While Microsoft is appealing its decision to block the UK’s plan to buy Activision Blizzard and is dealing with an upcoming lawsuit with the US Federal Trade Commission, it is also fighting a side-court battle with a group of players who opposed the $69 billion purchase for antitrust violations.
It was revealed yesterday that the lawyers representing these players have claimed to have an email indicating that Microsoft intends to acquire Activision Blizzard, as part of an overall plan to completely wipe Sony’s PlayStation division from the gaming industry.
According to the news of Axios, the lawyers of the plaintiffs submitted a document they claim to be Microsoft’s e-mail in their application to the US 9th Circuit Court. The file states that the email contained “indisputable evidence that Microsoft intends to push its main competitor, Sony PlayStation, out of the market.”
The file claims that the email was written and sent by the head of Xbox Game Studios to Microsoft’s chief financial officer responsible for the Xbox division. Unfortunately, the actual content of this email is not available as it has been removed from the public records. There is no information on when it was sent. Both the plaintiffs’ attorneys and Microsoft’s attorneys are debating whether some content should be made public. Axios says that, according to Microsoft, the disputed email is “internal memo” unrelated to this case and should remain confidential.
We may never find out what was actually written in this e-mail from Microsoft. Even if we found out, it’s also very possible that the plaintiffs’ lawyers are trying to suggest a story that the email didn’t actually contain.
By the way, the main event of this entire war is Microsoft’s fight with the FTC. Earlier this month, the FTC got what it wanted when the courts placed a temporary restraining order so Microsoft could not complete its Activision Blizzard deal before the July 18 deadline. This week, Microsoft and the FTC will face off in court, and the government will seek to place an injunction on the deal.
Axios says the parties to the case include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Sony’s PlayStation head Jim Ryan, Bethesda’s head of publishing Pete Hines, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and others.
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