The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has listed responses from six companies that shared their support for Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard.
Today (March 16), the CPA released a total of nine reports related to the acquisition. Reports include responses to preliminary results from Microsoft, Activision and Sony; along with responses from the six gaming companies that responded to the survey supporting the purchase.
While five of the six “market participant” reports are anonymous, the first comes from Scottish firm 4J Studios, best known for bringing Minecraft to the console and helping port Microsoft-owned Rare titles to the Xbox.
In a presentation by 4J co-founder Chris van der Kuyl, the studio points to its rather unique position of working with Microsoft as a partner.
“We have taken ownership of Mojang AB from its original shareholders to its current position where it is fully owned by Microsoft,” the statement said.
“During that period, which spanned several years, Microsoft honored all elements of their legacy agreements, and also significantly expanded our relationship to include new formats such as Nintendo Switch, as well as many other content enhancements.”
Minecraft 1.20 update. CREDIT: Mojang
4J Studios added that Microsoft has “actively encouraged” the studio to continue working with titles from other publishers, and further “does not see the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard as anything other than a natural evolution of the industry.”
A number of anonymous claims to the investigation share similar views.
While Participant B disputes Sony’s claim that Call Of Duty is a “must-have” game for consoles and says the purchase won’t hurt consumers, independent game developer Participant C says he believes Microsoft will make good on its promise to make the shooter available on Nintendo Switch. .
Meanwhile, Participant D said anonymously that it “does not expect the merger to pose any risk to the distribution of our own games on Xbox or any other console.”
Call of Duty. Modern Warfare 2″. CREDIT: Activision Blizzard.
Participant E claims that PlayStation sales are “growing” in contrast to its experience with Xbox, and claims that the acquisition will “help create a more even playing field between Xbox and PlayStation, which at this point in time is tight at the moment. it is necessary”:
Finally, Participant F argued that the arguments against Microsoft’s acquisition were “a little overblown and blown out of proportion” and suggested that a “change of scenery” might benefit Activision Blizzard employees, citing the company’s ongoing sexual harassment scandal. lawsuits.
Microsoft’s main opponent in the proposed buyout was Sony, who recently announced that Microsoft could sabotage the PlayStation versions of Call Of Duty if it successfully bought the developer.
In other gaming news, Creative Assembly has opened a new studio in Newcastle.