Not only the European Commission and the FTC are investigating the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The UK’s watchdog is also conducting an investigation, but the body is leaving Microsoft in suspense about the result for longer than planned.
The story of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition continues. The deal was announced almost a year ago by Microsoft, but authorities around the world have yet to say whether to approve it. The competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the United Kingdom is also conducting an investigation.
The British watchdog was supposed to arrive before 1 March, but that will take a lot longer. GameIndustry.biz reports that the authority has announced an extension of no less than eight weeks. That’s because the case is a lot more complex than usual and there is a lot of evidence to process.
The public is in favour of the acquisition?
One of the reasons there is so much information to process for the CMA is because the public has been asked for their opinion. For matters such as these, the watchdog can ask other companies, experts and citizens to put a dime in the bag so that a balanced decision can be made.
The CMA had a summary of the public’s responses just before the end of the year. A large majority voted in favour of acquiring Activision Blizzard. About three-quarters of the participants see no problem with the deal and it would even make for a healthier market. A quarter are against the takeover and only a small proportion of respondents had no opinion.
