Sony admits to being afraid of Microsoft because of a single franchise


Sony does not see a very good eye the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard by Microsoft. Questioned by a regulator, the Japanese publisher sees too much shortfall because of a single franchise.

The Activision-Blizzard takeover announcement continues to make waves. This historic acquisition is not to everyone’s taste and must oppose the reluctance of regulators. One of them went straight to Microsoft’s rivals for advice, and Sony admitted to being afraid of its main competitor. The fault of a single license: Call of Duty.

Sony admits being afraid of Microsoft

If Microsoft has caused a real earthquake in the industry with the takeovers of Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda, everything is not yet played. If the FTC, its major obstacle, has yet to approve the deal, the green brand must also convince regulators around the world. This is the case of Brazil, for example, which looked into the case of this historic takeover by questioning the major players in the sector directly impacted by this merger. Google, Ubisoft, Warner Bros and above all Sony have given their opinion. Obviously, the creators of PlayStation did not go there with the back of the spoon.

In the documents available in full on the official site of the instance, Sony admits to being afraid of Microsoft, for a reason. The manufacturer believes that Call of Duty is a true “console seller”, without any rival (sorry Battlefield) and that players would be willing to change machines just to play it. PlayStation goes further by stating that COD is so popular and its fan base is so loyal that even if an Activity/Microsoft competitor tried to make a similar game on a hefty budget, ” he couldn’t compete “.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty, the goose that lays the golden eggs of PlayStation

Sony also recalls that it is the only video game intellectual property to have entered the top 10 entertainment brands alongside behemoths such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Game of Thrones. A significant source of revenue for PlayStation both in terms of physical/digital sales and microtransactions and DLC.

And this little goose with the golden eggs is going to go to Microsoft’s stable. PlayStation will still be able to enjoy the aura of Call of Duty for another three years. After this period, the green brand no longer guarantees the presence of its future cash cow on other platforms. Regulators still need to approve the takeover. For its part, Sony does not intend to sit idly by and would prepare a takeover of the type of Activision / Blizzard.



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