Microsoft may transfer the ‘Call of Duty” games to PlayStation in a bid to stop Activision’s acquisition
Although the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal is in full swing, and some of its initial obstacles have been cleared up, Sony has yet to release further information. According to a company document, Microsoft may soon transfer “broken” games from “Call of Duty” to its gaming platform, PlayStation.
This is despite Microsoft’s previous discussions with Sony and Nintendo to ensure long-term contracts for transferring the “Call of Duty” games to their consoles.
Sony claims Microsoft may portage ‘Call of Duty” games.
Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation have submitted a document outlining their concerns about the Microsoft-Activision acquisition to the United Kingdom’s Competition and Market Authority.
The Japanese multi-tech firm was allowed to comment on the CMA Remedies Notice. It stated that “PFs (provisional finding) found that Microsoft could significantly lessen competition (“SLC”)” in consoles and cloud gaming. This is because it withheld Activision content, including Call of Duty, from its rivals. SIE accepts the CMA’s assessment.
The CMA also expressed concerns regarding the Microsoft acquisition. These concerns were centred on anti-competition laws.
PlayStation Suffers from Buggy Call of Duty
Sony also stated that Microsoft might release a Play Station Version of Call of Duty with bugs only at the final level or after subsequent updates. Even if such degrading events could be quickly detected, any solution would likely be too late, and the gaming community wouldn’t trust PlayStation as their preferred venue for Call of Duty.
ComicBook Gaming explains that Microsoft-made and exclusive games have been made available to PlayStation without any “buggy” experiences, such as “Minecraft,” a sandbox title.
It still needs to be made clear how the CMA will respond to this document and how Microsoft or Activision Blizzard’s case will proceed overseas.
“Call of Duty” and Activision Blizzard
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was a complex process. The Federal Trade Commission and other international agencies flagged it. Microsoft would acquire Activision Blizzard in its entirety. The software company plans to make it closely related to Xbox.
This is a massive deal in the gaming industry since the “Call of Duty” games were the first to be available exclusively on the PlayStation and PC platforms. Sony has enjoyed these games for an extended period.
According to a survey, one of the significant reasons Sony’s new gaming console, the PlayStation 5, was purchased was due to its exclusive deal with “Call of Duty”.
If the acquisition is completed and Microsoft has turnover, Sony will no longer have its exclusive “Call of Duty” distribution rights on its platform. The Japanese gaming company expressed concerns about the games being brought to the PlayStation. They believe that Microsoft could introduce bugs or other problems. Microsoft is a competitor to Sony in the gaming market.
