Microsoft (MSFT.O) said it would license Activision Blizzard’s (ATVI.O) “Call of Duty” (CoD) to Sony for 10 years to address concerns raised by Britain over its $69 billion takeover of the games maker, according to a document published by the regulator.
Microsoft last month struck a similar deal with Nvidia Corp’s (NVDA.O) gaming platform, dependent on it getting the go-ahead for the much-contested acquisition.
Microsoft President Brad Smith had said he hoped that rival Sony – which has strongly opposed the takeover – would consider doing the same type of deal.
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in February said the deal could weaken the rivalry between Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation, and stifle competition in cloud gaming.
It suggested that structural remedies could be needed to allay its concerns, including divesting the business associated with ‘Call of Duty.’
Microsoft, in its response to the CMA’s findings, said the package of remedies it would offer protected all CoD players in Britain and provided substantial benefits to consumers and developers.
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