Microsoft-Activision Game Deal Will ‘Damage’ PlayStation, Sony Executive Says
- ‘This transaction is bad for competition,’ witness tells judge
- Legal challenge to Activision takeover is major test for FTC
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Microsoft Corp.’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. will deliver a blow to Sony Group Corp’s console business and give PlayStation gamers a “degraded” experience, an executive with the Japanese electronics giant testified, bolstering the US Federal Trade Commission’s claim that the deal would hinder market competition.
“I believe this transaction is bad for competition,” said James Ryan, the head of Sony Interactive Entertainment. His pre-recorded video deposition was played Tuesday in San Francisco federal court for a judge who must decide whether to pause the deal while the FTC’s legal challenge to the transaction plays out.