Responding To Sony's CoD Speculations, Microsoft Says Restricting Activision Blizzard Games To Xbox Would "Not Be Profitable"

In fact, Microsoft's strategy is to not "remove content from players."

Anthony Jones
By Anthony Jones, News Editor Posted:
Share:

Microsoft Response To Sony

Following last week's debacle on Sony speculating Microsoft's ABK acquisition would see Call of Duty players jump to Xbox, Microsoft has responded with a claim that restricting IPs to their console would "not be profitable." Microsoft's strategy is to not "remove content from players" and wants to expand Xbox Game Pass further.

According to the questions answered by Microsoft (via Resetera) from the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) in Brazil, we learned that the company went into detail explaining their ABK acquisition and Sony's speculations in July. Sony generally discussed the AAA ecosystem console and PC-side but soon was fixated on Call of Duty's success and Microsoft. With Microsoft set to acquire the publisher of the IP, Sony believed it could sway players to Xbox. Microsoft shut down that line of thinking in recent comments.

Microsoft doesn't seem to want to restrict Activision Blizzard games to Xbox since most of their games have thrived on multiple platforms and the move would tarnish their promised strategy. They believe Sony's speculations stem from them feeling "threatened," especially since Microsoft has introduced a lucrative Game Pass subscription service that's proving to be "more [effective] than the buy-to-play model." The service is disrupting Sony's "dominance in the market for digital distribution of console games," and whatever happens to Call of Duty is seemingly a make-or-break situation for their growth.

Microsoft continues by saying Sony's "exclusive arrangements" and concerns about the eventual exclusivity of Activision IPs are "incoherent," exposing the PlayStation owner for forging a "device-centric strategy and [focus] on exclusivity throughout [the] years." As you can probably tell, Microsoft and Sony have a real beef going on here, and it seems to focus on the Game Pass. Regardless of what happens with Call of Duty, it's clear that both companies are facing entirely different directions when it comes to future strategy.

Share:
Got a news tip? Contact us directly here!

About the Author

Anthony Jones
Anthony Jones, News Editor
Anthony Jones is a gaming journalist and late 90s kid in love with retro games and the evolution of modern gaming. He started at Mega Visions as a news reporter covering the latest announcements, rumors, and fan-made projects. FFXIV has his heart in the MMORPGs scene, but he's always excited to analyze and lose hours to ambitious and ambiguous MMOs that gamers follow.

Discussion (0)


Read Next

You Can Watch Neverwinter's Rothé Valley Epic Adventure And Battle Pass During Tomorrow's Dev Stream

You Can Watch Neverwinter's Rothé Valley Epic Adventure And Battle Pass During Tomorrow's Dev Stream

It'll be a casual playthrough stream and, of course, there are giveaways.

By Anthony Jones - 1 year ago

You May Enjoy

Huge War Thunder "Sons of Attila" Update Implements Roadmap Additions, New Vehicles, And More

Huge War Thunder "Sons of Attila" Update Implements Roadmap Additions, New Vehicles, And More

There's a lot of new and shiny in War Thunder.

By Troy Blackburn - 3 days ago
Knightfall, The New Medieval Season For Conqueror's Blade, Is Now Live

Knightfall, The New Medieval Season For Conqueror's Blade, Is Now Live

This free update invites players to join the Brotherhood.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week ago
Marvel's Avengers End Of Support Date Nears, Bidding Farewell With 90% Discount

Marvel's Avengers End Of Support Date Nears, Bidding Farewell With 90% Discount

After delisting, the game will still be accessible for solo and multiplayer play.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 4 days ago
World of Warships Celebrates 8th Anniversary In September Update With Big Game Improvements

World of Warships Celebrates 8th Anniversary In September Update With Big Game Improvements

There's plenty of new content too.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week ago
Ubisoft Montreal Implements New Partial Return-To-The-Office Policy For Employees

Ubisoft Montreal Implements New Partial Return-To-The-Office Policy For Employees

This decision contradicts the company's earlier stance, when it expressed a desire for a hybrid working model.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 5 days ago
It's Finally Official: The Next Sims Game Will Be Free-To-Play

It's Finally Official: The Next Sims Game Will Be Free-To-Play

Sims 4 will still get love.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week ago