#Xbox #xboxseriesx #PS5 The UK government's Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has said that Microsoft and Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard could harm gamers.
The CMA released the provisional findings of its investigation today, February 8, which raised concerns over several different issues that could arise if the deal went through, including higher prices, fewer choices, and less innovation for UK gamers.
Cloud gaming was one significant reason for concern, as the CMA noted that Microsoft already accounts for 60% to 70% of this market. Adding the likes of Call of Duty to their current Cloud offerings in an exclusive manner could "alter the future of gaming" and potentially harm UK gamers, the CMA said, adding that those who cannot afford or don't want to buy expensive hardware could be the most affected. Microsoft has been vocal about its commitment to accessibility and bringing Xbox games to as many people as possible through mobile and Cloud gaming, however, and has also claimed it has no intentions of making Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox, reportedly offering Sony a ten year deal to guarantee it would remain on PlayStation consoles.
The CMA said Microsoft had made games exclusive to Xbox when buying studios in the past, however, and added in a press release that "restricting the access that other platforms have to Activision’s games could substantially reduce the competition between Xbox and PlayStation in the UK".
This "could result in all gamers seeing higher prices, reduced range, lower quality, and worse service in gaming consoles over time," it added.
