Saudi Arabia’s regulator has approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7.
This is the first country to recognize it. Saudi Arabia claims that the deal is transparent, fair and “no objection”.
Microsoft is expected to close this deal before the financial year and according to the official report coming from the Brazilian regulator, in addition to Sony, Microsoft’s main rival in the game market, all companies Other major video games seem to agree with the deal.
The Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal attracts attention.
Sony claims it’s unfair for Microsoft to have a franchise like Call of Duty and believes Microsoft is taking the lead while adding that there is no other studio that can compete with Call of Duty and can be used. as a weapon against Japan’s Big Tech in the future.
According to Sony’s official words, even if a giant in the gaming field moves forward, while putting the same amount of work and budget into a new shooter project, Call of Duty will still appear at the top. no matter how high.
Microsoft has responded to Sony’s claims and concerns, saying that Call of Duty won’t be an Xbox/PC exclusive, while adding that the game won’t bring in enough revenue to make up for the loss in sales across the board. PlayStation market. Microsoft also says Sony is paying developers and publishers to block content from Xbox Game Pass.
The US Federal Trade Commission is also expected to announce its decision soon. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has a deadline of 1 September to declare a ruling on the merger. More parties are also expected to share their last call shortly.
Microsoft’s games division reported a big drop in Q4 2022 earnings, but it was also Big Tech’s second-best Q4 performance ever in regards to revenue. The report said gaming revenue fell 7% year-over-year ($259 million) and the company also saw an 11% drop in Xbox hardware revenue. Microsoft Gaming made $4.6 billion this quarter.
Microsoft attributed the drop to lower playtime and monetization in third- and first-party content for Xbox, but the tech giant added this offset was partly due to an increase in playtime and monetization. Xbox Game Pass subscription manager.
Despite the significant drop in revenue, it was still a record quarter for Microsoft Gaming, as it was the division’s second-best quarter ever in terms of revenue.
Microsoft CFO Amy Hood and Microsoft Investor Relations Director Kendra Goodenough both said the drop was in line with expectations.
