What happened: Microsoft and Sony inked a deal to keep "Call of Duty" on PlayStation consoles following Microsoft's $69B acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Details: Microsoft's purchase of Activision was recently cleared by a U.S. appeals court. Negotiations are taking place with the U.K.'s Markets and Competition Authority, the only remaining regulator opposing the mega-deal, and the Sony agreement could potentially help Microsoft clear that last regulatory hurdle. Microsoft and Activision want to complete the merger by their deadline of Tuesday, July 18. Why it matters: Regulators have been worried about Microsoft making Activision's games, like "Call of Duty," exclusive to Xbox. Sony, the top revenue earner in console gaming, initially opposed the merger but has now committed to the 10-year agreement with Microsoft, which already has similar deals with Nintendo and Nvidia.
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