Still in this context of expectation, given the conclusions of the CMA expected on April 26, Microsoft and Sony are engaged in an unprecedented media and diplomatic duel. Microsoft said today that the versions of Call of Duty destined for Sony consoles may turn out to be better optimized, but that’s not the only argument Microsoft has to use to try and push the acquisition.
10 years access to Call of Duty, enough for Sony to develop a new FPS?
These new statements come from Microsoft’s response to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Redmond-based company renews its desire to release every new Call of Duty game available on PlayStation on the same day as on Xbox for a period of ten years, with full parity in terms of content and features.
Nevertheless, in response to a question from the CMA, Microsoft also claims that 10 years would be enough for Sony to develop a competitor or at least a serious alternative to Call of Duty:
“Microsoft believes 10 years for Sony as the leading console publisher and platform is sufficient to develop alternatives to CoD.
The 10-year period extends to the next generation of consoles. Additionally, the fix’s practical impact extends beyond the 10-year period, as games downloaded in the last year of the fix can continue to be played for the life of that console (and beyond, thanks to backwards compatibility). ).”
Knowing the cultural impact and popularity of the Call of Duty license, we may have questions about this new claim from Microsoft. On the contrary, Sony declared that it would be impossible to replace Call of Duty when the license disappeared from its consoles, and this remark seems quite realistic.
This is certainly not the Redmond company’s best argument, but it will have to await the verdict of the CMA, which has until April 26 to rule on the agreement.
To find all the key points of the affair between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft, we recommend that you watch our summary video to understand everything about the issues surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, as well as our full dossier on the subject.