Microsoft inks Nvidia game deal to assuage regulators over Activision merger
Microsoft Corp has struck a 10-year deal to bring "Call of Duty" and other Activision games to Nvidia Corp's gaming platform if the Xbox maker is allowed to complete its much-contested $69 billion acquisition of Activision.
Regulators and competitors like Sony have come out hard against the proposed Microsoft-Activision tie-up. The move may allay concerns by ensuring more ways for consumers to get games controlled by Microsoft, but regulators around the world have been skeptical about the acquisition.
Britain earlier this month said the deal could harm gamers by weakening the rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation, resulting in higher prices, fewer choices and less innovation for millions of players, as well as stifling competition in cloud gaming.
Microsoft President Brad Smith told a news conference on Tuesday he was now more optimistic of getting the Activision acquisition done after the Nvidia deal and a similar arrangement with Nintendo Co Ltd.
Phil Eisler, vice president and general manager of Nvidia's GeForce Now segment, said that titles such that "Call of Duty" will not be available on Nvidia's service unless Microsoft acquires Activision but that other Microsoft-owned titles such as "Minecraft" are covered immediately under the 10-year license agreement.
"We were a little concerned about it at the beginning," Eisler said of the Microsoft-Activision deal. "But then we reached out to Microsoft, and they were very open about wanting to enable cloud gaming and work with us on a 10-year license agreement. So over time, they made us more and more comfortable with it."
Eisler said Nvidia is not paying Microsoft for access to the titles, which is the same arrangement the company has with other gaming companies such as
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