In January 2022, Microsoft confirmed a $70 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, along with its main moneymaker, Call of Duty. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has big implications for the gaming industry, and Playstation owner Sony has serious concerns, especially regarding Xbox Game Pass.
As reported by Idas on Resetera, who claims to be an IT law expert, the deal with Microsoft Activision needs to be approved by regulators around the world, including the UK as we know it. Brazil, which began its investigation in May, seems interested in third-party opinions on these deals, and given Brazil’s transparency about this information, we now know which publishers plan to acquire Activision.
As translated by Idas (and verified by PCGamesN), Sony’s comments on the deal are of particular concern. Sony agrees that all games compete for player engagement and that no major publisher can create a franchise that can compete with Activision and Call of Duty, which they call the “game category.” According to the publisher, Call of Duty cannot compete or replace and is so popular that it influences people’s choice of console.
Sony is also concerned about subscription services like Game Pass after its own Playstation Plus service decided not to offer native games at launch. Sony believes that these services are “anti-competitive” for publishers who recoup their investment in games by selling them in advance, as Sony does. He says that it can reduce the quality of the games.
As with Call of Duty, though, Sony notes that it could be years before a Game Pass competitor emerges. He also notes that Call of Duty is a “significant source of revenue” for Playstation, as one of Sony’s biggest revenue generators comes from a third-party publisher.
Of course, Sony also has a lot to worry about, having just bought Destiny 2 developer Bungie. As with all developments related to Activision Blizzard’s ongoing lawsuits, this explanatory article will help you get up to speed.
Source : PC Gamesn
