There is trouble between Sony and Xbox over the game series “Call of Duty“. With Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Xbox would gain the rights to the important shooter series. Sony fears that eventually Call of Duty might not appear on the PlayStation 5. PlayStation head Ryan is reportedly asking for a more comprehensive guarantee.
This is the situation:
- Microsoft has been planning to purchase Activision Blizzard since January 2022. For this, they need the approval of several regulatory authorities worldwide.
- Sony complained about the purchase in August 2022. They say: Call of Duty is unique and has no competition. This implies that if Xbox has the rights to the series, a dominant market position could arise if Xbox decides not to bring Call of Duty to the PS5.
- Xbox head Phil Spencer has countered this impression and guaranteed that Call of Duty will come to PlayStation “for several more years” beyond the current deal. Additionally, Spencer guaranteed PlayStation competitors “feature and content parity.”
Sony, however, wants the Call of Duty game series guaranteed for PlayStation.
What is the problem? As we discussed in an article on MeinMMO on September 4th, there were 2 open questions after Phil Spencer’s statement:
- How long does the existing deal between Sony and Activision Blizzard, which guarantees Call of Duty for PS5, last? It is rumored to last until 2023, but this is not certain.
- How long does Phil Spencer’s new guarantee last beyond the deal?
“Not sufficient on many levels”
This is now the new conflict: PlayStation head Jim Ryan has now gone public (via gamesindustry.biz):
I did not intend to comment on what I thought was a private business meeting, but I now feel compelled to clarify matters, as Phil Spencer has made the discussion public.
Microsoft has merely offered that Call of Duty can remain on PlayStation for 3 more years beyond the current agreement.
After nearly 20 years with Call of Duty on PlayStation, this proposal is insufficient on many levels and does not consider the impact on our players. We want to guarantee PlayStation players the best possible Call of Duty experience. Microsoft’s proposal undermines that principle.
Jim Ryan, PlayStation CEO
What does this mean? According to this new information, Call of Duty would likely be safe for PlayStation 5 until 2026 or perhaps 2027 – depending on how long the current deal lasts. Apparently, this is not enough for Sony.
They seem to be looking for a longer guarantee or other concessions.
Sony applies pressure as long as Microsoft has to be nice
This is what’s behind it: Sony is applying public pressure. This is still possible now. Because Microsoft needs the approval of the regulatory authorities for the purchase. Once the deal is closed, Microsoft doesn’t have to concede anything anymore.
Sony apparently wants to squeeze out a longer term of the guarantee as long as Microsoft still has to be nice.
It is assumed that Microsoft plans to bring the new Call of Duty game into their “flat-rate gaming offer”, in the Xbox Game Pass:
Sony’s biggest nightmare is coming true: Xbox head wants to put Call of Duty in Game Pass
