Sony is no longer alone after Bloomberg’s report that Nvidia and Google have raised their concerns with the US Federal Trade Commission. Thus, the number of people who expressed their concerns about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has increased.Both companies apparently shared information to support the FTC’s claim that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard would give Microsoft an unfair advantage in the cloud gaming, subscription service, and mobile gaming categories. However, Nvidia’s position is reportedly slightly different as it emphasizes the need for equal and open access to all games rather than directly opposing the deal.
Nvidia worries about GeForce Now
Apparently, Nvidia is primarily trying to protect its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service (which has a user base of 25 million), possibly fearing cloud availability of Activision Blizzard games will be limited to Game Pass after the deal expires. By the way, there are no Activision Blizzard games on Game Pass since 2020 anyway.As for Google, their purpose is more difficult to detect compared to Nvidia. After all, the company tried to launch a rival cloud gaming and subscription service with Google Stadia, but its efforts only lasted a little over three years. Stadia is gearing up to officially close its shutters on Wednesday, January 18 next week.
The FTC filed a lawsuit to block the deal about a month ago. Microsoft has been trying to defend itself ever since, and a preliminary hearing was held last week. The main hearing is expected in August. On the other hand, the UK’s CMA and the European Union’s regulatory agency are expected to share their conclusions in April.
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