The controversy surrounding the Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard keep bringing tail. After offering Sony to share call of duty for three years and that the company of Japanese origin rejected it, the Redmond giant has extended its offer to ten years. Sony seems to have given no response at the moment, but it is clear that it is an attempt by Microsoft to prevent further maneuvering against the purchase operation and to please the regulators who have launched investigations.
In case of accepting Sony, Call of Duty would appear on Windows (PC), Xbox and PlayStation for the next ten years, which at first does not sound bad, but we will see what the company decides in the end. Phil Spencer, executive director of Microsoft Gaming, once again addressed the concern about the possible duration of the hypothetical agreement with Sony for the latter to receive the titles of the Call of Duty saga. In an interview with The Verge, Spencer said that there is no problem in reaching “a longer-term commitment” with which regulators “feel comfortable”.
Microsoft promised them happiness and had dealt a heavy blow to Sony after announcing the purchase of Activision-Blizzard. Although Call of Duty is in the spotlight, PlayStation, Nintendo, and macOS may stop receiving releases of major intellectual properties such as Overwatch, Diablo, and titles from the Warcraft universe..
On the other hand, when one colossus absorbs another colossus, it is very likely that alarm bells will go off in the antitrust agencies, and now Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard have responded or are responding, at least, to Brazil, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded in its Phase 1 investigation that the transaction may result “in a substantial lessening of competition within one or more markets in the UK.”. Another detail to take into account is that the British authority was the first to put nails in the coffin to NVIDIA’s attempts to take over ARM.
If Microsoft has expanded its offer to share Call of Duty with Sony, it is possible that the Redmond giant is aware that its Activision-Blizzard purchase operation could go awry, but it is important to remain cautious until there are definitive opinions from the major regulators who are investigating.
