Yesterday morning, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard, publisher of games ranging from the Call of Duty series to Candy Crush Saga, for $68.7 billion. Microsoft says the move would make it the third-largest gaming company by revenue, following Tencent and Sony. The company, already a giant in the market, would gain even more leverage over how games are made and distributed. That’s assuming regulators approve it — something that’s not guaranteed amid a new push for scrutiny of potential tech monopolies.
After a damaging antitrust case in the 1990s, Microsoft has mostly escaped the more recent antitrust criticism directed at tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon.
→ Continue reading at The Verge
