Sony receives a 10-year contract from Microsoft to continue playing Call of Duty games on PlayStation systems the same day it comes to Xbox. Microsoft president Brad Smith announced that the deal was to ensure that more Call of Duty games are available on PlayStation and Xbox as well.
Smith stated that the contract aims to provide rich innovation in the video game industry and to expand the adventurous experience from Blockbusters to personal homes. In a quote, the tech company’s president, Smith, stated that Microsoft has been “stuck behind Sony’s dominant PlayStation and the Nintendo switch”. He expressed his displeasure, saying that Sony’s standing as the “loudest objector” to Microsoft proposing a merge with Activision-Blizzard has even resulted in more complications.
On the other hand, Sony is uncomfortable with the deal, speculating that it may result in a decline for the PlayStation with a higher population of franchises favouring Xbox since many PlayStation players move to Xbox so as to play the new Call of duty.
Also, Sony has warned against Microsoft controlling the video game autonomously, reiterating that it may offer the opportunity to independently exercise power over the series resulting in better game performance on Xbox than others. However, According to Smith, Microsoft is dedicated to providing the same commitment it serves to other game platforms.
One of Sony’s hot objections is that Microsoft would make the game unavailable on the PlayStation, but Microsoft President Brad Smith considered that economically unwise to do. This could be due to the market pull in the video game industry, as it has been a long year of word combat between the two tech companies.
Head of Xbox, Phil Spener, had announced that the game would be available on PlayStation, but Sony intends to keep the games off Xbox. Even the former deal to buy Activision-Blizzard for $68 million was indefinite due to interference from different regulatory bodies, including the United Kingdom’s Competition and Market Authority. However, the tension is cooling off, and the deal will likely be approved.
The recent Call of Duty game Modern Warfare II, released on October 28, 2022, has earned more than $1 billion within 10 days of release, breaking the record as the fastest-selling Call of Duty game in history. The game is available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox 1, Series X/S and PC.
Microsoft is set to increase the price of the new Xbox game from $60 to $70 in 2023. What does this really hold for the industry and the conflicting tech companies?
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