ACTIVISION DEAL
Next Halo game to be made by Call of Duty makers as Microsoft lays off 268 employees: What we know
In a significant shake-up, Microsoft has let go of 268 employees from its gaming division, paving the way for Activision to spearhead the upcoming mainline Halo title for Xbox. Studios like Rare and World's Edge will now align under Activision, while Bethesda's Obsidian faces a transition to another studio amid shifting Fallout game plans. Additionally, plans to close Ninja Theory could hinder future titles.
Microsoft closes in on Activision deal after Britain signals approval
Microsoft came one step closer Friday to completing its $69 billion purchase of the video game-maker Activision Blizzard, in a deal that has become an example of how a company can successfully ride out stricter regulatory scrutiny of the power of tech giants.
Britain says may clear restructured Microsoft-Activision deal
Microsoft announced the biggest gaming deal in history in early 2022, but the $69 billion acquisition was blocked in April by Britain's competition regulator, which was concerned the U.S. computing giant would gain too much control of the nascent cloud gaming market.
Microsoft-Activision deal back in hands of UK regulator after court pauses appeal
Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal is back in the hands of Britain's antitrust regulator after an appeals court granted an adjournment, and the grounds for why the UK should reconsider its block on the U.S. software giant's takeover were published.
UK antitrust regulator: We await new Microsoft proposal on Activision deal
Britain's antitrust regulator is waiting for Microsoft to submit a modified deal structure to buy "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard, its boss Sarah Cardell said on Thursday.
Activision, Microsoft extend deadline to close $69 billion deal to Oct 18
Activision Blizzard said on Wednesday it has extended the deadline for the close of its $69 billion takeover by Microsoft to Oct. 18 as the companies work to secure approval from the United Kingdom's antitrust authority.
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Microsoft tests the limits of Britain's antitrust authority
The decision by Britain's antitrust regulator to rip up its play book for Microsoft shows the limit of its ability to kill mega-deals on its own, even if some agreed with its opposition to the U.S company's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft and UK regulators want more time to work on $69 billion Activision deal
Microsoft and British regulators sought more time from a court Monday as the U.S. tech company uses a rare second chance to overcome opposition to its $69 billion bid for video game maker Activision Blizzard.
What challenges does Microsoft's $69 billion Activision deal face?
The US Federal Trade Commission on Thursday asked an appeals court to temporarily stop Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard, hours after a federal judge rejected a similar request.
Fate of record tech industry tie-up heads to judge as Microsoft defends $69 billion Activision deal
Federal antitrust enforcers have sued to block the $69 billion acquisition that they say will harm competition between Microsoft and gaming industry competitors such as Sony and Nintendo.
Microsoft makes final case for Activision Blizzard deal as federal judge weighs decision
The deal also faces opposition from another major regulator, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, while other countries and the European Union have approved it.
Microsoft attempts to pick apart US legal argument against deal to buy Activision
Arguing for the government on Tuesday in its legal fight against Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy game maker Activision Blizzard, Harvard economist Robin Lee struggled at times to plainly demonstrate how the planned deal would hurt gamers.
Microsoft says it could abandon Activision deal if judge delays it
The FTC is asking Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley for a preliminary injunction, which would ban Microsoft from completing the deal before the FTC had the chance to argue the case in its internal court.
Potential outcomes of FTC legal bids to block Microsoft-Activision deal
Microsoft has pressed for a decision sooner rather than later, noting that the purchase agreement has a termination date of July 18, although such dates can be extended and often are.
EU antitrust regulators likely to approve $69-billion Microsoft-Activision deal next week
The European Commission's imminent clearance comes nearly three weeks after the UK competition authority blocked the deal, the biggest-ever deal in gaming, over concerns it would hinder competition in cloud gaming.
What next for Microsoft's $69-billion Activision deal after UK ban?
The ruling was a shock after the regulator had already resolved its concerns about the consoles market, a sector dominated by Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox, which dwarfs cloud gaming.
FTC chair met UK antitrust officials last week but did not talk Microsoft-Activision deal: Official
The FTC official, speaking on Thursday, was responding to comments made by the game-maker's CEO, Bobby Kotick, who told CNBC he believed that the US agency had pushed Britain's CMA to stop the planned acquisition.
UK blocks Microsoft’s $69-billion Activision deal over cloud gaming concerns
The all-cash deal was set to be the biggest in the history of the tech industry.
EU regulators extend deadline for Microsoft, Activision deal to April 25
Last month, Microsoft Corp struck a 10-year deal to bring Activision games to Nvidia Corp's gaming platform, if the Xbox maker is allowed to complete the acquisition.
How Microsoft is addressing antitrust concerns over Activision deal
Microsoft announced the Activision bid in January last year, its biggest ever, to boost its firepower in the booming videogaming market and take on leaders Tencent and Sony.
Explainer: How Microsoft is addressing antitrust concerns over Activision deal
Microsoft has thrown the gauntlet down over antitrust criticisms, saying on Tuesday it is ready to offer rivals licensing deals in exchange for regulatory approval of its $69 billion deal to purchase video game publisher Activision, but it would not to sell the latter's lucrative "Call of Duty" franchise.
Microsoft's Activision deal hurts gamers, UK watchdog says
Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said its in-depth investigation found that the deal could strengthen Microsoft's position in the growing cloud gaming market, "harming U.K. gamers who cannot afford expensive consoles." In cloud gaming, players stream games on mobile phones and handheld devices they already own.
Microsoft tells judges its $69 billion Activision deal would benefit gamers
ACTIVISION-M-A-MICROSOFT-Microsoft tells judges its $69 billion Activision deal would benefit gamers
FTC Chair Lina Khan, aiming to block Microsoft's Activision deal, faces a challenge
The FTC on Thursday sued to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of video game publisher Activision, the biggest consumer tech deal in two decades.
Microsoft gaming ambitions hobbled as US seeks to block Activision deal
Without Activision and its variety of games across mobile, consoles and PCs, Microsoft could struggle to attract users to its budding subscription service for accessing games.
US probes options trade gained on Microsoft-Activision deal
The Justice Department is investigating whether any of the options trades violated insider-trading laws, the report said, adding that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is separately conducting a civil insider-trading investigation.
Microsoft faces challenge cleaning up Activision Blizzard's culture
Accomplishing that will require Microsoft to deviate from its usual hands-off approach on acquisitions to tackle what amounts to a "clean up" job of fixing Activision, which faces multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct, analysts and management experts say.
Microsoft deal to deliver $390 million payday for Activision's embattled CEO
Activision shareholders only narrowly approved Kotick's $155 million pay package last year, after investors criticized the company for awarding him one of the highest compensation packages in the corporate world.
Microsoft-Activision deal: Key things to know
The merger, which is expected to be finalized next year, would beef up Microsoft's muscle in the booming game market while playing to its strengths in software and cloud computing.
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