500 responses scrapped for being ‘unintelligible’

Because the furor continues round Microsoft’s proposed $68.7 billion buy of writer Activision Blizzard, world regulators proceed their investigations into the sale and any potential antitrust points raised by the approaching collectively of two of essentially the most highly effective firms within the gaming business.

The UK’s Competitors and Markets Authority, a British regulatory physique trying into the sale, has revealed the outcomes of a public survey held in October, whereby The CMA requested clients whether or not they have been in favor or towards the deal being accomplished. Round 2,600 e mail responses have been recorded, with round three-quarters of the replies being in favor of Microsoft finishing its buy.

Of the two,600 emails, solely 2,100 certified for the survey, with the remaining 500 being tossed for “[containing] abusive content material (with no different substantive content material), or have been clean, unintelligible, acknowledged to be from non-UK customers, or not in English”. Of the remaining ballots, a number of arguments for the acquisition included the idea that Microsoft wants the acquisition to be able to turn out to be aggressive towards Sony and Nintendo, and that the deal was seen as no completely different from Sony’s securing of franchises reminiscent of Silent Hill, The Final of Us, and Closing Fantasy.

The Microsoft/Activision sale was introduced one 12 months in the past, however nonetheless hangs within the steadiness. The American FTC has filed go well with to be able to delay the completion of the acquisition whereas investigations proceed, whereas a number of territories — together with Brazil, Serbia, and Saudi Arabia — have already supplied their full help of the acquisition. It appears tough to not think about Microsoft bullishly finishing the deal when all is alleged and carried out, particularly if it chooses to chunk the bullet on quite a few concessions surrounding money cow Name of Obligation, however, regardless, the ink at present stays a good distance away from drying.

75% of public feedback on Microsoft/Activision in favor of deal [GamesIndustry.biz]