Microsoft strikes a 10-year deal to bring Xbox games to another cloud service

Microsoft has announced another game distribution agreement designed to allay regulatory concerns over its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

On Friday, the company said it had signed a 10-year agreement to stream Xbox PC games, as well as Activision Blizzard titles should the acquisition close, with Spanish cloud gaming platform Nware.

“While it’s still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today,” said Microsoft president Brad Smith.

“We are full speed ahead in our mission to bring players more ways to play their favorite games,” added Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

Following similar long-term game distribution partnerships with Nintendo, Nvidia, Boosteroid, Ubitus and EE, the Nware deal is the latest in a string of agreements designed to help push through Microsoft’s controversial $69 billion merger with Activision Blizzard.

Its announcement comes two days after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority said it was blocking the acquisition over concerns it would “alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come.”

Microsoft and Activision have announced plans to appeal the ruling, which the former has called “bad for Britain” and the latter has labelled “irrational”.