Microsoft’s fight for Activision is a bet on the future of gaming

The FTC’s concern – and Sony’s too – is that Microsoft will take an early lead in the cloud by adding Activision’s games, eventually making them all exclusive to its own platforms. — AP

Microsoft Corp’s US$69bil (RM303.84bil) acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc has focused attention on the decades-old paradigm of console-exclusive games played on its Xbox and chief rival Sony Group Corp’s PlayStation, but antitrust officials seeking to block the deal are potentially more concerned about the future of gaming in the cloud.

Cloud gaming is still in its infancy. Most video games, from Activision’s Call Of Duty, to Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware Inc, are purchased individually for about US$70 (RM308) each and downloaded onto a console or computer. But Microsoft, one of the leading cloud computing service providers, is seeking to change that.