As Activision Blizzard Deal Stews, Microsoft Reaches Agreement With Sony On PlayStation
by Rich Kennedy
PlayStation 5 (Photo Courtesy Of Sony)
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer posted on social media that a deal had been reached with Sony. As a result, the long-time military first-person shooter franchise Call of Duty will be staying on PlayStation. This agreement is also set to culminate after the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
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.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023
“From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,” said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft. “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.”
This turning point does put to rest a long, bitter battle between Sony and Microsoft that started in January 2022. Despite It remains unclear what the terms entail. With additional recent deals with Nintendo and other cloud providers, there is a chance that the contracts are similar.
“I think it’s good news that the transaction can go through because it’s really showing the power of IPs and where the industry is going. So, there will be lots of opportunities too in the future for all the companies,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. “And it’s also showing the value of IPs that can now be on console and PC, but also mobile, and become more worldwide brands, and when we say worldwide it’s really everywhere in the world, and that’s a fantastic opportunity.”
Despite these strides and what this deal could mean for the mobile gaming community, Microsoft still must contend with the regulators overseas in the United Kingdom. While there was hope that a deal would be struck before July 18, it seems that there has been a delay.
A deal could be struck any day now, but for now, the gaming universe at large must watch and wait.
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