Microsoft scrapped work on an Xbox controller intended for cloud gaming, The New York Times reported, bringing attention to a product the company had never publicly introduced. A Microsoft spokesperson disputed any connection between the decision and regulatory scrutiny of its Activision Blizzard acquisition, but offered no explanation for why the project was halted.
The report follows Microsoft's efforts to secure approval for its $75.4 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. The company accepted a range of changes to address regulators' objections, with some affecting its cloud-gaming initiatives. The controller claim emerged more than a year later, adding to the information becoming public about Microsoft's plans during that period.
Microsoft reached agreements with Ubisoft, Nware, EE, Boosteroid, Ubitus and Nvidia as it sought to address concerns raised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority. The controller itself remained unannounced: Microsoft had neither formally revealed the device nor presented it publicly. An image that leaked this year drew attention to its unusual appearance.
