Sony ended up reacting to Microsoft’s upcoming acquisition of Activision Blizzard, contenting itself with calling on Microsoft to keep the studio’s ongoing agreements with PlayStation. In the longer term, the situation is uncertain.
This is an announcement that must have taken course even in the staff of Sony: Microsoft’s desire to complete the acquisition of the Activision Blizzard studio within two years, for nearly 70 billion dollars. If he succeeds, the software specialist, who is already a powerful video game empire, will have his hands on several very profitable licenses on PC, mobile and console.
What future on PlayStation for Activision Blizzard?
Since Microsoft shot down its cards on January 18, 2022, its big rival in consoles has been rather discreet. Still, there are a few things to worry about: what will the future hold for games like call of duty on PlayStation, with a parent company above Activision Blizzard called Microsoft and which sells a competing console, the Xbox?
The question of exclusives on Xbox arose immediately in the wake of the press release from the American company, because Microsoft has in the past demonstrated its ability to reserve the best bits of its acquisitions. With Besthesda, the target of an operation in 2020, Microsoft intends to keep Starfield Where Elder Scrolls VI for PC and Xbox.
Sony necessarily perceives the problem. Moreover, questioned on this subject on January 20 by the Wall Street Journal, a spokesperson for the group sent a message to the management of the Redmond firm: “ We hope Microsoft will honor contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision’s games are cross-platform. »
Lose access to call of duty would be a blow for Sony, given the success of the license on the console. The problem is mainly in the long term: what will happen with future installments of the saga once Activision Blizzard becomes a subsidiary of Microsoft (assuming that the regulators do not come to derail the process of acquisition)?
This possibility alone would not be enough to threaten Sony’s console appeal, given the many other assets it can put forward. However, the upcoming takeover of Activision Blizzard is part of a series of measures that strengthen its positions: for the next console war, that of the next generation, Xbox will be even stronger.