Streaming all current and future Activision Blizzard games via any cloud game streaming services of their choice: The EU should not need a refresh notification
Microsoft has obligations to the European Commission, but the restructured transaction won’t affect them. A free license to consumers in EU countries to stream all current and future game titles via any cloud game streaming services of their choice is one of the benefits of the deal that Microsoft has made with numerous cloud gaming deals.
The European Commission is assessing whether the developments in the United Kingdom need a notification from it.
The European Commission cleared a deal earlier this year that could be affected by a further notification to the EU. While the EU had cloud gaming concerns just like the EU, it secured remedies as part of that approval, granting EU consumers a free license to stream via “any cloud game streaming services of their choice” all current and future Activision Blizzard PC and console games that they have a license for. Cloud providers will also be offered a free license to stream these games in EU markets.
This restructured deal is being treated by the UK regulators as a new one and will be subjected to a new phase 1 investigation. Microsoft will now need to wait to see if the European Commission also needs a refresh notification for the deal and more regulatory headaches.
The PC, Xbox, Amazon Luna, and PS3 versions of the game will be available on the PC in addition to the XBOX, and PS3 version.
The Case for a Realistic, Accurate and Robust Cloud Gaming Deal: The CMA Report on the Reworked Deal
The CMA will now assess the reworked deal over the coming weeks and deliver a decision by the October 18th deadline. This is not a green light. The details of the restructured deal will be carefully and objectively assessed, including in the light of third-party comments. “Our goal has not changed – any future decision on this new deal will ensure that the growing cloud gaming market continues to benefit from open and effective competition driving innovation and choice.”
