A new report by Bloomberg reveals that both NVIDIA and Google have joined Sony to express concerns regarding the Microsoft Activision deal. The companies are reportedly questioning the merger, especially with how it may impact cloud gaming and give Microsoft an unfair advantage in that field.
The report mentions that NVIDIA’s concerns are mostly neutral as the company isn’t exactly opposed to the acquisition, but are concerned nonetheless for “the need for equal and open access to game titles.” Should the nearly $70 billion acquisition go through, Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard and all of its resources and IPs including Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and more.
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Several companies, notably major competitor Sony, have come forward to question how this merger could drastically affect the gaming industry at large. Some offers regarding the Call of Duty franchise were presented to Sony by Microsoft, though the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems unconvinced yet. Microsoft recently called the FTC “unconstitutional” before retracting its statement, so the saga continues.
Having NVIDIA and Google somewhat contest the merger is not a good sign for Microsoft at this point. Though the companies are only really expressing some concerns, it only adds a few more obstacles for the tech giant to overcome. Of course, this deal marks one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the entertainment industry, and easily the largest that the gaming industry has ever seen. For perspective, Disney acquired Lucasfilm (and the Star Wars IP) for a little over $4 billion back in 2012. Pushback was always expected, I imagine.
It doesn’t seem like the deal will close anytime soon, though. Despite Microsoft providing the FTC will all the necessary information it required to approve the merger back in March 2022, the FTC also had a chance to challenge the acquisition thereafter. As it turns out, there were some challenges when Sony entered the ordeal.
We’ll keep you updated on the progress of the acquisition and any obstacles that may continue to arrive.
Source: Bloomberg
