Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/BRUSSELS: Microsoft President Brad Smith would on Tuesday seek to convince EU antitrust regulators at a closed hearing that the United States software giant’s 69 billion dollar bid for “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard would boost competition.
Smith would lead a delegation of 18 senior executives, including Microsoft Gaming Chief Executive Officer Phil Spencer. At the same time, according to a European Commission document seen by Reuters, Activision will be represented by its CEO, Robert Kotick.
The hearing would allow Xbox maker Microsoft to gauge the mood among senior EU and national competition officials and Commission lawyers before submitting remedies to address antitrust concerns.
Microsoft”s announcement
Microsoft announced the acquisition in January of the previous year to take on leaders Tencent and Sony but ran into regulatory headwinds in Europe, the United States, and Britain.
Sony, which wants a deal blocked, is sending its gaming chief Jim Ryan.
The EU document showed that Alphabet’s Google, chip designer, and computing firm Nvidia Corp, which has a gaming business, would be taking part in the hearing.
“The European Commission (EC) asked for our views during their inquiries into this problem. We would continue to cooperate in any processes, when requested, to ensure all views are considered,” a Google spokesperson said.
