Japan’s Fair Trade Commission finds no risk to market competition from Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition
Today the Japanese Fair Trade Commission has concluded its examination of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition. The body decided that there was no risk of lessened market competition as a result of the deal and has informed Activision Blizzard that no cease and desist order will be issued.
Related: UK’s CMA deals major blow to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission outlines in its statement on the matter, “that it would not substantially restrain competition in a certain field of trade, the company group was notified to the effect that a cease and desist order would not be issued, and the examination was completed.” This means that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft isn’t seen as an act that would limit market competition in Japan. Therefore, the deal has been approved.
Microsoft’s purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard has been the subject of scrutiny from governing bodies worldwide ever since it was announced. Microsoft has made somewhat of a habit of buying publishers and developers. Still, the size and influence of Activision Blizzard raised a few eyebrows among those who thought this deal could limit competition across various markets. If found to be true, the deal would be rejected by governing bodies and wouldn’t be able to go ahead.
However, despite outcry from Sony, which believes this deal would cause harm to the PlayStation brand, ultimately limiting the Call of Duty franchise to Xbox and PC platforms, most governing bodies have approved the deal. While Sony’s concern is legitimate, the role of governing bodies around the world is to assess deals like this and decide if a single company is becoming too large, gaining a monopoly on the market and
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