Microsoft inks another 10-year cloud gaming partnership despite CMA setback

Despite the Competition and Markets Authority blocking Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard in the UK earlier this week, Microsoft has signed another ten-year deal with a cloud gaming platform to appease regulators.Earlier this week, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) made the shock decision to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard over concerns with the cloud gaming market — a decision Microsoft is gearing up to appeal. Despite the setback, Microsoft has signed another ten-year deal with a cloud gaming platform to get regulators worldwide on board.Microsoft signs another 10-year cloud gaming agreementAs announced by Microsoft president Brad Smith, Microsoft has signed a ten-year agreement with European cloud gaming platform Nware to stream PC games made by Xbox on its platform and Activision Blizzard games should the deal close. “While it’s still early for the emerging cloud gaming segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our recent commitments will make popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today,” Smith said.Yesterday, Smith slammed the CMA’s decision, calling it the “darkest day” in Microsoft’s 40 years of trading in the UK. In further news, the acquisition was recently approved in Ukraine, and Nvidia announced its support for the deal on Twitter, saying, “GeForce NOW and other cloud gaming providers stand to gain an even deeper catalogue of games if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision is completed. We see this as a benefit to cloud gaming and hope for a positive resolution.”



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