Microsoft sued by Call of Duty gamers opposing Activision merger
Enlarge (credit: VIEW press / Contributor | Corbis News)
About two weeks after the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, 10 gamers from California, New Jersey, and New Mexico have banded together to file a lawsuit against Microsoft.
Echoing many of the FTC's concerns, the gamers are hoping to pressure and prevent Microsoft from closing the largest tech deal ever in the video gaming market" and, thus, swallowing up its biggest competitor in the game industry.
In their complaint, plaintiffs describe Activision Blizzard as a crucial rival that drives industry-wide innovation and price competition. If the acquisition is allowed, the public could suffer loss and damages because Microsoft would supposedly wield more market power than it already has-suddenly granted the ability to foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition."