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Are Microsoft’s recent partnerships a strategy to purchase Activision Blizzard?
As Microsoft maneuvers to battle the Federal Trade Commission over a $69 billion all-cash transaction to purchase Activision Blizzard, the company has been partnering with companies, such as Nintendo, Nvidia and Steam, to appease antitrust regulators. Its latest partnership involves a deal with the world’s biggest independent cloud gaming provider: Boosteroid.
In this article: Dowinx Gaming Chair, HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset and Razer Naga Trinity Gaming Mouse.
How do partnerships help appease the FTC?
The FTC’s biggest concern is Microsoft is creating conditions that could restrict other companies from competing in the same space. For instance, if it acquires Activision Blizzard and the hugely popular Call of Duty franchise, it could limit the consoles on which the game is played. It could also harm competition in subscription and cloud gaming spaces.
By partnering with companies such as Boosteroid for the next decade, the company hopes to prove to the FTC that limiting access and eliminating competition are not part of the company’s plans. According to the Associated Press, Microsoft President Brad Smith said that this latest agreement makes “more clear to regulators that our acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make Call of Duty available on far more devices than before.”
What is Boosteroid?
If you’ve ever dreamed of playing your favorite games at 60 fps in full HD 1080p on a PC, laptop, tablet, Android TV or phone, then you’ll be interested in Boosteroid. It’s a cloud gaming platform with research and development operations based in Ukraine (mostly Kyiv and Kharkiv). Subscribers have two-click access to high-end video games wherever they have 15 Mbps of a stable internet connection.
There is no downloading or installing; all games can be played via a browser and are available 24/7. There is no time limit on gaming and hundreds of top games are available. While there are many free options, you do have to purchase popular or current games before playing.
Best products for gamers
Alienware Aurora R14 Liquid Cooled Gaming Desktop
A powerful gaming computer is a top priority for serious players. This model has everything the modern gamer needs, from a wicked-looking design to high-level performance with 12-core AMD Ryzen processors.
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Asus Rog Strix Scar 15 Gaming Laptop
If you prefer something a little more compact, a gaming laptop might be a better fit. Besides power to drive smooth graphics and sublime streaming, this model has intelligent cooling to keep everything running at top speed.
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Some gamers sit in front of the screen for several hours at a time. This level of commitment requires a comfortable gaming chair. The Dowinx features a 360-degree swivel, 165 degrees of reclining, a retractable footrest and other comfort features.
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This gaming router works with all internet providers and offers advanced security with a subscription to TP-Link HomeCare. The router has one 2.5 Gbps WAN port, eight 1-Gigabit LAN ports and two USB 3.0 ports (Type A and Type C).
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Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Rapidfire Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
This gaming keyboard has an aircraft-grade, anodized, brushed aluminum frame for the ultimate in durability. The multicolored RGB backlighting lets you customize color, while the keys offer lightning fast 1.2-millimeter actuation to give you a gaming advantage.
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HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset
Great gaming headsets put you in the center of the action. The high-quality audio and 7.1 virtual surround sound of this headset allows you to enjoy immersive audio while the detachable, noise-canceling microphone ensures you can always be clearly heard.
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Razer Naga Trinity Gaming Mouse
This gaming mouse is superior to a regular mouse in more ways than just performance speed and accuracy. It has three interchangeable side plates with two-, seven- and 12-button configurations. You can remap and assign complex macro functions to get even more of an edge.
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Razer Wolverine Ultimate Officially Licensed Xbox One Controller
If you’re looking for an Xbox One controller, this popular model has interchangeable thumb sticks and two interchangeable D Pads for customization. The controller also has two re-mappable multifunction bumpers, four multifunction triggers and a quick control panel that can be adapted to your playing style.
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