Image via Activision, Call of Duty
Earlier this year, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard announced the largest acquisition in the gaming industry ever: Valued at nearly $70 billion, it will grant Microsoft ownership over Activision and its brands. It will also place Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, as the head of Activision as well. Not only that, but Microsoft will now own one of the largest franchises in video gaming history: Call of Duty.
Now, Sony is worried and has pointed out that it fears that players may skew their purchases towards the Xbox over the PlayStation as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition. Although Microsoft stated that it would honor multiplatform deals and that Call of Duty would remain on the PlayStation, Sony is still fearful.
Sony claims that Call of Duty is “an essential game: a blockbuster, a AAA-type game that has no rival.” It also believes that it would be impossible to create a competitor and even if one were made, it still “would not be able to rival [Call of Duty].”
The acquisition of Activision by Microsoft is currently being investigated, but Microsoft believes that the deal will push through. They also believe that Activision does not produce “must have” games.
A recent report by Rock Paper Shotgun shows that Microsoft told New Zealand’s Commerce Commission that “there is nothing unique about the video games developed and published by Activision Blizzard that is a ‘must have’ for rival PC and console video game distributors that give rise to a foreclosure concern.”
Sony countered this, stating that “According to a 2019 study, ‘The Importance of Call of Duty to entertainment, in general, is indescribable.’ The brand was the only video game IP to break into the top 10 of all entertainment brands among fans, joining powerhouses such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.”
Additionally, Sony pointed out that Call of Duty has “more developers than most game companies employ across its entire development portfolio, including AAA studios. Also, given its plans to recruit 2,000 additional developers by 2021, Activision probably expects Call of Duty to become even more successful in the future.”
“No rival–no matter how relevant they are–can catch up.”
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
