Episode Details

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is in charge of Xbox and all the game studios that Microsoft has acquired over the years. Phil came to talk to us hours before the European Commission announced an in-depth investigation into Microsoft’s proposed 68.7 billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which makes the enormous Call of Duty series, as well as Candy Crush on phones. 

So I had the chance to ask Phil: Will he make the concessions that regulators want in order to close this deal? And is the deal really just about Call of Duty, or something else? Is Microsoft committed to keep Call of Duty available on Playstation?

Phil’s a candid guy. He’s been on Decoder before. I always enjoy talking to him, and this was a fun one.

Links:

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer on the new Xbox launch - The Verge

Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion - The Verge

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Sony says Microsoft’s Call of Duty offer was ‘inadequate on many levels’

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Google is shutting down Stadia in January 2023 - The Verge

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