EA Doesn't Care About Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
"Whether it goes through or not, we will continue to be the number one publisher on the Microsoft platform."
During a Q&A session following Electronic Arts' most-recent earnings call, the publisher's CEO Andrew Wilson explained where the company stands regarding Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, recently halted by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority.
When asked what, in his opinion, the deal would mean for the broader game industry and future consolidation, Wilson replied that EA feels "indifferent" whether the deal goes through or not, noting that the company plans to remain "the number one publisher on the Microsoft platform" no matter the outcome.
"This is a question I get asked a lot. I almost am never allowed to answer that question as it turns out. What I would say is I don't know what's going to happen with Activision and Microsoft," noted the CEO. "Again, we continue to be Microsoft's biggest partner. I think we're the number one publisher on their platform. So whether that deal goes through or not is not really material to us broadly.
As it stands today, I think that we're indifferent as to whether [the deal] goes through or not. We feel like we have an incredible strategy. We feel like we have an incredible opportunity. And whether it goes through or not, we will continue to be the number one publisher on the Microsoft platform."
Wilson has also asserted that additional consolidations within the industry are likely to occur, and that it is imperative for EA to be well-positioned in the event of its involvement.
"Longer term, will there be industry consolidation? Will there be broader entertainment consolidation? If I was predicting the future over the long term, I would say that's an almost certainty at some level," he noted. "I would love for us to have the scale to be a meaningful consolidator in that space. I think that we have tremendous assets with respect to the future of entertainment."
You can read the full transcript of the Q&A by clicking this link. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
