According to Reuters, the judge is scheduled to hold the first pretrial hearing on January 3 on the US government suing Microsoft for $69 billion in the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces antitrust laws, asked a judge to block the deal on the grounds that the merger would give Microsoft’s Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, making Nintendo consoles and Sony’s PlayStation was left out in the cold.
Microsoft has countered that the deal would benefit both gamers and gaming companies and has offered to sign a legally binding consent order with the Federal Trade Commission to provide rivals including Sony with 10-year access to Call of Duty.
Reuters believes that the case marks the US government’s tough attitude towards antitrust enforcement. But antitrust experts say the FTC will face an uphill battle to convince a judge to block the deal, as Microsoft voluntarily made concessions to allay concerns that it could dominate the gaming market.
