Entertainment
Microsoft expected to concede to Sony over Call Of Duty and Activision Blizzard buyout-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro
Call of Duty is staying multiformat for a long time (pic: Activision)
The Activision Blizzard acquisition has just got more likely, as another country okays the deal and EU demands concessions from Microsoft.
Big companies are always used to getting what they want, and they don’t come much bigger than Microsoft, so it always seemed a given that they’d be allowed to buy Activision Blizzard, despite monopoly investigators in the Europe and the US being more critical of the deal than expected.
The EU is expected to demand a number of concessions from Microsoft, before they’ll okay the acquisition, but Microsoft is reportedly attempting to beat them to the punch.
A new report suggests that Microsoft will make a formal commitment to Call Of Duty staying on PlayStation for the next 10 years, before the EU makes its list of demands in January.
Microsoft already made an informal offer to Sony, to guarantee that Call Of Duty would remain multiformat for 10 years, but it’s believed the new commitment would be legally binding.
Previously, Microsoft’s comments about Call Of Duty have all been very vague, with its initial promise of ‘several’ years seeming to only guarantee three.
The suggestion that they’ll formalise the 10-year offer comes from a new Reuters article, which implies that Microsoft may also make other minor concessions, to appease regulatory boards around the world.
‘Ultimately, such a move could secure an early clearance with the European Commission and subsequently be used by the parties before other antitrust agencies,’ claims Stephane Dionnet from law firm McDermott Will & Emery.
It’s not just the EU and UK which are dubious about the deal, as US regulators have also been surprisingly sceptic, with a recent report suggesting that the FTC could attempt to block the entire acquisition.
So far, the only countries to okay the buyout are Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia. The latter made their announcement this week and, like the other two countries, demanded no concessions from Microsoft.
Although usually the only reason a console manufacturer buys another publisher, and its games, is to make them exclusive but Microsoft has repeatedly stated that this is not its plan with Activision Blizzard – even though all new Bethesda games are currently scheduled only for Xbox and PC.
While being exclusive would make the Xbox brand more desirable, Microsoft would essentially be cutting off half, or more, of the game’s existing audience. For similar reasons Sony says it intends to keep Destiny 2 and future Bungie games multiformat.
Even the status of Call Of Duty on Game Pass is unclear, as while Microsoft has acknowledged the franchise will come to the service at some points, it claims it will be restricted at first – possibly to only older entries.
Will the deal ever go through? (pic: Microsoft)
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MORE : US government to block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition claims report
MORE : Microsoft downplays cloud gaming as ‘immature technology’ in Activision buyout investigation
MORE : Microsoft Activision deal receives approval in Brazil – UK and US still to decide
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For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
Call of Duty is staying multiformat for a long time (pic: Activision)
The Activision Blizzard acquisition has just got more likely, as another country okays the deal and EU demands concessions from Microsoft.
Big companies are always used to getting what they want, and they don’t come much bigger than Microsoft, so it always seemed a given that they’d be allowed to buy Activision Blizzard, despite monopoly investigators in the Europe and the US being more critical of the deal than expected.
The EU is expected to demand a number of concessions from Microsoft, before they’ll okay the acquisition, but Microsoft is reportedly attempting to beat them to the punch.
A new report suggests that Microsoft will make a formal commitment to Call Of Duty staying on PlayStation for the next 10 years, before the EU makes its list of demands in January.
Microsoft already made an informal offer to Sony, to guarantee that Call Of Duty would remain multiformat for 10 years, but it’s believed the new commitment would be legally binding.
Previously, Microsoft’s comments about Call Of Duty have all been very vague, with its initial promise of ‘several’ years seeming to only guarantee three.
The suggestion that they’ll formalise the 10-year offer comes from a new Reuters article, which implies that Microsoft may also make other minor concessions, to appease regulatory boards around the world.
‘Ultimately, such a move could secure an early clearance with the European Commission and subsequently be used by the parties before other antitrust agencies,’ claims Stephane Dionnet from law firm McDermott Will & Emery.
It’s not just the EU and UK which are dubious about the deal, as US regulators have also been surprisingly sceptic, with a recent report suggesting that the FTC could attempt to block the entire acquisition.
So far, the only countries to okay the buyout are Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia. The latter made their announcement this week and, like the other two countries, demanded no concessions from Microsoft.
Although usually the only reason a console manufacturer buys another publisher, and its games, is to make them exclusive but Microsoft has repeatedly stated that this is not its plan with Activision Blizzard – even though all new Bethesda games are currently scheduled only for Xbox and PC.
While being exclusive would make the Xbox brand more desirable, Microsoft would essentially be cutting off half, or more, of the game’s existing audience. For similar reasons Sony says it intends to keep Destiny 2 and future Bungie games multiformat.
Even the status of Call Of Duty on Game Pass is unclear, as while Microsoft has acknowledged the franchise will come to the service at some points, it claims it will be restricted at first – possibly to only older entries.
Will the deal ever go through? (pic: Microsoft)
The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.
MORE : US government to block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition claims report
MORE : Microsoft downplays cloud gaming as ‘immature technology’ in Activision buyout investigation
MORE : Microsoft Activision deal receives approval in Brazil – UK and US still to decide
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
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