The soap opera between Microsoft and Sony regarding the presence of Call of Duty on their consoles seems to have come to an end. In a recent podcast interview Same BrainPhil Spencer, head of the Xbox division, not only confirmed that the game will continue to be available for PlayStation, but also that Call of Dutty will be compatible with the device for as long as the console exists.
The announcement that the franchise will continue to run forever on Sony’s console is a novelty that puts an end to the dispute between the two companies over whether or not to continue Call of Duty on PlayStation.
The confusion on the matter started in January of this year, when the Microsoft announced it was in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, publisher of the game. Since then, Sony has been concerned about the matter and the possibility that Microsoft would demand exclusivity for the franchise in the market.
At first, the suspicion was dismissed by Phil Spencer, who claimed that Microsoft had no such intention and intended to keep the game on PlayStationincluding releasing their new versions the same day they were released elsewhere.
A short time later, however, it became public that Microsoft had made an offer to Sony, in which it proposed to keep the game on the console for just three more years, counting from the current agreement – which would extend the presence of Call od Duty on PlayStation only until 2027.
Considered “inadequate”, the offer was disclosed to the press by Jim Ryan, CEO of PlayStation, who said he had decided to make the matter public after Phil Spencer had told about an attempt to deal with the The Vergewithout, however, specifying how many years were in the contract.
Although the companies have not publicly disclosed how or when they reached a verdict, it seems the old offer really didn’t go ahead and Microsoft ended up giving in to Sony’s desire to keep the game for life on its console.
Which, of course, is good news for fans of the game, who will be able to enjoy it without restrictions on functionality or time on PlayStation.
UK still hasn’t approved Microsoft’s purchase
Although officially nothing has been said on the matter, one can imagine that one of the main stimuli for Microsoft to have resolved its disputes with Sony was its current situation with the Competition and Markets Authority of England (CMA).
Unlike Brazil, where Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard was accepted without restrictions by the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), in the United Kingdom, the responsible body was not very happy with the situation.
According to the CMA, they are concerned that this type of transaction could harm competing companies and the market as a whole, which led them to take Microsoft’s request to a second instance, where it will be better analyzed.
The verdict on the decision is projected to come out in March 2023, but until then, Microsoft still faces a pronouncement from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). despite the entity has not reported specific concerns on the matterit could also raise questions similar to the UK body and be a thorn in the side of the Microsoft transaction.
With information: Ars Technica
https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/2022/10/31/phil-spencer-reconsidera-e-mantem-call-of-duty-de-maneira-vitalicia-no-playstation/