EU gathers rivals' opinions on Microsoft-Activision deal - Reuters
David Becker

The European Union's antitrust watchdog is asking game developers whether Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) will have an incentive to block rivals' access to games from Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), Reuters reports.
A key question in Microsoft's proposed $69B acquisition has been whether the Xbox maker would take annual best-sellers such as Activision's annual Call of Duty franchise and make them exclusive to its platforms.
That's the question on the European Commission's mind, Reuters says citing an EC document.
The enforcer is also asking whether Activision's storehouse of user data would give Microsoft a competitive edge in developing, publishing and distributing games - particularly when it comes to bargaining power with Microsoft's cloud streaming service Xbox Game Pass.
it also asked which of Microsoft's rivals would be most attractive following the deal, with choices including Nvidia's GeForce Now (NVDA), Sony's PlayStation (SONY), Amazon Luna (AMZN), Facebook Gaming (META), and Google Stadia (GOOG) (GOOGL) - soon to be defunct.
The EU's process comes ahead of a preliminary decision expected Nov. 8, after which the EC is expected to open a four-month investigation. Those receiving the questionnaire have until Oct. 10 to reply.