Alleged Internal Email Reveals Microsoft’s Intention Behind Activision Deal to Eliminate PlayStation
A group of gamers suing Microsoft to block the acquisition of Activision, claims that the tech giant had intentions to eliminate its main competitor, Sony’s PlayStation, from the gaming market. The lawsuit, now being appealed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court, centers around an alleged internal email that has become a focal point of the case.
Although the email’s contents have been redacted, lawyers representing the gamers argue that it provides undeniable evidence of Microsoft’s strategy to undermine the PlayStation. The message in question is believed to have been sent by Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Game Studios, to Tim Stuart, Microsoft’s Chief Financial Officer for Xbox. Referred to as Exhibit K, this sealed document has become a source of contention between the plaintiffs and Microsoft’s legal team.
Microsoft has vigorously defended the sealing of the email, characterizing it as an “internal exchange” that should remain confidential. The company’s lawyers have also stated that the document holds no significance in the court’s decision-making process.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson who spoke to Axios, the company is unable to disclose the email’s contents due to legal restrictions. However, they did confirm that the email was sent by Matt Booty in 2019.
It is important to note that the claims made in the lawsuit have not been proven in court, and Microsoft maintains that the email in question holds no relevance to the case. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court will ultimately determine the validity of these allegations and the impact, if any, on Microsoft’s actions in the gaming industry.
Furthermore, this lawsuit is completely different from the ongoing legal battle between Microsoft and the FTC over the $69 billion merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. The hearings for this case will proceed later this week, which will provide us with more details about the direction of the Microsoft-Activision deal. For now, a California federal court has issued a restraining order against this deal, temporarily putting it on hold.
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