The US apes the UK, but stands in opposition to EU, by blocking Microsoft-Activision deal... for now
A US judge has blocked Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard following a request from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The move is a temporary block while a complaint by the FTC that the deal could "substantially lessen competition" in the gaming sector is fully investigated. It puts the US in agreement with the UK, which blocked the deal earlier in the year, but is standing against the European Union which has given it the green light.
Investigation concludes that Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal 'could harm gamers'
An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded that Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could lead to higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation.
The UK regulator has been looking into the planned takeover for a number of months, and has now warned that the merger, "could make Microsoft even stronger in cloud gaming, stifling competition in this growing market". The CMA also says there is a risk of, "weakening the important rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles", ultimately harming gamers who cannot afford expensive consoles.