Activision and Xbox: an industry firm agrees with Microsoft and cites COD on Game Pass

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As we wait to find out what Microsoft will tell the UK antitrust regulator about its deal with Activision, the British body charged with regulating markets has released statements shared by representatives of unspecified industry giants favorable to the marriage between Activision and the Redmond-based company.

In fact, the latest batch of documents published by the editors of the Competition and Markets Authority (better known as the CMA) website contains a file that contains in full the statements made by a third-party company in the video game industry referred to by the British antitrust regulator as a "Market Participant."

(FYI) Microsoft and Activision/Blizzard Merger Inquiry Response to the CMA’s Issues Statementhttps://t.co/GPppYTQqfJ pic.twitter.com/1UUMMih813

— Alan Feely (@IdleSloth84_) December 12, 2022

A divided opinion

Attorneys and spokespersons for the industry giant whose name is not reported by the UK CMA have made their case and explained to the UK governing body that, from their point of view, there should be no harm to competition or even monopoly risks resulting from, precisely, the landing of Activision, Blizzard and King in the Xbox Game Studios family.

Representatives of the unspecified Market Participant surveyed by the CMA cite the Call of Duty series as an example, arguing that Microsoft's failure to acquire Activision would deprive users of the savings opportunity represented by the future entry of Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass.

In case you missed it: Activision and Xbox: how is the deal going?

To spokesmen for this third-party company, "consumers would be forced to access Call of Duty games only by purchasing them outright. Should the acquisition go through, gamers would be granted this option. However, they would still have the opportunity to access Call of Duty via Game Pass (when Sony's contracts limiting entry expire) or through cloud gaming, each at the cost of an inexpensive subscription.''

''As seen in other industries, such as television, subscription models benefit consumers by reducing the cost of accessing content and providing access to a broader range of products and services. The lower price of accessing popular titles is also an inherent benefit to consumers."

Would you like COD to arrive at the Game Pass? Let us know in the comments!