Sony Inks 10-year 'Call of Duty' Deal with Microsoft By CIOTechOutlook Team

Sony Inks 10-year 'Call of Duty' Deal with Microsoft

CIOTechOutlook Team | Monday, 17 July 2023, 02:42 IST

Sony has secured a deal to maintain Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms as Microsoft inches closer to acquiring Activision Blizzard in the most costly gaming merger in history. The announcement is noteworthy since Sony has been the biggest obstacle to the $69 billion purchase and has resisted the accord for the longest time. Concerns about the acquisition's effect on competition may be allayed further if a deal is reached to maintain Call of Duty on Playstation. Microsoft, according to Xbox director Phil Spencer, is "looking forward to a future where players around the world have more choice to play their favorite games."

"We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation (Sony) have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard," Spencer announced in a tweet.

Microsoft's vice chairman and president, Brad Smith, indicated that the business will continue to concentrate on expanding the number of platforms on which Call of Duty is available.

"From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before," Smith tweeted.

It should be emphasized that the agreement will be finalized once Microsoft completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which was previously the subject of litigation between the computer giant and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Multiple attempts by the FTC to temporarily halt the transaction were unsuccessful after US courts rejected their demands. The Microsoft-Activision investigation's deadline has also been extended by six weeks by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). After pausing a campaign to cancel the pact, this will give the watchdog additional time to consider ideas to address concerns about the agreement.

Should the transaction go through, Microsoft has already agreed to 10-year deals to deliver Call of Duty to the platforms of Nvidia, Nintendo, Ukraine's Boosteroid, Japan's Ubitus, and Spain's Nware.