The twists and turns in the acquisition ofActivision Blizzard (And King) are not yet complete. Indeed, the deadline for the merger-acquisition had been pushed back to October to allow Microsoft to finalize the operation after the FTC has been disavowed in court. However, there remained a thorn in the giant’s side, namely there CMA in the United Kingdom, which blocked the takeover locally for fear of its impact on the cloud gaming in the future. Well, a rather unexpected solution has been found, which will make another editor happy: Ubisoft !
As reported The Verge, Microsoft simply decided to sell the rights to the game in the clouds has Ubisoftwith the assurance that all those leaving in the next 15 years will be concerned, enough to inflate the offer Ubisoft+. Here is what Brad Smith, president of Microsoft :
To address concerns about the proposed acquisition’s impact on cloud game streaming raised by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we are restructuring the transaction to acquire a smaller package of rights. This includes the signing of an agreement effective upon closing of our merger that transfers cloud streaming rights for all Activision Blizzard PC and console games, current and new, released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment SAone of the world’s leading game publishers. The rights will be in perpetuity.
Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games through a one-time payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option to support usage-based pricing. It will also give Ubisoft the opportunity to bring Activision Blizzard games to cloud gaming services running non-Windows operating systems.
Ubisoft announcement thus for his part that he will therefore propose the productions ofActivision Blizzard via subscription Ubisoft+ Multi Accesswhose call of duty. He will be able to offer them to other suppliers of cloud gaming and console manufacturers, of which playstation via Ubisoft+ Classics. Amazon Luna, PCs and of course consoles Xbox are mentioned, enough to allay the fears of the CMA ?
Chris Early, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development at the house of Ubisoftthere was also his comment:
We are committed to delivering amazing experiences to our players, wherever they choose to play. Over the past 15 years, we have built and perfected our ecosystem of online services and distribution to make it one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Today’s deal gives gamers even more opportunities to access and enjoy some of the biggest brands in video games.
The details regarding the provision of the games ofActivision Blizzard in the catalog Ubisoft+ and other platforms cloud gaming will be communicated later. Let’s hope no price hikes add to the fun.
Moreover, agreements already made with Boosteroid And Ubitusbut also NVIDIA And nware remain relevantas well as the legal obligations towards the European Commission. Finally, the Director General of the CMA Sarah Cardell commented on the news:
It’s not a green light. We will carefully and objectively assess the details of the restructured agreement and its impact on competition, including in light of third-party feedback. Our goal has not changed : Any future decisions regarding this new agreement will ensure that the growing cloud gaming market continues to benefit from open and effective competition that drives innovation and choice.
The soap opera is still far from over…
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Responsible Corrector – Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, great fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various manga (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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