Sony is understandably strongly resisting theacquisition of Activision Blizzardbut according to a Microsoft lawyer it is not doing it in the best way and has by now “lost controlabout the narrative it is trying to drive forward. The information comes from Florian Muellera lawyer who currently (also) works for Microsoft and expert analyst.
Florian Mueller shared his statement on Twitter. He also stated that Sony has missed several opportunities to offer “constructive solutions” and preferred fierce opposition which made her “lose control over the narrative”.
Mueller told Game Rant that he is aware of “no other instance where a plaintiff’s stonewalling attitude has been so clearly expressed” as in this case. “Regulators don’t like it“, he argues.
When asked about what Sony could have done differently To influence the long-term outcome of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Mueller points to a recent revelation that a Sony executive ignored any chance of striking a deal on the day of the Feb. 21 EU hearing. “Everyone was in Brussels and that would have been a good moment to sit down and agree,” he says. For context, “everyone” also includes Nvidia, which the same day announced a 10-year deal with Microsoft to bring Xbox PC games to its GeForce Now streaming platform.
Mueller admits that creating enough buzz to prompt competitive investigations isn’t easy, but calls it a “parlour” compared to getting regulators to block takeovers like these that are “typically sanctioned” when combined with “effective remedies.” The “remedies” are the non-exclusivity agreements that Microsoft is tightening with various companies, such as the aforementioned Nvidia, Nintendo and minor streaming platforms such as Ubitus.
Also, Microsoft says 10 years is enough to create a Call of Duty rival for PlayStation.