When the discussion about succession or continuity Call of Duty on the PlayStation, before Activision’s purchase of Blizzard by Microsoft, it seemed like a closed story, Sony came out to stir up a hornet’s nest. The fact is that Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), assured that the promise of the people of Redmond to keep the popular franchise on their console has been fulfilled. “inadequate on many levels”.
In statements to GamesIndustry.bizRyan crossed out recent statements Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. Recall that a few days ago, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming assured that the company offered the Japanese a signed agreement guaranteeing the availability Call of Duty on game console “several years beyond the current contract” between Sony and Activision Blizzard. A commitment that, according to the executive, goes beyond typical video game industry conventions.
However, Spencer’s statements were not accepted by the SIE, and Jim Ryan did not hesitate to let him know:
“I didn’t mean to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to clarify because Phil Spencer brought this up to a public forum. Microsoft just suggested it. Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation for three years after the end of the current deal between Activision and Sony.
Almost 20 years later Call of Duty on PlayStation, their offering was inadequate on many levels and did not take into account the impact on our players. We want PlayStation gamers to continue to enjoy the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines that principle.”
Jim Ryan, President and CEO of PlayStation.
Thus, Sony once again expresses concern about the possible consequences of the purchase of Activision Blizzard for its platform. In early August, the company expressed concern about this before consulting with Brazilian regulators. At the time, he stated that Call of Duty It was essential franchise for PlayStation.
Microsoft Promises Around Call of Duty Not enough for Sony
Ever since Microsoft announced its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in January, the industry’s biggest concern has been the future. Call of Duty. Apparently, the people of Redmond knew the announcement would raise questions about it. No wonder Phil Spencer tried very hard to publicly guarantee franchise continuity on PlayStation. Something that also applies to regulatory scrutiny, of course.
“I’ve had some good talks with Sony executives this week. I have reaffirmed our intention to honor all existing agreements following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to maintain Call of Duty on the PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry and we treasure our relationship,” he tweeted a few days after announcing the acquisition. He added, “I will only say to players who enjoy Activision Blizzard games on the Sony platform: it is not our intent to alienate communities from this platform and we remain committed to it.”
It is not yet officially known how long the current agreement between Sony and Activision Blizzard is valid. Call of Duty. According to Jason Schreier of bloombergMicrosoft intended to fulfill the studio’s commitment to release next three games in the franchise on PlayStation. They cover Modern Warfare 2, free game war zone 2 and a new game in development from Treyarch that could be delayed until 2024.
If three more years proposed by Microsoft are confirmed, from 2027 we will see a significant change in the landscape Call of Duty on the PlayStation. This should not necessarily result in the franchise becoming an Xbox exclusive. After all, those at Redmond have made it clear that their plan is primarily to bring games to Game Pass. And even Phil Spencer himself said that exclusive games have no future. However, this could mean that Sony will have to negotiate a sequel. COD on console in less favorable termsperhaps by sacrificing key elements such as content compliance or release dates.
Source: Hiper Textual
