Six game studios tell CMA Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal would improve competition

While we've known for a while now that Sony has been in talks with the CMA to express concerns about Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, we haven't heard much about studios speaking out in defence of the acquisition. That changed today, with the CMA's filings being updated with responses from other third-party developers on the deal. 

Six studios shared their opinions on the deal with the CMA, but only 4J Studios chose to make its name public. This group of studios said that the acquisition would not harm the industry and would provide more robust competition in the console market.

Making his comments public, 4J Studios co-founder, Chris van der Kuyl, said that the deal seems like a “natural evolution of the industry”. Another company said that it found the arguments against the acquisition to  “be slightly exaggerated and out of proportion”.

As pointed out by Game Developer, one CEO of an independent studio that has worked with Xbox, Sony and even Activision spoke in defence of Microsoft, saying the company has always honoured its contracts and obligations, which seems to be a response to suggestions that Microsoft made promises to regulators that Zenimax games would not be exclusive in order to get the deal approved.

Another developer simply said that “PlayStation needs better competition to force the platform to up its game”. Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard would lead to stronger competition between the two consoles.

Sony has made its objections to the deal clear once again in recent weeks, claiming that Microsoft has lied to regulators in the past, and also trying to convince regulators that Microsoft could sabotage Call of Duty by hampering performance on PlayStation if it gained control of the IP.

KitGuru Says: The war over Call of Duty continues. Hopefully in the next few months this whole situation can finally be put to rest. 

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