“We haven’t reached an agreement with Sony yet, but I’m hopeful.”
Microsoft has secured a 10-year agreement with Nintendo to launch Call of Duty on Nintendo devices if the Xbox company’s bid to buy Activision Blizzard is successful. Yet, it looks that Microsoft and Sony are still at strife about a similar arrangement.
A transaction between the two corporations is “not near,” according to GI.biz sources. “We haven’t agreed [to] a deal with Sony,” Microsoft president Brad Smith stated this week at a meeting with authorities in Brussels, according to the site. Smith was said to have a piece of paper in his pocket with the conditions of the transaction to show that Microsoft is ready to negotiate a deal with Sony.
Sony can continue to spend time and resources trying to prevent the sale from happening, or it can come to the bargaining table and try to reach an agreement. That has not yet occurred, according to reports, though we may never know the kind or depth of discussions that take place behind closed doors, off the record, and through back channels.
Sony’s arrangement with Activision Blizzard for Call of Duty context exclusivity expires in 2024, according to Smith, however, Sony has yet to confirm on this assertion. Smith provided this potentially crucial tidbit in an interview without prompting, which might be for a variety of reasons. One possibility is that it will put public pressure on Sony to come to the table now that everyone is aware that Sony’s own Call of Duty relationship is coming to an end (according to Smith).
Smith claims Microsoft is proposing Sony a 10-year “legally enforceable” agreement for the Call of Duty series, the conditions of which he believes are better than Sony’s present agreement with Activision Blizzard.
“Therefore, when we release a new edition of Call of Duty on Xbox, it will also be accessible on Sony PlayStation on the same day, under the same conditions, and with the same features. It truly ensures equality. Everyone who has looked at this would agree that it is a better arrangement for Sony than the one they currently have with Activision Blizzard, which will expire next year “Smith stated.
In addition to its commitment to Nintendo, Microsoft has promised to bring Call of Duty on GeForce Now. Smith, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, PlayStation’s Jim Ryan, and other executives are meeting with authorities in Brussels this week to argue why Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard should or should not go through. Keep visiting GameSpot for the most up-to-date information.
