As the European Union investigates Microsoft's historic $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, Ricardo Cardoso, Deputy Head of Unit Interinstitutional & Outreach at the EU Department
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As the European Union investigates Microsoft’s historic $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard (opens in new tab), Ricardo Cardoso, Deputy Head of Unit Interinstitutional & Outreach at the EU Department of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, & SMEs (now that’s a mouthful!) accidentally stepped in it: he made himself a participant in the oldest conflict in human history, the console wars. Although he made a public comment on the process, Ricardo Cardoso himself is not involved with the process of approving the merger.
On November 8, the EU’s Directorate-General on Competition (we gotta figure out these names, guys) tweeted (opens in new tab) the announcement of its in-depth investigation of Microsoft’s merger with ActiBlizz, a corporate consolidation unprecedented for its size in the gaming industry. That already seemed to get some Xbox Sardaukar on Twitter hot under the collar, but then Cardoso, an EU official who is not part of the DG on Competition, made a playful tweet (opens in new tab) commenting on the announcement.
“The Commission is working to ensure that you will still be able to play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my PlayStation).” Cardoso tweeted. “Also on our to do list: update stock pictures. These gamers have wired controllers whereas Xbox and Playstation have wireless ones since about 2006!”
Now, I parsed this as intentionally humorous commentary on the mechanisms of state intervening in videogames, while also genuinely highlighting a normal and necessary regulatory process to vet a massive power play in the rapidly-consolidating games industry. Rowdy Xbox gamers in Cardoso’s comments aren’t buying it, instead reading his statement as a provocative taking-of-sides in that most deadly serious of clashes, the console wars.
