The first day of the FTC hearing was filled with a jaw-dropping email and Microsoft declaring it had already lost the console battle.
Microsoft’s attempt to acquire Activision-Blizzard-King reaches a new height of drama as the deal faces the scrutiny of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in court. The first day of the hearing was filled with a jaw-dropping email and Microsoft declaring it had already lost the console battle.
Sony has been the most vociferous opponent of the $69 billion deal, arguing it would give Microsoft an unfair advantage in the console market if the deal were to go through. But shortly after the hearing began, Microsoft’s lawyer, Beth Wilkinson, produced an inflammatory email from Sony’s PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan stating a much different view of the deal.
In the email, Ryan remarks, „It is not an exclusivity play at all. They’re thinking bigger than that and they have the cash to make moves like this.“ Ryan also added that he was not worried about the Call of Duty exclusivity because he had already spoken with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer concerning that aspect.
At the time of the email, Sony was in the process of buying Bungie. He hints at the deal in the email, stating, „We have some good stuff cooking. I’m not complacent, and I’d rather this hadn’t happened, but we’ll be OK, we’ll be more than OK.“
Microsoft seized the opportunity to use the email as a means of nullifying Sony’s concerns, with the company adding, „Sony has known all along we’ll stand by our promise,“ and that the PlayStation maker was simply trying to „protect its dominant position in the market.
