Developers and publishers were reportedly sent a survey by the EC asking what the deal might entail. According to a recent report, European regulators have questioned developers and publishers about the potential implications of Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
According to Reuters, it has access to a 91-page questionnaire created by the European Commission with the aim of gathering data from businesses with more expertise in the area.
The questionnaire was sent out earlier this month, probably to console manufacturers, publishers, developers, distributors, and suppliers of PC operating systems, according to a source allegedly familiar with the situation.
The survey, which requested responses before Christmas, allegedly asks respondents to identify the exclusivity strategies they believe Microsoft would be able to implement in the event that it was to acquire Activision Blizzard.
For instance, it reportedly inquires as to whether the business would be able to offer updates that are exclusive to Xbox or lower the quality of Activision's games on competing consoles.
Additionally, it inquires as to whether Microsoft will likely increase the wholesale price of Activision games for competing consoles, forcing retailers to raise prices for PS5 versions, for example, or postpone the release of non-Xbox versions so they arrive later.
The survey is also said to focus specifically on Call of Duty at one point, asking its recipients if they think it is the most significant video game franchise for distributors and what the main alternatives are. This is true of much of the discussion surrounding the proposed acquisition.
Microsoft has repeatedly stated that it plans to continue releasing Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms in the coming months.
Microsoft claimed earlier this month that it had offered Sony a 10-year, legally binding agreement to make each new Call of Duty game available on PlayStation the same day it becomes available on Xbox in an effort to help win approval for its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Similar agreements were also made with Nintendo and Valve, the owner of Steam. However, Xbox has "always followed through" on its commitments, according to Valve CEO Gabe Newell, so neither agreement was necessary.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced earlier this month that it was attempting to thwart the $68.7 billion merger because it thought it would allow Microsoft to "suppress competitors" to its Xbox gaming consoles, subscription content, and cloud gaming businesses.
Microsoft President Brad Smith responded to the news in a formal statement, saying the company was confident in its position and would make an effort to show that the agreement was not anti-competitive.
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