Facing legal scrutiny in a number of countries including the United States, Microsoft has begun reassuring regulators around the world that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard won’t hurt competition. In a lengthy blog published by President and Vice Chair Brad Smith, the company said that popular Activision Blizzard games including Call of Duty will be available on PlayStation beyond existing contracts “and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love.”
Microsoft’s tone is quite a departure from its previous messaging perhaps because it realizes that the deal can potentially fall through should regulators see it as a vertical merger especially in the games industry. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission particularly has a harsher approach towards such deals, having only recently blocked Nvidia’s attempted purchase of Arm.
How does Xbox Activision deal impact PlayStation?
That Microsoft specifically mentioned Call of Duty in its blog goes to show the brand’s value and power. Analysts have previously said that if anything manages to throw a spanner in the works for Microsoft, it’ll be Call of Duty’s exclusivity. The company evidently realized this, but also made sure to mention that “popular” Activision Blizzard games will continue to appear on PlayStation platforms. However, this doesn’t mean that future Activision Blizzard IPs won’t be Microsoft-exclusive. Microsoft is free to invest in new IPs going forward and keep them exclusive to its ecosystem.
Opinion: Xbox Activision deal has become a word salad
Zarmena writes… Between Phil Spencer, Satya Nadella, and Brad Smith, Microsoft’s statements about the Xbox Activision deal has become a literal word salad. Even now, people think that when Smith says Activision games will “continue” to be available on PlayStation beyond existing contracts, he’s talking about existing titles. I don’t blame them. Microsoft hasn’t outright said that “new” Call of Duty games will also head to PlayStation. Best to keep expectations in check.
In other news, The Wolf Among Us 2 will release in 2023, and Gran Turismo Sophy is AI that can race like humans.
