Sony is playing a very relevant role in Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard King. Or, to speak more accurately, in the difficulties that Microsoft is experiencing in completing this operation. Although what happens in the end will be determined by the regulators who must give the green or red light to the purchase, they are taking into account Sony’s position, which has been clearly expressed against this finally happening.
It would be unfair not to understand the position of the Japanese multinational, and it is that we must remember that some of the most played titles on PlayStation, such as those of the Call of Duty franchise, have the signature of Activision-Blizzard, so the risk that some of them pass, over time, to be exclusive to Microsoft Xbox and PC poses a very serious threat to the competitiveness of your platform. We do not know, of course, the real effect that this circumstance would have on the sales of Sony consoles, but at least a priori we can assume that it would be appreciable.
Microsoft, however, has been committed pretty much from the beginning to not only uphold the existing contracts between Activision-Blizzard and Sony (which, by the way, is something that it is legally required to do), but to extend the reach of Microsoft games. the company beyond the dates already committed to today. Personally I think they are sincere on this point, but of course, that is just a personal assessment, and I understand that there are those who may think otherwise.
So, as regulators continue to grapple with a process they’ve been shown not to understand, and with both companies, Microsoft and Sony, attacking each other in a truly acrimonious matchup, we’ve now learned from PitchBook that Sony has acquired Ballistic Moon, a studio founded by former Supermassive Games employees and who worked on the development of Until Dawn, among other titles. Certainly we are not talking about a large study, but it does mean continuing to expand its already extensive portfolio in this regard.
We must remember that this is not the first acquisition carried out by Sony since Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard announced their plans, since just two weeks after that announcement, Sony began the purchase of Bungie, a process that ended (with the go-ahead). from all regulators and no interference from Microsoft) just six months later. And just like I was saying about Ballistic Moon, yes, Bungie is not a giant like Activision-Blizzard, but it does mean another acquisition by a company that is, and we must remember this, the leader in the video game console market.
Thus, while Sony tries to prevent Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard from coming to fruition, it is also engaged in acquiring studios, in a move that can also be considered part of a plan to monopolize the market, which is precisely what Microsoft is being accused of actively and passively. But of course, it seems unlikely that those from Redmond, in view of this new operation, will not consider responding by alluding, as they did some time ago, to the hypocrisy on the part of the Japanese multinational.
