Part II cost a similar amount. The document also showed that a million PlayStation players only play Call of Duty, and that millions of them spend the majority of the time playing it. That information was shared in an attempt to convince the court that the purchase of Call of Duty could mean the game being removed from the PlayStation, and that such a move could cause major problems for PlayStation. But it also meant that new details about just how popular the game is. In the same hearings, however, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said it would make “no strategic sense” for Call of Duty to be available only on one console. “I grew up in a company that always believed that software should run on as many platforms as possible,” he said. Asked if Microsoft would have any incentive to refuse to allow the games on Sony’s PlayStation in order to sell more of its Xbox consoles, Nadella responded, “It makes no economic sense and no strategic sense.” To address the FTC concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license the blockbuster “Call of Duty” to rivals. It has also argued that it is better off financially by licensing the games to all comers. The FTC has asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco to temporarily stop the deal from closing in order to allow the agency’s in-house judge to decide the case. In the past, the side that lost in federal court often conceded and the in-house process was scrapped. The FTC, which enforces antitrust law, has taken a harder line on mergers during the Biden administration to protect consumers from being disadvantaged by powerful corporations. Much of the testimony in the trial has focused on Activision’s “Call of Duty,” one of the best-selling videogames of all time. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick testified earlier on Wednesday that if Microsoft bought his company and blocked other gaming platforms from offering “Call of Duty,” it would alienate many of the 100 million monthly active users and hurt its popularity. “You would have a revolt if you were to remove the game from one platform,” said Kotick, who added that it was vital to offer the game across multiple platforms, including consoles, mobile phones and personal computers. Mr Kotick argued there was no incentive for Microsoft, if it closes the deal for Activision, to restrict who offers the company’s games. For example, he said that removing “Call of Duty” from Sony’s PlayStation would be “very detrimental” to Activision’s business. He also acknowledged that the deal, which he said earlier on Wednesday he wants “very much” to close, would result in his personal shares being valued at over $400 million. The deal has won approval from many jurisdictions but has been opposed by the FTC in the United States and Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority. Additional reporting by Reuters

Activision Blizzard Inc. will likely abandon a $69 billion takeover bid by Microsoft if the US Federal Trade

By Greg Bensinger and Diane Bartz SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -The chief executive of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard, Bobby

By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) -Activision Blizzard said its studio that developed "Call of Duty" would set up shop in