Sony is still concerned about Xbox acquiring Activision Blizzard, specifically that it will attempt to sabotage PlayStation versions of Call of Duty. One of the year’s biggest gaming stories has been Microsoft’s surprise acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which will bring big-name franchises like Crash Bandicoot, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty under the ever-expanding Xbox umbrella. If it is approved, this could be one of the largest publisher buyouts in gaming history.
While some are excited about Xbox’s impending acquisition of Activision Blizzard, others are concerned that Microsoft will gain a monopoly in the gaming industry after buying out so many other major third-party studios in recent years. Sony is one of the most vocal opponents of the deal, with many of the rival first-party console maker’s concerns centred on the highly profitable Call of Duty franchise. Sony has previously expressed concern that if Xbox successfully acquires Call of Duty, PlayStation would lose access to the game, which Xbox representatives have repeatedly denied as the deal moves through international regulatory channels.
Sony has recently expressed a new concern about Xbox’s Activision Blizzard merger, that its rival could actively sabotage future Call of Duty entries on PlayStation consoles.
Sony claims that the aforementioned Call of Duty games may be released with game-breaking bugs and glitches that appear only after the final level or in a later update. Given that many players tend to buy new Call of Duty games in the first few weeks of release, these glitches would be detected and fixed too late to change fans’ perceptions of the game on PlayStation, potentially harming the brand.
These concerns were expressed to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which has been investigating Xbox’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard for potential antitrust violations since the deal was announced early last year. The importance of Call of Duty as a blockbuster franchise has been a major part of the UK regulator’s arguments, which has even gone so far as to suggest that Call of Duty be removed from Activision Blizzard’s portfolio as a condition of the buyout. Xbox has responded to these claims and suggestions by stating that denying PlayStation access to Call of Duty would be a bad business decision.
Also Read:
- ASSASSIN’S CREED LEGENDS JOIN SUMMONERS WAR: SKY ARENA IN A NEW AND EXCITING EVENT
- SKULL AND BONES: SAVAGE STORM COMICS BRINGS YOU INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF SKULL AND BONES
