UK Prime Minister responds to Microsoft’s CoD deal criticism
The Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King debacle is heating up, as not only are governing bodies blocking the merger, the tech giants have now locked horns with the UK Prime Minister.
The United Kingdom has officially ruled against the deal for the $69 billion acquisition of ABK, specifically noting Call of Duty as the main cause for concern.
But ahead of an appeal, Microsoft has now poked the bear. The techies had plenty of choice words for the CMA, grinding out a response from the Prime Minister himself.
Microsoft hits out at UK Government over CMA verdict, branding
Microsoft President Brad Smith has now landed attacks on the UK government over its rejection of the deal, telling the BBC that the blockage is "bad for Britain." He went on to say that with Microsoft being in the UK for 40 years, it has been "supporting businesses and non-profits."
"The strong message that the CMA has sent is not just to surprise everyone who fully expected the acquisition to be approved, but to send a message that I think will discourage innovation and Investment in the United Kingdom," said Smith.
Making further grumpy remarks, Smith added, "This decision is probably the darkest day in our four decades in Britain." He concluded by highlighting the Brexit deal and saying, "People are shocked, people are disappointed, and people's confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken."
UK Prime Minister responds to Microsoft's criticism
Click to enlargeThese claims from Microsoft have not been well received by the UK, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, then told the BBC how the gaming giant was wrong to say this. Sunak says the UK gaming industry has doubled in the last decade. "Those sorts of claims are not borne out by the facts," the spokesman told the BBC.
The CMA pointed out that the Call of Duty deal with Nintendo might not work because the Switch developers couldn't house a game as big on its handheld console, while the consumers are more Mario-friendly than that of a real first-person shooter.
It has also claimed that one of the biggest judgement points was Microsoft's proposals to Sony, and the greed of it. According to the CMA, Microsoft offered Sony a 10-year deal for Call of Duty and other ABK games but removed the usual 30% revenue fee given to the console owners when bought on their platform.
So, not only is Microsoft now at war with Sony, it's now made an enemy out of the UK government, meaning there will be some serious grovelling to do if they want to succeed in their appeal.
