Sony Interactive Entertainment has told UK regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that one of the main reasons it doesn’t trust Microsoft Activision deal is the Xbox maker’s conduct surrounding Bethesda (ZeniMax) acquisition.
Microsoft Activision deal may end up the same way Bethesda’s acquisition did
Many have pointed out that Microsoft neither broke any promises nor violated any agreements when it comes to ZeniMax’s acquisition. But here’s the problem: Xbox executives made PR statements back then that are all too familiar, and the CMA has noticed this too.
At the time of Bethesda’s acquisition, Microsoft repeatedly reassured regulators as well as Sony that while exclusives are part and parcel of the move, it has no reason to pull games from other platforms and that it wants to bring more games to more people. Post acquisition, the company took a heavy-handed approach, including in the case of The Elder Scrolls 6, despite the franchise’s history on PlayStation.
Microsoft’s commitment is only to keep “existing” games on Sony’s platforms. It makes no guarantees about the future. Critics say the company’s public statements are quite ambiguous and cleverly worded.
“While not a violation of a behavioural commitment, Microsoft’s conduct in relation to the ZeniMax acquisition provides additional evidence of why a behavioural commitment should be approached with caution,” Sony wrote (via Metro).
The CMA’s decision is expected in April.
