The Microsoft-Activision deal has already made Sony present some exaggerated legal arguments to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. And now Microsoft is arguing that the merger would actually be a good thing for PlayStation players, because it would spur Sony to make its PlayStation Plus subscription service better.
Xbox says PS Plus price might be lowered after merger
In its response to the CMA on a notice of possible remedies, Microsoft says that including Activision content on Xbox Game Pass would lead to improvements for PS Plus:
By enabling Microsoft to compete more effectively against Sony, the Merger can also be expected to push Sony to improve its subscription offering, to the benefit of its more than 46 million subscribers, which would in turn result in lower prices, higher quality and/or greater choice for console customers.
Microsoft also claims that Sony offered new PS Plus tiers and additional content “in response to the announcement of the Merger.” That ignores the argument that these PS Plus changes might have been made in reaction to Xbox Game Pass in general rather than the merger.
In addition, unless Activision’s catalog would also be offered on PS Plus after the potential merger, saying that it would result in “greater choice” for PS Plus customers seems a bit of a stretch.
If the Microsoft Activision deal were to go through, Call of Duty exclusive DLC will likely end. The EU will reportedly not make Microsoft sell Call of Duty in the deal.
