Concerns over Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition; and Australia’s BlueScope cartel lawsuit

MLex Market Insight

Microsoft’s play for Activision Blizzard — the company behind games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft — could prompt some regulatory soul-searching in the United States. The merging companies say the $68.7 deal will make more games available and lower consumer costs. But the merger is a vertical one and it may tap into the Federal Trade Commission’s growing concerns over Big Tech snapping up companies in new, innovative markets. Also on today’s podcast, Australia’s action-packed BlueScope Steel cartel trial. Court hearings have involved heated clashes over the use of language and an itemized bill pointing to the alcohol consumption of key witnesses.