How Microsoft bagged Activision Blizzard

Behind the Money

Topher Forhecz

Markets, Investing, News, Banking, Finance, Business, Business News, Crypto

4.4 • 350 Ratings

🗓️ 25 October 2023

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the 1990s, Microsoft was seen as a tech industry bully. Once viewed as combative and ruthless in the eyes of regulators, the company underwent an image makeover in the decades since. Now, the FT’s Richard Waters explains how Microsoft’s transformation pushed their $75bn acquisition of video game publisher Activision Blizzard over the line earlier this month.

Clips from Activision Blizzard

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For further reading:

How Brad Smith used Microsoft’s $1bn law and lobbying machine to win Activision battle

The newfound influence of the UK’s competition watchdog

US v Microsoft: who really won?

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On X, follow Richard Waters (@RichardWaters) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Am I missing anything? Is this the right decision?
0:02.0	Can I show this data?
0:04.0	Am I too late?
0:05.0	Find clarity in your investment decision-making.
0:08.0	Manage your portfolio for sustainable growth
0:11.0	and regulatory alignment
0:12.0	with the ultimate blend of powerful AI and
0:14.6	industry expertise.
0:16.5	Reduce risk, meet your sustainability goals and push the boundaries of possibilities based on
0:21.1	facts, not opinions.
0:23.0	Clarity AI scaling human decisions through tech.
0:26.6	Visit clarity.
0:28.0	AI and take action today. In the video game Call of Duty, you're dropped into the shoes of elite military forces, advancing through combat zones.
0:44.0	The game puts you on a mission to attain glory
0:51.0	over a wide variety of enemies. It's one of the world's best-selling
0:55.0	video game franchises. And as of earlier this month, it's owned by Microsoft, a
1:00.0	company that had to wage its own battle to take control of the game's publisher,
1:04.2	Activision Blizzard.
1:05.8	This by anybody's standards was an absolutely huge deal.
1:10.0	Given the scale in the games industry, it's caused huge waves and it could completely change the
1:15.5	face of the gaming industry. That's the FT's West Coast editor, Richard Waters.
1:20.9	He says this 75 billion dollar deal gives Microsoft control of the company that
	...

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