Over the last week, we have been seeing a bunch of revelations about the gaming industry. Microsoft and Sony are presenting their cases to the UK’s Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA). Microsoft wants approval for its $69bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard while Sony wants regulators to block the deal.
Microsoft’s purchase is also under scrutiny in Europe and the United States. Across the board, it seems like the company will need to make concessions to get the deal across the line. And that seems to be what Microsoft is now doing just that with the European Commission.
Both Sony and regulators have concerns about how Microsoft will use franchises from Activision Blizzard, such as Call of Duty. As Microsoft takes control of these brands, the company could decide to make them exclusive to Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft has insisted there is more profit allowing Call of Duty to remain a cross-platform franchise. It now seems that regulators in the EU will force Microsoft to commit to that claim.
Concessions
Reuters suggests that Microsoft is willing to offer concessions to ensure the acquisition goes ahead. One of those concession will be to give Sony a 10-year licensing deal to keep Call of Duty available on the PlayStation.
“Sony, as the industry leader, says it is worried about Call of Duty, but we’ve said we are committed to making the same game available on the same day on both Xbox and PlayStation,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters. “We want people to have more access to games, not less.”
In a statement to the UK’s CMA this month, Sony said Call of Duty is irreplaceable, even with other options like EA’s Battlefield also on PlayStation.
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