EU regulators reportedly asked game companies how Microsoft’s Activision deal could play out
European regulators have been asking developers and publishers what Microsoft‘s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard could mean going forwards, a new report claims.
Reuters reports that it’s seen a 91-page questionnaire written by the European Commission, designed to get information from companies more knowledgable about the subject.
According to a source reportedly familiar with the matter, the questionnnaire was sent out earlier this month, likely to console manufacturers, publishers, developers and distributors and providers of PC operating systems.
It’s claimed that the survey, which asked for responses before Christmas, asks recipients which exclusivity strategies they think Microsoft would be able to carry out if it was to acquire Activision Blizzard.
For example, it reportedly asks whether the company would be able to degrade the quality of Activision‘s games on competing consoles, or provide updates that are only on Xbox.
It also asks whether Microsoft is likely to raise the wholesale price of Activision’s games on competing consoles – thereby forcing retailers to charge more for PS5 versions, for example – or delay non-Xbox versions so they’re released at a later date.
As is the case with much of the discourse surrounding the proposed acquision, the survey is also said to focus specifically on Call of Duty at one point, asking if its recipients consider it the most important video game franchise for distributors, and what the main alternatives are.
In recent weeks Microsoft has been repeatedly making assurances that it intends to release Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms for the foreseeable future.
In a bid to help gain approval for its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, earlier this month
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