Microsoft’s record takeover bid for video games giant Activision Blizzard has gone before a US federal court.
The Windows and Xbox maker wants to buy the company best known for the Call Of Duty, Warcraft, and Diablo franchises for $69bn (£54.2bn). It would be the largest tech acquisition ever.
But the UK competitions watchdog blocked it in April over concerns it would hurt competition in cloud gaming, and America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it would give Microsoft‘s platforms an unfair edge over rival PlayStation as they would secure exclusive access to Activision’s popular games.
Microsoft now has a five-day legal hearing to make its arguments to the FTC – and the case has already brought everything from Indiana Jones to sci-fi role-playing games into the focus of a courtroom.
Here are the key moments from day one – and what’s to come later.
Call Of Duty ‘could have skipped Xbox’
Call Of Duty, the long-running military shooter franchise, is one of the biggest prizes at stake for Microsoft if the acquisition goes through. The most recent entry in the series raked in $1bn in just 10 days.
But Microsoft’s Sarah Bond told the hearing on Thusday that the latest Xboxes risked missing out on the series, as Activision wanted a fresh deal that gave it a greater share of revenue earned by Xbox versions of the games.
She said: “It was clear Call Of Duty would be on PS5. That would not have been good if it was not also on Xbox.”
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Microsoft vows that under its ownership, Call Of Duty would remain on PlayStation, where the series sells most, but Sony claims its platform would eventually lose out.
Image: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the latest instalment in the popular franchise
Microsoft thinks new consoles are five years away
Gamersface a long wait for the next generation of consoles, if Microsoft’s prediction is correct.
In court documents, the company says it doesn’t expect the next Xbox or PS6 until 2028. This came up because Microsoft says it has offered Sony a 10-year deal for Call Of Duty, meaning it would appear on its next console.
A 2028 release would mean eight years after the launch of the current systems, the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, which both released during the pandemic in late 2020.
Supply chain issues meant they have been hard to find until relatively recently, and demand remains strong.
Image: Xbox Series X and S released in November 2020
Indiana Jones and the exclusivity deal
Never mind his new film, Indiana Jones is now making headlines thanks to video game deal-making.
An Indy game has been in the works at developer MachineGames for several years now. The team is part of the Bethesda Softworks company, which was bought by Microsoft for $7.5bn in 2020.
Speaking on Thursday, Bethesda’s Pete Hines revealed the game is Xbox and PC exclusive, even though the initial agreement with franchise owner Disney (before Microsoft’s acquisition) would have seen it release elsewhere.
But Hines also spoke to the benefits of being able to concentrate on fewer consoles, saying Bethesda’s upcoming science-fiction epic Starfield, one of the most anticipated of 2023, would not be releasing as soon as September if a PS5 version had also been made.
Image: Starfield releases on Xbox and PC in September 2020. Pic: Microsoft/Bethesda
PlayStation and Xbox bosses up next
Friday will see PlayStation chief Jim Ryan and his Xbox counterpart Phil Spencer go head-to-head (no, not in a Zuckerberg vs Musk-style cage fight).
Spencer will be giving evidence live at the hearing, while Ryan will appear in a pre-recorded video.
It means he won’t face potentially awkward questions about an email revealed at Thursday’s hearing, in which he seemed to contradict his public stance by saying he’s “pretty sure” Call Of Duty will remain on PlayStation.
Still to come between now and the trial’s final day next week are the likes of Activision Blizzard and Microsoft chiefs Bobby Kotick and Satya Nadella.
An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.
Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.
The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.
Both had died from gunshot wounds.
Image: Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.
It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.
According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.
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Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.
“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.
Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.
While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’sfirst two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.
Image: People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic
Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.
“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.
“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.
“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
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Friday: Excited fans at Oasis homecoming gig
The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.
The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.
More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.
John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.
He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.
“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.
“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.
His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.
Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.
Image: John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA
In a statement on Tuesday, a BBCspokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.
The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.
“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.
“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”
Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.
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Why Gregg Wallace says he ‘will not go quietly’
A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.
“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.
“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”
Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.
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BBC annual report findings
Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.
“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.
“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”
Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”
In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.