Microsoft sees Activision Blizzard deal as transformative for Xbox
The ongoing FTC court case involving the Microsoft Activision Blizzard deal is focusing on the FPS game Call of Duty, with both Sony and Microsoft emailing the court about the acquisition. Microsoft sees the deal as a “great deal” and “transformative” for Xbox, while Sony pushes back, indicating that it also sees Activision Blizzard as valuable. The ongoing case, which was brought by the FTC, is looking into whether or not the deal will hurt PC and console gaming.
In the midst of the ongoing legal battle, some of Sony’s emails to the FTC have been made public, which include comments from PlayStation head Jim Ryan. Ryan claims that he assured senior staff that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation for years to come.
This seems to directly contradict Sony’s public stance on the matter. We have seen this before with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, where Sony claimed that it could not get the game on PlayStation.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer also emailed Ryan, stating that Activision Blizzard games will release on PlayStation with the same features and release dates as Xbox until December 31, 2027. This seems to directly contradict Spencer’s previous claim of a ten-year post-acquisition offer.
Ryan has also expressed conflicting opinions on exclusives and Call of Duty leaving PlayStation. In one email, he says, “I’m not a fan of these ‘exclusive deals’ (sic) – they tend to come back to haunt you.” Then, in another email to the FTC, he says, “I absolutely do not want to see COD leave PlayStation.”
It looks like Xbox is still trying to acquire Japanese developers, based on some of the newly unsealed emails. Even though Xbox boss Phil Spencer denied that the console giant was trying to acquire any Japanese developers, we now know that he asked Microsoft to acquire Sega.
In addition, Spencer considered buying Square Enix, which would give Xbox access to some major Japanese games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. Spencer’s denial of attempting to acquire Japanese developers was a clear lie.
Ryan’s emails to Spencer, Sony, and public statements have revealed some inconsistent opinions. For example, he says that Sony would not have opposed the acquisition of Rockstar Games if it had happened, despite the fact that Sony is opposing the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Consumers should critically evaluate both sides instead of blindly supporting one console. Microsoft sees this Activision Blizzard deal as “transformative” and a “great deal” while Sony has been inconsistent in its public statements and its private emails.
Check out the rest of our Activision Blizzard deal coverage for more information.
