Ricardo Cardoso, the deputy head of a department at the EU Publications Office, apparently enjoys playing Call of Duty on PlayStation. A harmless tweet about his gaming platform sparked a shitstorm and a massive discussion. The thoughtless statement was made amidst the controversy surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
What is the tweet about?
- In early 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to purchase the publisher Activision Blizzard for nearly 70 billion USD. This would be one of the biggest deals in gaming history.
- Various entities worldwide are currently examining whether this is even possible under antitrust laws. A major point of contention in the matter: the shooter Call of Duty. Competitor Sony fears for CoD on PlayStation.
- Cardoso shared on Twitter that the European Commission is working to “ensure that we can play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my PlayStation).” The tweet sparked a massive discussion.
This is the reaction: Within a short time, hundreds of users responded to the tweet in over 1,800 comments, which often led to dozens of further comments. The debate over which console is better has been ongoing for years. Cardoso’s tweet about a current topic has added more fuel to the fire.
PlayStation fans praise Cardoso for his statement, even seeing the Microsoft deal as a threat to the industry. They fear that the company behind Xbox would remove games from PlayStation post-acquisition.
Big names are also participating in the discussion. An IGN editor, Ryan McCaffrey, mentions in his response that Xbox head Phil Spencer has already pledged CoD to PlayStation “as long as there is a PlayStation.” (via Twitter).
There is also criticism regarding the position Cardoso seemingly takes here. Jez Corden, a WindowsCentral editor, criticizes, “they are trying to keep CoD on PlayStation but do nothing about the many exclusives that Sony secures on its own console” (via Twitter).
Fans believe the latest CoD entry, Modern Warfare 2, will be “one of the best Call of Duty games.” Here’s the trailer for the campaign:
“I have nothing to do with the merger”
Some users even suggest that such a statement could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation. The EU apparently is not impartial and seems more interested in protecting Sony’s rights than seeking a fair solution.
Cardoso defends himself against the onslaught of messages with a statement. In another tweet a few days later, he writes:
To clarify: I am not involved in the assessment of the merger and do not even work in the department that deals with such mergers. As clearly stated on my profile, my comments are personal and do not reflect the position of the Commission, which will make its decisions based on facts and the law.
However, users are not entirely satisfied with this. In one response, it says: “Before contributing your opinion to something as important as a 70 billion dollar merger as a representative speaking for the EU Commission, you should choose your words wisely. Adding ‘my PlayStation’ in the same sentence sends a wrong message. Just saying.” (via Twitter)
The entire discussion surrounding Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony, and the investigation continues to generate waves on social media. During the UK investigation, there was criticism regarding the arguments presented during the negotiations:
Sony makes strange demands of Microsoft out of fear of losing Call of Duty fans
