Following the complaint filed by the US competition authority FTC, Microsoft has spoken out and defended the recent changes to the Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Following the recent changes to the Xbox Game Pass subscription, the FTC has labeled it “inferior” and filed a complaint. It specifically addresses the new model, which does not include first-party releases, and the price increase of the Ultimate subscription.
The FTC claims that these price increases harm consumers, which is exactly what they were trying to prevent when the $69 billion takeover was being negotiated, they say.
In its response on Friday, Microsoft says it is not correct to describe the new model as “inferiorThe new “Game Pass Standard subscription” simply replaces the old one and adds online multiplayer features. These previously had to be purchased separately.
The price increase for the Ultimate version was justified by the fact that it offers greater added value due to the Day One releases and that it is common for companies to adapt service offerings over time.
After the FTC had previously focused on the fear that Call of Duty could become Xbox exclusive when negotiating the takeover, it now seems to be focusing on the Subscription market But here too, Microsoft quickly admitted that the changed service offering would not deprive competing platforms of Call of Duty.
The takeover of Activision-Blizzard therefore continues to benefit competition and consumers, which was also determined by the responsible district court.
Most recently, the FTC claimed that its decision on the mass layoffs contradicted the statements made in court. Microsoft’s lawyers said their factual claims were incomplete and misleading.
Currently, it seems as if the US competition authority has not given up the fight against Microsoft and will continue to monitor developments after the takeover with eagle eyes.
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