Nadella also acknowledges that, when it comes to gaming, Microsoft has challenges. Microsoft's cloud service, which is available in Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, is "just not good enough" as a substitute for current platforms, he said.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is skeptical of multi-game subscription services in general. He said in court on Wednesday that his company has experimented with them, including working withKotick, whose company is based in Santa Monica, California, said he still wants to get the deal done with Microsoft even if he holds a differing opinion on subscriptions and whether they present a big opportunity.
"Maybe part of it is being in Los Angeles and having watched the big media companies move their content to these subscription streaming services, and the business results have suffered," Kotick said. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley will decide if the FTC will receive a preliminary injunction that would stop Microsoft from closing the deal. Meanwhile, in the U.K., the Competition and Markets Authority moved to block the transaction"My board's view is if the preliminary injunction is granted, they don't see how the deal can continue," Kotick said.