When Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision the size of the deal ruffled a few feathers, most notably those of Sony who have opposed the deal over concerns of Call of Duty exclusivity. However, the Microsoft acquisition of Activision also has plenty of support and the latest of those supporters is Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive, whose CEO Strauss Zelnick believes the deal would be a good move for the industry.
Microsoft is an ally of Take-Two Interactive
Zelnick told Yahoo News that he views Microsoft as an ally of Take-Two Interactive and that he will support the Activision acquisition as the companies wouldn’t be directly in competition with each other. On the other hand, he also said competition is a healthy part of the industry:
Ultimately the consumer votes, and if we create great hits, which is our business, then consumers will show up, and no one can take that away from us. The entertainment business is the antithesis of a fungible commoditized business. Every title stands alone. So it sort of doesn’t compete with anything else and yet, it’s highly competitive in a way. In other words, we compete with everything and we compete with nothing. You can’t replace one of our titles with another title.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision would make it the third-largest company in the gaming industry. Zelnick doesn’t see this as a threat as he feels consolidation is good for the industry. Of course, this is coming from a company that recently completed a $13 billion takeover of Zynga, although also from a company that is adamant they won’t be taken over themselves.
