There is trouble between Sony and Xbox about the game series “Call of Duty”. The planned purchase of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft would give Xbox the rights to the important shooter series. Sony fears: At some point, Call of Duty might not appear on the PlayStation 5. PlayStation boss Ryan is apparently calling for a more far-reaching guarantee.
Here’s the situation:
- Microsoft has been planning to buy Activision Blizzard since January 2022. To do this, you need the okay from some regulators around the world.
- Sony complained about the purchase in August 2022. They say: Call of Duty is unique and has no competition. Implication: If Xbox has the rights to the series, it could create a dominant position if Xbox decides to stop bringing Call of Duty to the PS5.
- Xbox boss Phil Spencer has countered this impression, guaranteeing: Call of Duty will be on the PlayStation for “several more years” beyond the current deal. Spencer also guaranteed PlayStation’s competition “feature and content parity.”
Sony wants the Call of Duty game series guaranteed for PlayStation, however.
What’s the problem? As we discussed in an article on MyMMO on September 4, there were 2 unanswered questions after Phil Spencer’s statement:
- How long does the existing deal between Sony and Activision Blizzard that guarantees Call of Duty for the PS5 last? Rumor has it that it goes until 2023, but that’s not certain.
- How long does Phil Spencer’s new guarantee go beyond the deal?
“Not enough on many levels”
This is now the new conflict: PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has now addressed the public (via gamesindustry.biz):
I wasn’t going to comment on what I thought was a private business meeting, but I now feel compelled to set the record straight because Phil Spencer has made the discussion public.
Microsoft has only offered that Call of Duty can stay on the PlayStation for 3 more years beyond the current agreement.
After nearly 20 years with Call of Duty on the PlayStation, this proposal falls short on many levels and does not take into account the impact on our players. We want to ensure PlayStation players enjoy the best possible Call of Duty experience. Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.
Jim Ryan, PlayStation CEO
What does that mean? According to this new information, Call of Duty would probably be safe until 2026 or maybe 2027 for the PlayStation 5 – depending on how long the current deal lasts. That’s apparently not good enough for Sony.
People apparently want a longer warranty or other concessions.
Xbox etches: Sony fears new Call of Duty coming to Game Pass for free on Day 1, destroying PS5’s dominance
Sony presses on as long as Microsoft has to play nice
This is what’s behind it: Sony makes public pressure. Now it’s still going. Because Microsoft needs regulatory approval for the purchase. Once the deal is done, Microsoft won’t have to concede anything.
Sony apparently wants to squeeze out a longer warranty period while Microsoft still has to play nice.
It is believed that Microsoft plans to bring the new Call of Duty game to their “flat rate gaming offering”, Xbox Game Pass:
Sony’s biggest nightmare comes true: Xbox boss wants to put Call of Duty in Game Pass
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