The saga of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition continues as a group of ten everyday video gamers have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant over its pending $68 billion buyout.
The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco and seeks a court order blocking Microsoft from completing the deal and the subsequent incorporation of Activision, as reported by Bloomberg. The ten plaintiffs are reportedly PlayStation, PC, and/or Nintendo Switch owners whose complaints echo those of Sony,
If Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is allowed to proceed, the video game industry may lose substantial competition, and Microsoft may have far-outsized market power, with the ability to foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition.
The plaintiffs statements continues,
Microsoft already controls one of the industry’s most popular and largest video game ecosystems,” the suit says. “The proposed acquisition would give Microsoft an unrivaled position in the gaming industry, leaving it with the greatest number of must-have games and iconic franchises.
The suit comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the FTC earlier this month to halt the Activision Blizzard acquisition. For its part, Microsoft continues to argue that the deal would be good for the gaming industry, saying “This deal will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers as we seek to bring more games to more people.”
Via Pure Xbox.
Featured image via Wikipedia.
