Microsoft vows app store fairness with Activision merger

Microsoft promised that its app store would be open and built to treat developers fairly, following its acquisition of game maker Activision Blizzard which raised eyebrows among regulators. — REUTERS/File Photo

Microsoft on Wednesday courted the favour of antitrust regulators scrutinizing its plan to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, promising that any app store it builds will treat developers fairly.

Microsoft president Brad Smith laid out a set of "Open App Store Principles" that will apply to the store it runs for Windows-powered computers and "the next-generation marketplaces we will build for games."