Back in April 2019, we learned that the European Commission was launching an anti-trust investigation into content geo-blocking. The investigation looked into several huge game publishers including Valve, ZeniMax, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home Interactive and Koch Media. Ultimately, the EU fined the companies for geo-blocking practices in 2021. Valve …
Read More »EU says benefits of Microsoft-Activision deal were recognised by devs, consumers and cloud providers
Shortly after the European Commission announced its decision to approve Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the CMA took to Twitter to outline the reasons it disagrees with the decision and is moving ahead with its decision to block. Now today, the EU has put out a lengthy statement on its …
Read More »KitGuru Games: Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition has turned into a political circus
The Microsoft-ABK acquisition has turned into a political circus here in the UK and Microsoft is making sure to throw its weight around, going as far as to hint at the possibility of pulling products out of the UK and investing elsewhere.
Read More »Microsoft is now offering a free global license to all cloud gaming services for Activision titles
We've all seen the ten-year deals Microsoft has signed with various cloud gaming companies to offer Activision titles like Call of Duty to rival cloud gaming providers. As it turns out, in order to get its acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved by the EU, Microsoft had to go a step …
Read More »The CMA says it stands by decision to block Microsoft-Activision deal despite EU approval
This afternoon, the European Commission officially approved Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, noting that the remedies offered by Microsoft should be enough to do away with competition concerns. Now, the UK's Competition & Markets Authority has responded, saying it stands by its initial decision. In a series of tweets …
Read More »The EU officially approves Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Last week, it was reported that the European Commission would announce its decision on Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard this week. As it turns out, that report was indeed accurate, with the commission publishing its press release today, approving the deal.
Read More »The EU will reportedly approve Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition this month
While the FTC and the CMA are opposing Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, reports this week claim that the European Commission has a different view on the deal and plans to approve it. According to sources speaking with Reuters, the EU will approve Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition. Previously, the Commission …
Read More »Microsoft signs another 10-year cloud gaming deal
The CMA may have opted to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard but Microsoft is showing no signs of backing down. The company is already preparing to appeal the ruling and in the meantime, the company is also still signing 10-year deals guaranteeing access to major IP to other cloud …
Read More »EU pushes back deadline for final decision on Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard merger
Both the European Commission and the UK's CMA have extended deadlines to reach a decision on Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Now, the EU is pushing the deadline further, moving from late April to late May. While Microsoft initially planned to have this deal closed by mid 2023, that timeline …
Read More »The EU will reportedly approve Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition
The competition and market regulators are still evaluating Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While it seemed like things were trending towards the acquisition being blocked, sources this week have claimed that the EU is actually now planning to approve the deal.
Read More »Microsoft to make ‘last-ditch’ effort to gain EU approval of Activision Blizzard deal
It is no secret that Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is on shaky ground, with regulators seemingly wholeheartedly buying into Sony's objections to the deal, while also having concerns about the future of the cloud gaming market. According to a report this week, Microsoft is now preparing its ‘last-ditch' …
Read More »EU sets December 2024 deadline for phone makers to switch to USB-C
Earlier this year, the European Union officially passed the amended Radio Equipment Directive, which will enforce a common charging port for all smartphones and tablets. This will force Apple to finally join Android phone makers in using USB-C as the common charging port across devices. While this rule passed earlier …
Read More »EU Commission initiates Phase 2 investigation into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition
Here in the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has entered a Phase 2 investigation of Microsoft's planned Activision Blizzard acquisition. Soon, the deal will undergo more scrutiny, this time from the EU, which also plans to enter a phase 2 investigation. Similarly to the CMA, one of the EU's …
Read More »Apple will finally make a USB-C iPhone following EU law change
Earlier this year, the European Union announced legislation requiring smartphone and tablet makers to use a universal charging port to help reduce electronic waste. This isn't an issue for most Android device makers, as the vast majority have been using USB-C for years. When it comes to the iPhone though, …
Read More »Sony is increasing the price of the PS5 in many countries
The PS5 is nearing two years old and unfortunately, due to supply issues, we've yet to see any real deals for the new console at retail. Soon, the situation will get a little worse, as Sony is increasing the price of the PS5 in several markets across the world due …
