Microsoft has confirmed that it has offered Sony a deal that would secure Call of Duty on Sony's PlayStation for ten years. As Microsoft's acquisition of Activision is largely dependent on FTC approval, the fate of Call of Duty games on different platforms could soon rely on Microsoft. Sony has been vocal about the historically large acquisition, which could, according to them, create too much centralization.
Technology giant Microsoft is in the process of buying Activision Blizzard, which is the publisher of Call of Duty games among other leading video game franchises. The companies have already inked the deal, but it is awaiting approval from the Federal Trade Commission. FTC determines whether antitrust regulations would allow the acquisition, and the process is estimated to last far into 2023. Usually, when companies are not allowed to merge in this fashion, it is due to them creating some form of monopoly. This could happen when companies own so much of the specific marketplace that it hinders free markets.
Earlier reports suggested, that Microsoft had offered Sony a ten-year deal with Call of Duty. With this deal, Sony would secure first-day releases of future Call of Duty titles for another ten years. Now Microsoft president and vice chair, Brad Smith, has clarified Microsoft's position on the Call of Duty contract. According to Smith's opinion piece released in WSJ, Microsoft has indeed offered Sony the ten-year deal and would extend to other platforms too.
Sony and others don't even have to rely on Smith's word alone. According to him, Microsoft is ready to sign an actual deal that would make it a legally enforceable contract by regulators in the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union. However, this doesn't address the fact that Activision Blizzard has a lot more to offer than just Call of Duty. Even within Call of Duty, there could be Xbox-exclusive content, if the deal only includes a clause to release Xbox and PlayStation versions simultaneously.
The banter between Microsoft and Sony has run rife during the length of the acquisition. One can imagine that Sony can't afford to lose a massive game franchise like Call of Duty when competing for video game customers with Microsoft's Xbox. Once Microsoft has the keys to Activision's offices, it can even stop the release of PlayStation versions at will if contracts don't exist. While Smith's offer should bring solace to Sony's PlayStation, and other platforms, it doesn't mean that the acquisition wouldn't hurt PlayStation greatly in other ways. Smith's and Microsoft's argument on the other hand is that the acquisition would be good for gamers.
Source: WSJ