The Activision Blizzard acquisition deal by Microsoft, which is set to be a major move in the video game industry, currently involves regulators from not just the US but also Europe and the UK Unfortunately, it seems that Sony, a major detractor against the deal, provided incorrect information to “people in Brussels.”
The report came from none other than Microsoft’s own communications lead, Frank Shaw. Shaw provided the full details in a Twitter thread, which has been compiled below for your convenience.
I hear Sony is briefing people in Brussels claiming Microsoft is unwilling to offer them parity for Call of Duty if we acquire Activision. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We’ve been clear we’ve offered Sony a 10 year deal to give them parity on timing, content, features, quality, playability, and any other aspect of the game. We’ve also said we’re happy to make this enforceable through a contract, regulatory agreements, or other means.
Sony is the console market leader and it would defy business logic for us to exclude PlayStation gamers from the Call of Duty ecosystem.
Our goal is to bring Call of Duty and other games – as we did with Minecraft – to more people around the world so they can play them where and how they want.
Sony’s been a major voice against the deal, citing that it would harm the industry as a whole by giving an unfair advantage to the gaming platform. Other companies, such as Nvidia and Google, have also stepped to chime in with concerns over the deal. The European Commission (EC)’s recent involvement with the Activision deal has led to the organization reportedly planning on sending an antitrust warning.
Once we know more about Europe’s actions regarding the deal moving forward, we’ll let you know.