Microsoft and Sony Sign 10-Year Agreement, Ensuring Call of Duty Continues on PlayStation
Written by Sanjay Kumar
In an announcement made on Sunday (July 16), Microsoft confirmed that it has reached a binding agreement with Sony PlayStation to ensure that the Call of Duty franchise remains available on the PlayStation platform after Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Phil Spencer, the head of gaming at Microsoft, shared the news on Twitter, stating, “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.”
We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023
Microsoft, based in Washington, made this announcement in response to concerns raised by regulators who were worried that the merger would result in Activision games, including the immensely popular Call of Duty series, becoming exclusive to Xbox.
Brad Smith, the President of Microsoft, emphasized the company’s commitment to address the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. He stated, “From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”
Raising apprehensions over the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had said that it would hurt consumers whether they played video games on consoles or had subscriptions because Microsoft would have an incentive to shut out rivals like Sony Group.
To address the regulator’s concerns, Microsoft had previously agreed to license “Call of Duty” to competitors, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, which is contingent on the completion of the merger.
Microsoft is also facing challenges from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, which has granted the software giant an unprecedented opportunity to propose a solution after vetoing the merger in April.
In an attempt to address the concerns of regulators in the UK, Microsoft has reportedly offered to sell the cloud-based market rights for games in the country, according to a report from Bloomberg last week.
Impact on gamers:
The agreement between Microsoft and PlayStation brings good news to players who eagerly anticipate the upcoming Call of Duty titles. Regardless of whether they play on Xbox or PlayStation consoles, gamers can now look forward to enjoying these highly anticipated games on their preferred platforms. This agreement with PlayStation is just one of the ways in which Microsoft aims to convince regulators in the United States and Europe to approve the Microsoft-Activision acquisition.
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