Microsoft claims it can enhance Call of Duty gameplay on PlayStation more than Xbox
In a supplemental response to the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) in the UK, Microsoft has stated that it would not only make Call of Duty feature parity on all platforms, but it would also provide Sony with a version that is completely optimized for PS5 by including support for features such as the haptic feedback on DualSense controllers.
Sony’s Resistance to the Acquisition
Sony, which is heavily opposing Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, has claimed that its rival could intentionally sabotage the games on PlayStation. However, Microsoft has decried such a possibility as an absolute fantasy.
Microsoft has offered Sony a contractually guaranteed deal that would deliver Call of Duty to PlayStation for the next ten years, but Sony remains stubborn in its resistance, hoping to stop Xbox from taking control of the franchise altogether.
Microsoft’s Response to Sony’s Resistance
Microsoft reiterated its willingness to sign such a contract with Sony and bemoaned the company’s uncompromising stance, calling it “a self-serving attempt to protect its dominant market position.” The Xbox maker believes Sony’s position is not founded on genuine concerns about continued access to CoD, which it could have secured on attractive terms months ago.
Microsoft’s Ten-Year Deal with Sony
Microsoft addressed the CMA’s inquiries about why it only offered a deal of ten years to Sony, stating that “there is no basis” for a deal that covers a longer period of time. Ten years were “sufficient for Sony, as a leading publisher and console platform, to develop alternatives to CoD.”
Implications of the Deal
Practically, this duration would mean that new Call of Duty games would still come to Sony’s platforms even in the console generation following the current one, and older titles would be available to PlayStation owners indefinitely.
Sony previously stated to regulators that Call of Duty was irreplaceable due to its popularity. However, Microsoft countered that argument by pointing out that Nintendo was doing fine without having access to the series.
The CMA’s deadline to reach a decision, in this case, is April 26, 2023.
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