London sees itself as a post-Brexit tech champion, but “The European Union is more attractive than the UK to establish a company”Microsoft President Brad Smith said in an interview with the BBC on Thursday that the merger with Activision was blocked the next day.
The British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday risked the mega-merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard by announcing its decision to block the operation, after which the two companies appealed the process.
Smith told the British network that the CMA decision was “the darkest day in Britain (for Microsoft) in forty years”. However, I think more than that, unfortunately, is negative for the country,” he said.
“More than ever, it shakes our confidence in future opportunities to develop a technology company in Britain,” he stressed. London “must carefully consider the CMA’s role“.
CMA said it fears “less innovation and less choice for British gamers” in the growing cloud gaming market, which offers users the ability to play games specifically on their phones. “We want to create an environment where a variety of companies can compete effectively, thrive and innovate,” Sarah Cardell, managing director of the CMA, told the BBC.
The European Union also launched an investigation to determine Whether the acquisition will make Activision games exclusive to Xbox and the European Commission has to decide before 22 May.
The merger also raises concerns in the United States, where the competition authority (FTC) sued in December to block the deal.
The UK market is smaller than the US or EU market, but if the London lockdown is upheld on appeal, can force
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Source: Exame
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
