As we all know, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is currently frozen. The company that owns Xbox must in fact demonstrate that the purchase of the software house does not result in anti-competitive policies. In fact, if the acquisition were to materialize, Microsoft would have total control over the developer’s video game titles, including the hugely popular Call of Duty franchise. A prospect that certainly does not drive crazy Sony, owner of PlayStation, which could thus lose access to the games of the saga. But today a new detail emerges: Microsoft reportedly offered Sony to bring Call of Duty games to the PlayStation Plus catalog.
With this move, Microsoft would aim to mitigate the accusations of “anti-competitive maneuvers” and “market monopoly”, showing itself open to not making COD games exclusive to Xbox.
PlayStation Plus is, for the uninitiated, a subscription service that allows Sony users to have access to a catalog of games after a monthly or annual subscription. It is, to all intents and purposes, the Sony version of Microsoft’s acclaimed Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft’s Proposal: Call of Duty on PlayStation Plus
Bloomberg Law portal reports that the offer to bring Call of Duty to PlayStation Plus has been made in an effort to get market regulators to approve the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. Last week (December 8), the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will file to block the purchase of Microsoft.
Holly Vedovadirector of Bureau of Competition dell’FTCsays the body “will seek to prevent Microsoft from gaining control of a major independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple markets.”
With that in mind, this isn’t the first deal Microsoft has offered Sony. Just a few months ago, in September, Microsoft offered Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles for 10 years. However, the CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryandefined the offer “inadequate on many levels”reiterating that the acquisition of Microsoft would “undermine” the PlayStation market.
Meanwhile Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming division, has already made agreements with other companies. Xbox has indeed signed a 10-year agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the Japanese giant’s consoles. It was also reiterated that the franchise’s games will continue to arrive on Steam as well. The only actor who has decided not to take part in the show, at least for now, is PlayStation. In fact, Sony continues to clamor for the blocking of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.