Following the success of The Last of Us on HBO, one Activision Blizzard executive claims the series is proof that the Microsoft acquisition should go ahead. There have been a lot of discussions about what the Activision purchase could mean for Microsoft and the gaming industry as a whole. Now it appears both companies are ramping up their arguments to win regulatory favor.Concerns around the implications of the Microsoft-Activision deal took on a bigger spotlight in recent times, particularly after the FTC filed its lawsuit against the tech giant. Notably, both regulatory bodies and competitors have voiced strong opposition to the deal, implying that the Xbox maker will gain an unfair advantage within the gaming industry. In fact, PlayStation CEO was reportedly in Brussels to meet with EU regulators about the acquisition, though details of the conversation haven't been publicly disclosed.Naturally, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have also been stacking up their own arguments in favor of the deal. This time, it's in the form of HBO's latest hit, The Last of Us, which is a direct adaptation of a PlayStation exclusive of the same name. EVP Corporate Affairs and CCO of Activision Blizzard Lulu Cheng Meservey praised the show while pointing out that it's a PlayStation-exclusive IP produced by Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions. In an attempt to shed light on Sony's position in the industry, the executive claims that despite the FTC opposing the Activision deal over competition concerns, "it sounds like there’s some worry that Sony’s position as market leader could be jeopardized by this deal."
Meservey goes on to mention that Sony's war chest of unrivaled IPs expands beyond games to include TV, movies, and music where they can be developed into games or market existing games like in the case of how The Last of Us Part 1 sales spiked following the HBO series. "In gaming, Sony is 'the first of us' - and they will be just fine without the FTC’s protection," the executive further claims.
However, it should be noted that despite the argument for Sony's dominance in exclusive IPs, The Last of Us series itself is coming to PC. Previously, a number of PlayStation-exclusive titles have already made their way to PC with more on the way according to Sony. While it may not have the same implications as opening up an IP to a competing console like Xbox, it does a draw point against Microsoft's argument.
Of course, concerns over Microsoft's potential dominance following an Activision Blizzard buyout are valid, particularly considering the latter is home to massive titles like Overwatch, the Call of Duty franchise, and Candy Crush. But an argument could also be made that it's less about Sony losing its market dominance and more about Microsoft's historic lack of equally competitive first-party console titles. Either way, given the nature of the deal it will be a while until the industry can expect any real progress on how the Activision acquisition will pan out for Microsoft.