Sony CEO Says Quiet Part Out Loud: Just Wants To Block Microsoft And Activision Merger
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For many months now, Sony has been fighting against the proposed Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, helped in part by the regulatory authorities of the Federal Trade Commission [FTC] and the Competition and Markets Authority [CMA] scrutinising said deal. Now, it seems Sony has outright stated the one thing it wants.
A tweet by Activision-Blizzard’s EVP, Corporate Affairs, and CCO, Lulu Cheng Meservey, gives an interesting bit of info. During the meeting in Brussels between all involved parties and the CMA, the question of Call of Duty arose. Deals have been made to guarantee that the franchise would remain on Sony consoles, though Sony keeps refusing.
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The reasonings have become flimsier as the months have progressed. The latest suggested that Microsoft could release buggy versions of the franchise exclusively for Sony consoles to deter gamers from what has been stated as the go-to venue for Call of Duty gamers. But now, Meservey claims that Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan stated the real reason for blocking the merger during that Brussels meeting.
“I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger.”
It’s about as direct as you could get. Microsoft has been cooperating with the regulatory authorities to work through solutions that would make everyone happy. A ten-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo systems – where the franchise hasn’t been seen since 2013’s Ghosts – was accepted. Sony, meanwhile, the dominant leader in the video game market, has refused such deals. They have their reasons, but whether they’d be as direct in saying why seems unlikely. The only thing clear from this is that Sony wants to defend its market leader status, and this merger has given them a golden opportunity to stop growth to the competition.
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Source: Twitter
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