A welcome end to the softly, softly approach

Ignore the cries from supposedly wronged parties: the competition authorities were right to kibosh Microsoft's takeover of Activision

I qualified as a football referee 30 years ago, and one phrase the tutor used on the training course has stuck with me ever since: "Be proud of your double zeros," he said, referring to the score out of ten both teams give the referee. "That means you've upset every f***** on the pitch." If Microsoft and Activision were scoring the Competition and Markets.

Authority (CMA) after its decision to thwart Microsoft's proposed buyout of the games company, it would be guaranteed two big fat zeros. In my view, however, it's a solid eight or nine for Britain's increasingly combative competition watchdog.

The CMA took the bold decision to block the Microsoft/Activision deal because it was worried about the impact on the nascent cloud gaming market. Microsoft has already nudged into an early lead, accounting for 60-70% of the global cloud gaming market, according to the CMA.

Letting it acquire Activision "would strengthen that advantage," according to Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA's independent panel of experts, "giving it the ability to undermine new and innovative competitors".

"Who, us?" cried Microsoft, with all the chutzpah of Fred West putting the finishing touches to a new patio.