With a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II that managed to generate more than a billion dollars in revenue in just ten days, it is logical that Microsoft should redouble its efforts to convince Sony Interactive Entertainment that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard will in no way penalize PlayStation consoles. Moreover, Phil Spencer had the opportunity to speak on the subject on the occasion of the podcast Decoder of The Verge. "The idea that we should write in black and white the mention 'forever' as part of a contract [to guarantee the release of the next Call of Duty on PlayStation, ndlr] is a bit stupid, confided the boss of the Xbox branch. On the other hand, I have no problem putting in place a long-term commitment that is acceptable to both Sony Interactive Entertainment and the competition authorities."
Before adding: "We simply believe that Call of Duty will continue to be available on PlayStation for as long as players want it. It's not a competitive threat to Sony, it's just 'a pragmatic view of things. Naturally, it was indicated to Phil Spencer that Microsoft could very well impose a Cloud version of Call of Duty, which would require PlayStation users to go through the services of the American manufacturer (the Xbox Game Pass, for example). A thesis refuted by the guy who immediately clarified that it would indeed be a native version. "Afterwards, if it's something they want, we can very well do it as is already the case on our consoles, he underlined. There is no wolf."
Last week, in view of the elements in its possession, the European Commission took the decision to carry out more in-depth investigations into the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. It will deliver its verdict no later than March 23, 2023.
