It seems like even the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is having a tough time judging whether or not Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard will be a good thing for the games industry.
As said in a report, the CMA has now asked for the public opinion on the proposed acquisition, to see where consumers stand on Call of Duty potentially becoming an Xbox exclusive franchise in the future, Sony's quarrels with the deal, and so on.
"At this point we invite anyone, including members of the public, to share their views with us," said the CMA.
The report continues, "If we think the merger could have a negative impact on competition, we also start thinking about potential solutions to those concerns (known as 'remedies')."
The CMA's full report is crammed with lots of legal technicalities, but it does also directly state, "If we find no competition concerns, the deal can go ahead as planned. If we do find competition concerns, we decide how these should be remedied. For example, this can include selling part of the business or prohibiting the merger altogether."
As for what the CMA is currently investigating in this acquisition, that includes the following points:
"Full exclusivity: the potential for Microsoft to limit the availability of Activision content on other consoles
Timed exclusivity: the potential for Microsoft to delay Activision content from appearing on other consoles
Poorer quality: the potential for Microsoft to offer lower quality options for Activision content on other consoles, such as not having access to features or upgrades which are available on Microsoft devices
Pricing: the potential for Microsoft to raise prices for Activision content on other consoles gaming platforms"