Sony is ready to do anything to frustrate the takeover of Activision by Microsoft. The multinational goes so far as to make implausible statements, masking baseless accusations.
Sony may be losing face with its obsession with wanting to derail Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard. The resounding deal, formalized in January 2022, is still highly discussed by the authorities responsible for validating it. The various documents transmitted make it possible to discover the arguments of the different parties. And, those of Sony are starting to fall into the implausible, according to this article published on March 8, 2023 by The Verge.
In a file sent on February 22 to the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority, the body in charge of competition in the United Kingdom), Sony shares its fears. They concern possible (unfair) levers that Microsoft could use to push players to turn to the Xbox ecosystem. It is obviously once again a question of Call of Duty, the big chunk of the transaction. Sony believes, for example, that its rival could ” degrade the quality and performance of Call of Duty on PlayStation “.
Sony is seriously damaging its image
“ Microsoft could release a PlayStation version where bugs and glitches only appear in later levels or after future updates (…). If performance is found to be worse on PlayStation than Xbox, Call of Duty fans may migrate to Xbox for fear of playing their favorite game on a second-tier, less competitive platform “, can we read. It’s quite lunar.
Would Microsoft be ready to market buggy Call of Duty games on PlayStation, to offer itself a possibly decisive advantage? This is a serious accusation from Sony, which also fears to see more expensive games on PlayStation or even specificities not exploited by developers (especially for the DualSense controller). Microsoft defended itself in the columns of Eurogamer.
Microsoft promises that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation consoles for at least ten years. The Redmond firm would have no interest in offering versions below expectations. The risk would be too great for the image of a saga accustomed to selling millions of copies each year. Furthermore, to our knowledge, the PlayStation versions of Minecraft — another property of Microsoft — do not provide an inferior gaming experience.
In a tweet posted on March 8Lulu Cheng Meservey, CCO of Activision Blizzard, sided with Microsoft: Microsoft offered Sony (the leader in the console market for more than ten years, with 80% market share) a 10-year deal much better than we could do. We have also guaranteed Sony long-term access to Call of Duty. But they keep saying no. “She also lends edifying words to Jim Ryan, CEO of PlayStation: “ I don’t want a Call of Duty deal. I just want to derail the transaction “, he would have pronounced in Brussels. Today, Sony finds itself somewhat alone against everyone and lacks the arguments to be heard.
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