The idea that this acquisition would lead to anticompetitive outcomes in a dynamic space with as much entry and growth as online and connected fitness is simply not credible.” Adding that the lawsuit would send “a chilling message to anyone who wishes to innovate in VR.” In a statement to the New York Times about the matter, Meta said the FTC’s position is “based on ideology and speculation, not evidence. ![]() The two companies currently spur each other to keep adding new features and attract more users, competitive rivalry that would be lost if this acquisition were allowed to proceed,” the agency says. “Meta already participates in this broader market with its Beat Saber app, as does Within with its premium rival app Supernatural. ![]() The FTC says its goal is to protect competition among companies in the VR fitness space. The company has previously acquired Beat Games ( Beat Saber), Sanzaru Games ( Asgard’s Wrath and others), Ready at Dawn ( Lone Echo and others), Downpour Interactive ( Onward), and BigBox VR (Population: One), all in just under two years. To our knowledge this is the first time the FTC has formally attempted to block Meta’s acquisition of a VR studio. This is an illegal acquisition, and we will pursue all appropriate relief.” But Meta chose to buy market position instead of earning it on the merits. “Meta already owns a best-selling virtual reality fitness app, and it had the capabilities to compete even more closely with Within’s popular Supernatural app. “Instead of competing on the merits, Meta is trying to buy its way to the top,” said FTC Bureau of Competition Deputy Director John Newman. ![]() Update (July 27th, 2022): Following reports late last year that the US Federal Trade Commission was scrutinizing Meta’s deal to acquire Within, the developer of the popular VR fitness app Supernatural, today the agency announced that it has filed a motion aimed at blocking the deal with a federal court in a 3–2 decision. Today the FTC moved to formally block the deal in what it says is an effort to protect competition. In 2021 Meta announced its intention to acquire Within, the studio behind popular VR fitness app Supernatural though neither company announced the deal price, reporting indicated a whopping $400 million price tag which may have caught the attention of the US Federal Trade Commission.
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