New Delhi: To guarantee that the well-known gaming brand, Call of Duty, would continue to be accessible on PlayStation platforms, Microsoft has announced a legally binding deal with Sony’s PlayStation business. The announcement follows Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, which caused uncertainty regarding the multi-platform game’s future.
Phil Spencer, the Head of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox, took to Twitter to share the news, 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 look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.”
This deal tries to ease regulators’ worries about the possible effects of Microsoft’s acquisition on competition. Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, also pledged to alleviate these worries. The verge said that the pledge resulted in a 10-year agreement.
“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,” stated Smith.
The agreement to keep Call of Duty available on PlayStation could alleviate fears that Microsoft’s increased market dominance would lead to exclusivity or reduced availability of the game on rival platforms. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had previously expressed concerns that the acquisition might hinder competition and limit consumer choice.
The FTC said that Microsoft would have the motivation to bar competitors like Sony from playing the well-liked game, which might ultimately hurt both console users and those who subscribe to gaming services.
Microsoft had already committed to licensing “Call of Duty” to other industry participants in response to these worries. Notably, they had a 10-year contract with Nintendo that was conditional on the merger’s success.
Impact on Gamers
The highly anticipated Call of Duty games will be available on gamers’ favourite platforms, regardless of whether they use Xbox or PlayStation consoles, thanks to a new agreement between Microsoft and PlayStation.
One of Microsoft’s various strategies to persuade US and European regulators to support the Microsoft-Activision deal is the new agreement with PlayStation.
