Microsoft buys Activision, maker of Diablo, Warcraft, and Call of Duty, for $69 billion

United Kingdom regulators were effectively the last hurdle stopping Microsoft from purchasing Activision Blizzard, in the biggest merger the video game industry has ever seen. That hurdle was cleared this morning as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority relented to adjusted terms. With the nearly $70 billion purchase now officially complete, Microsoft unveiled a victory blog post, complete with an extended showcase of its now-combined intellectual property with Activision, Blizzard, and King. The CMA’s sticking points included Microsoft’s prospective dominance in the unfolding game streaming market, and Microsoft’s concessions were deep. When it initially blocked the merger early this year, regulators said that the combined publishing giant could effectively monopolize games streamed to consumers without the need for local PCs or consoles, as is already the case with Xbox Game Stream and the all-you-can-eat Game Pass subscription. Microsoft’s concessions to the UK include a block on exclusivity for cloud streaming for all existing Activision games, crucially including the massive Call of Duty shooter franchise. The block will continue for 15 years, with streaming rights sold (or surrendered, depending on your point of view) to French mega-publisher Ubisoft. Significantly, this will allow Call of Duty to be streamed to players on the PlayStation for the foreseeable future. With the UK and EU obstacles out of the way, the United States Federal... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2023-10-13 14:10:14 UTC ]
News tagged with: #foreseeable future #video games #publishing giant

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Acquisitions: Netflix Buys Millarworld; Barnes & Noble Education Buys Student Brands

Netflix acquires comic book publisher Millarworld. Barnes & Noble Education adds positions in Brazil, France, Mexico with Student Brands. The post Acquisitions: Netflix Buys Millarworld; Barnes & Noble Education Buys Student Brands appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Acquisition Notes: PRH Buys Out of Print; Germany’s Bertelsmann Buys WhiteCloud

PRH's acquisition will expand the international reach of merchandiser Out of Print. And Bertelsmann Education Group expands with WhiteCloud Analytics. The post Acquisition Notes: PRH Buys Out of Print; Germany’s Bertelsmann Buys WhiteCloud appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NUJ backs Impress, calling Ipso a 'pointless so-called regulator'

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[ The Guardian | 2016-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Calling Call Me Ishmael

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[ Slate | 2015-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Snapchat getting 6 billion video views daily, but how does it compare to Facebook's 8 billion?

Days after Facebook announced that its users watched videos 8 billion times a day,  Snapchat told the Financial Times on Sunday that its smaller set of users opened videos 6 billion times a day. See the most-read stories this hour >> The statistics reveal fast growth: Since the spring,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The IAB Calls Ad Blocking 'Highway Robbery' and Ramps Up Its Call to Arms

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[ AdWeek | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK: Book Revenues Surpassed £7 Billion Pounds in 2023

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-05-09 22:43:14 UTC ]
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At Newfronts, Condé Nast Calls Red Carpet Moments the New Live Sports

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[ AdWeek | 2024-04-30 18:00:00 UTC ]
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[ CBC | 2024-04-26 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Best Buy and CNET Are Combining Their Ad Inventory

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[ AdWeek | 2024-04-25 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Meta ‘discussed buying publisher Simon & Schuster to train AI’

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[ The Guardian | 2024-04-09 15:36:14 UTC ]
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LBF: UK Publishing’s Impact Worth £11 Billion, New Report

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-12 03:55:23 UTC ]
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[ PC World | 2024-03-05 18:15:39 UTC ]
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[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 19:00:45 UTC ]
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