Phil Spencer: Activision Blizzard Acquisition Was a Learning Experience for Me

Phil Spencer recently said that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been a learning process for him.

This information was revealed by Spencer during an interview with IGN. If you’re interested in the state of the video game industry, you can check out our other articles here.

Phil Spencer: Activision Blizzard Acquisition Was a Learning Experience for Me

Speaking with IGN, Phil Spencer said that he “knew nothing” about this type of acquisition when it was announced in January 2022, but after going through the process and having conversations with key players, he is more confident now than he was last year.

The fact that I have more insight, more knowledge of what it means to work with the various regulatory bodies, I’m more confident now compared to a year ago, just based on the information that I have and the discussions that we had.

When we announced it a year ago, we were talking about an 18-month timeframe. We’ve now reached 12 months. I think we’re continuing to focus on getting this deal done.

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming

However, Spencer has every reason to be a little shaken, as several government bodies have moved to oppose the deal in recent months, including the FTC, CMA, and the European Union. Nonetheless, Spencer said that his “confidence remains high”.

We’re actively working with regulatory bodies around the world that need to approve this and it’s been a learning experience for me. A lot of time was spent, a lot of travel, a lot of conversations, but they were conversations where I was able to talk about our industry and the work that we do and why we do it.

I think more regulators knowing about what gaming is, how the business works, who the players are, and what our aspirations are as an Xbox Team is a good thing for the industry.

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming