The deal was also approved by regulators in the EU, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Serbia, Chile and Japan.
The Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has unconditionally approved the proposed $69 billion merger between Microsoft and video game maker Activision Blizzard. The tribunal's decision confirmed the position of the South African Competition Commission, which approved the deal in April.
The Commission found Sony's fears that Microsoft would make the popular game Call of Duty exclusive to its platforms and limit the competing PlayStation to be unfounded.
When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony, says the software firm.
While South African authorities have given the deal the thumbs up, the transaction faces hurdles in other countries. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approached the courts to halt the proposed $69 billion acquisition. The UK regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), blocked the deal over fears it will allow Microsoft to dominate the nascent cloud gaming market.
Notably, the concern of cloud gaming, which is a focal point for regulators in the UK, was absent in South Africa’s statement, possibly due to the non-availability of cloud gaming services in the region.
Source: ITWeb
