Judge grills FTC about data in hearing on Microsoft deal to buy Activision

The judge hearing the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s fight against Microsoft’s planned purchase of “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard on Thursday pressed government lawyers about the data behind their arguments and asked why there was so much fuss over “a shooter video game.”

The Federal Trade Commission has asked the judge to stop the proposed $69 billion acquisition because, it argues, it would give Microsoft exclusive access to Activision games including “Call of Duty,” one of the best-selling games of all time.