Take-Two CEO endorses Xbox Activision purchase

The proposed Xbox purchase of Activision Blizzard has yet to receive final approval, and there are plenty of strong opinions about it throughout the video game industry. In a new interview with Hey ho, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, spoke in favor of the deal. Zelnick told the outlet that he believed the acquisition would not have a negative impact on Take-Two, or on competition throughout the video game industry. The crux of Zelnick’s argument is that good games will continue to appeal to audiences no matter what Microsoft does.

“At the end of the day, it’s the consumer vote, and if we’re very successful, which is our business, the consumers will show up, and no one can take that from us,” Zelnick told Yahoo. “Entertainment is the antithesis of a commoditable merchandise business. Each title is self-contained. So it kind of doesn’t compete with anything else and yet it’s very competitive in a way. In other words, we compete with everything and compete with nothing. You can’t replace anyone. Our titles have another title.”

Zelnick’s comments come shortly after Brazil’s CADE signaled it had agreed to buy Microsoft Activision Blizzard. Of course, not everyone supports the purchase; PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has criticized the deal. Last month, Ryan told GamesIndustry.biz that Microsoft’s proposal ensures only new Call of Duty games will appear on PlayStation platforms within the next three years. Ryan described the deal as “not enough,” noting that he wants greater guarantees that additional entries will also appear on PlayStation.

Time will tell if Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard receives final approval from regulators. A deal can have a very significant impact on the industry as a whole, regardless of whether or not it actually has an impact on competition. For now, fans of Activision and franchises like Call of Duty will have to wait to see how it goes.

Do you think Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard will hurt competition? Or do you agree with Zelnick? Tell us in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at Tweet embed To talk about all things gaming!

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