Microsoft Tries to Placate Sony; Jim Ryan Makes Things Clear

Microsoft faces big problems in its attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard. Sony is trying to block the deal, citing mainly how important the Call of Duty brand is for the entire market. The manufacturer of Xbox consoles has been taking steps to calm the concerns of regulators on the issue for some time. The company has already declared that it is ready to commit to releasing more installments of the series on rivals' devices for the next decade. Now the company has gone a step further.

1. Microsoft wants to guarantee not only the release of Call of Duty games on PlayStation consoles, but also that their quality and content will be identical to the Xbox releases.
2. This declaration is a response to suggestions by Sony, which claims that Microsoft could deliberately create inferior versions of Call of Duty on PlayStation in order to give its hardware platform an advantage.

Call of Duty on PS Plus from launch day

Microsoft is also ready to guarantee that all installments of CoD will appear on the PS Plus subscription at launch.

1. This is another attempt to disarm Sony's arguments. After all, the Japanese company has been claiming that making Call of Duty games available in Game Pass would give Microsoft too much of an advantage.
2. What's more, Microsoft is poised to set up an independent regulatory body to make sure these commitments are adhered to.
3. All of these new declarations are in response to Sony's arguments, which are trying to convince regulators that maintaining competitiveness in the game market requires either blocking Activision Blizzard deal or forcing the sale of the Call of Duty brand to another entity.
4. Microsoft claims that selling Call of Duty would prevent it from competing with Apple and Google in the mobile market due to the loss of the brand's mobile installments. On top of that, it would block the availability of CoD on Nintendo consoles (Microsoft recently pledged to return the series to that company's platforms).
5. Microsoft also argues that it is detrimental to the market that the current situation, in which PlayStation consoles are given preferential treatment for the next installments of Call of Duty, receiving exclusive content and earlier access to various options.

All I want is to block this merger - Jim Ryan

Representatives of the parties involved were tempted to make somewhat more personal declarations. Particularly strong seems to be the alleged statement of Jim Ryan, head of PlayStation.

1. Lulu Cheng Meservey of Activision Blizzard commented that Microsoft is ready to offer Sony better terms than those of the publisher's current contract with the Japanese company.
2. During the Brussels hearings, Jim Ryan, head of PlayStation, in response to Microsoft's offer was said to have replied:

It is worth mentioning that Microsoft's declarations and agreements guaranteeing the release of Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles and in GeForce Now have strongly reassured EU regulators. According to recent reports by Reuters, the European Commission is leaning toward accepting Activision Blizzard deal and does not intend to demand the sale of some of the publisher's brands.

Britain's CMA is said to be less inclined to give its approval. The U.S. FTC, on the other hand, has issued a lawsuit to block the merger, so in this case the matter will be decided in court.

1. Microsoft - official website
2. Activision Blizzard - official website