Microsoft faces big problems in bid to acquire Activision Blizzard. Sony is trying to block the deal, citing primarily the importance of the Call of Duty brand to the overall market. Console maker Xbox has long taken steps to allay regulators’ concerns about this. The company has already said it’s ready to commit to releasing more installments of the series on rivals’ devices over the next decade. Today, the company has gone further.
Microsoft also stands ready to guarantee that all deliveries of Cod it will appear in the PS Plus subscription at launch.
The representatives of the parties concerned were tempted to make somewhat more personal statements. The alleged statement from PlayStation head Jim Ryan seems particularly strong.
I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block their merger.”
It should be noted that Microsoft’s statements and agreements guaranteeing the release of Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles and on GeForce Now have greatly reassured European regulators. According to recent reports from Reuters, the European Commission is leaning towards accepting Activision Blizzard’s deal and has no intention of requiring the sale of some of the publisher’s brands.
The British CMA would be less inclined to give its approval. The US FTC, for its part, has filed a lawsuit to block the merger, so in this case the case will be decided in court.