Microsoft Judge Grills US Regulator on User Harm From Activision Merger
- Judge questions whether takeover will really boost Xbox sales
- Court case is major test of FTC’s ability to block tech deals
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The US Federal Trade Commission’s chances of holding up Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion bid to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. appeared uncertain after a federal judge challenged the agency’s argument that the proposed transaction would hurt gamers.
US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco needled FTC lawyers Thursday over why they think Microsoft could hurt consumers by excluding Activision games from consoles sold by rivals, including Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation.