Xbox put in a bid to purchase Activision Blizzard back in January 2022 for US$69 billion. The deal would be the largest gaming company purchase in history.
It needed to be approved by different regulators around the globe.
One major hurdle was the European Union regulators.
On May 16, the EU approved the deal.
Regulators stated the deal will not harm or inhibit the console market. They did say it could harm cloud gaming, but were satisfied that Microsoft’s remedies that would address those concerns.
One concern was the game Call of Duty. Sony complained the deal could shut them out of access to the popular game.
Microsoft signed a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to both Sony and Nintendo consoles.
This means the same game and features will be there no matter the console.
The interesting thing is the inclusion of Nintendo in this deal, as Nintendo hasn’t had a Call of Duty game for years now.
The deal has one hurdle down, but still has others before it can close.
If it does manage to close, Microsoft will have one of the biggest catalogs of titles to add to their Game Pass service.
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Sony has announced it will host a showcase on May 24 that will be roughly an hour in length.
What that showcase has to offer is a mystery at this point.
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Coming to Game Pass:
Available Now: FIFA 23 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, S,and PC)
May 18: Eastern Exorcist (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, S and PC)
May 25: Cassette Beasts (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, S)
Massive Chalice: (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, S, and Cloud)
Railway Empire 2: (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, S, PC, and Cloud)
May 30: Chicory: A Colorful Tale
(Xbox One, Xbox Series X,S, and PC)
Reviews on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom are coming in future columns.
Email: sggall@telus.net
On XBox One : acehardy13 On PSN: acehardy13
