According to the US antitrust authority FTC, online gamers now also want to prevent the mega takeover of the “Call of Duty” manufacturer Activision Blizzard by the software giant Microsoft.
“The technology company’s $69 billion bid for the game maker impedes competition in the video game industry,” the lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court in California on behalf of ten private users said.
“Excessive market power” through “monopolistic merger”
The proposed acquisition would give Microsoft “far outsized market power in the video game industry, with the ability to foreclose competitors, limit production, limit consumer choice, increase prices, and further impede competition.”
The market must be protected from “monopolistic mergers” that will harm consumers in the long term,” the plaintiffs’ attorney said. Microsoft stated that the acquisition “will increase competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers.”
Private plaintiffs can assert antitrust claims in a US court, even if a corresponding proceeding is pending with a US agency. About two weeks ago, the FTC filed a lawsuit once morest the largest takeover in the video game market to date. The multi-billion dollar offer is also under scrutiny in Europe.