Read More »EU agrees on plan to enforce USB-C as common charger for all smartphones and tablets
The European Union has been looking to set a universal charging port standard for a while now. Most Android smartphones nowadays use USB-C, as do many laptops and other devices. Now, new EU rules will ensure that USB-C becomes the common charging port for all smartphones and tablets sold in …
Read More »Intel announces plans to build ‘mega fab’ in Europe
Last year, Intel announced plans to build new facilities in Europe to boost chip production. Now, that plan has been finalised, with Intel today announcing plans to invest as much as 80 billion euros in the EU over the next decade, as well as plans to create six new facilities …
Read More »Apple and Amazon fined over ‘anti-competitive collusion’
Apple is regularly in the news due to repeated antitrust violations. This time around, the company has been accused anti-competitive behaviour in Italy, with authorities also claiming collusion between Apple and Amazon to supress competition. As a result, both parties have been ordered to pay a $225 million fine. Italy's …
Read More »EU Commission opens investigation into Nvidia’s $40 billion Arm acquisition
In recent months, a number of regulators have begun taking an interest in Nvidia's proposed $40 billion acquisition of Arm. The deal was announced in 2020 but has yet to be completed as the deal continues to go through regulatory checks. Recently, the UK's competition authority suggested the acquisition could …
Read More »UK won’t be part of Intel’s plans for new fabs in Europe
Over the last year, Intel has begun planning new fab facilities in Europe, with financial support from the European Union. Since the EU is involved in the funding, the UK's exit from the European Union means that Intel did indeed strike the country off of its list for potential facility …
Read More »EU proposes rules to push smartphone and electronics makers to use USB-C
The European Commission is planning to introduce new rules that would mandate all electronics manufacturers use USB-C as the common charging port on their devices. This is something that would also apply to smartphone makers, which could finally push Apple to switch from Lightning to USB-C on future iPhones, just …
Read More »EU finds Apple in breach of competition law, sides with Spotify
Earlier this week, it was reported that the European Commission would bring antitrust charges against Apple soon for breaking competition laws. Now, everything is official, with the commission finding that Apple is “in breach of EU competition law” with its 30 percent revenue cut and other iOS policies. The EU …
Read More »A ‘few thousand’ RX 6700 XT graphics cards will be available in Europe at launch
We're all painfully aware of the current GPU stock situation, with shortages impacting both Nvidia's RTX 30 series and AMD's Radeon RX 6900 and RX 6800 series cards. We've got another AMD launch coming up soon – the Radeon RX 6700 XT and early reports indicate that supply will still …
Read More »EU fines Valve, ZeniMax and other publishers over PC game geo-blocking
Back in April 2019, we learned that the European Commission was launching an anti-trust investigation into content geo-blocking. The investigation looked into several huge game publishers including Valve, ZeniMax, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Focus Home Interactive and Koch Media. The investigation has since concluded, with the EU handing down a €7.8 …
Read More »Twitter fined €450,000 over GDPR violation
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was rolled out across the EU back in 2018 and since then, we haven't seen many major fines in the tech or social media space. That changed today, with Ireland's Data Protection Commission officially fining Twitter €450,000 over a data breach. The data breach …
Read More »EU court rejects $15 billion tax ruling against Apple
Over the last few years, one of the biggest cases against Apple has been an EU ruling to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland. Since the beginning, Apple has had a firm stance on fighting this ruling and the Irish government was also on Apple's side. Now, …
Read More »European Commission opens antitrust investigations into Apple Pay and iOS App Store
Apple is under scrutiny once again in Europe due to its various business practises. This week, the European Commission opened up two separate antitrust investigations against Apple, one into the App Store and another into Apple Pay. The first investigation focuses on the App Store's 30% revenue cut on sales …
Read More »Google fights back against colossal €2.4 billion EU fine
Google has been battling with the EU for a few years now over various anti-trust concerns. At the moment, Google faces a hefty $2.6 billion (2.4 billion Euro) fine, which the company is still fighting. The fine was initially imposed back in 2017 and this week during a three-day hearing, Alphabet …
Read More »EU reportedly no longer pursuing five-year ban on facial recognition tech
Just a few weeks ago, we began hearing that the European Union was considering a several year ban on public use of facial recognition technology in order to buy some time to figure out the legal side of things. Since then, some changes have been made, with new reports indicating …
Read More »The European Union prepares its own prototype CPU
As the UK prepares to officially leave the European Union this Friday (31st January), the European Processor Initiative (EPI) is priming the first prototype of its HPC processor designed for advanced computing applications. The EPI was set up by the European Commission as part of the Framework Partnership Agreement, with …
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