The European Video Games Federation (EGDF) may play a crucial role in the purchase agreement between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. Not only for representing the interests of developers and players at a European level, but also for their active participation in the development of public policies in favor of the community video game market. Precisely because of its knowledge of the market, the Federation has offered the most comprehensive and coherent position to date in the Activision Blizzard purchase agreement: it has shown its support, as long as Microsoft commits to continue bringing its games to rival consoles. . And he has warned of the real danger of the market: Tencent.
The Chinese company has been favorable to the process of Activision Blizzard acquisition because, as insider Florian Mueller points out, it will barely affect your business. Tencent is a large shareholder of Epic Games, which is in a permanent battle against Apple and Google over the terms and conditions of their respective stores. And he knows that the fact that Microsoft takes over Activision Blizzard will not pose the slightest threat to him, quite the contrary: it will help him to open up even more in the mobile market.
The purchase of Activision Blizzard is key to stopping Google, Apple and Tencent, the Federation points out.
“The agreement between Activision and Microsoft is crucial to stop Tencent,” strongly warns the European Federation of Video Games:
The power and growth of Tencent have also not gone unnoticed by the European Federation of Video Games. And it is that, as indicated in its statement, one of the keys to the support it has given to the Activision Blizzard purchase agreement is precisely in the power that Microsoft will have to stop Tencent. And it would not do it alone, because the Federation also wants to guarantee the arrival of the Activision Blizzard games to rival platformsincluding Sony, perhaps suggesting that the merger of the companies could pose a real threat to the growth of Tencent.
Tencent acquires 49.9% of Guillemot Bros, the majority shareholder of Ubisoft
we are xbox.com
Specifically, the Federation has pointed out three extremely important points by which the Activision Blizzard purchasewhich cannot go unnoticed:
“1. The purchase of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft will allow challenge Apple and Google as dominant bazaars in the mobile market. Microsoft has been the first to announce that it wants to explore the possibilities offered by this market, after the recent approval of Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 14, 2022 on contestable and equitable markets in the digital sector. , launching its own store on Apple and Google platforms. Consequently, Microsoft will represent the interests of those third parties who do not have sufficient economic power to defend their new rights, against Apple and Google.
2. The acquisition will allow Microsoft the means to challenge apple in its emerging cloud gaming/gaming subscription ecosystem. After Google shut down its subscription service, Stadia, it’s crucial to have a strong competitor in the market, challenging Apple’s position.
Tencent is the real danger to contain, warns the Federation (image by @SeekingAlpha).
3.- The acquisition will allow Microsoft to challenge Tencent as a global leader in development and distribution. In recent years, Tencent has invested aggressively in game development studios and publishers around the world and is currently the largest publisher and developer on the planet. Having a strong counterpart to Tencent’s influence, in the video game market, is crucial«.
At first glance, it seems that the position offered by the Federation is the most open and coherent of all. What do you think?