Microsoft US regulators head to court over $69 bn Activision Blizzard deal

Microsoft on Thursday will try to gain clearance to complete a USD 69 billion takeover of video game maker Activision Blizzard in a legal showdown with U.S. regulators that will reshape a pastime that's bigger than the movie and music industries combined. The battle will pit Microsoft's ambition to expand its video game imprint beyond its Xbox console against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's bid to block a deal that it contends will stifle competition and innovation to the detriment of consumers. It's the latest twist in a deal that was announced 17 months ago. Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick are expected to testify at some point during five days of hearings in San Francisco before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley that will conclude June 29. FTC lawyers will call upon experts and a top executive for Sony, the maker of the industry-leading PlayStation video game console, to show why Microsoft will gain an unfair advantage if it

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