As long as regulators do not approve Microsoft’s purchase of Activision, there will continue to be conversation and debate surrounding the future of Call of Duty. Now, it seems that Microsoft has had enough with the subject and, now, they have come out to pronounce forcefully on what they plan to do with said franchise. Assuming, of course, that the acquisition is approved in the next few months.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal that recovered tom warren (TheVerge), Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation consoles for one simple reason. His idea contemplates managing the popular First Person Shooter the same way they do with Minecraft. That is, keep it available on all platforms. Not only the main title, but also spin-offs like Minecraft: Dungeons Y Minecraft Legends.
In fact, Phil Spencer said that his desire is not only to conserve Call of Duty on the platforms where it is currently present, but rather make the leap to others. Specifically, at switch. It is well known that many hybrid console gamers want to enjoy Call of Duty, but Activision has shown no interest in making it a reality. Under the Microsoft umbrella, however, that will change. It is clear that those led by Spencer and Satya Nadella they want to conquer mobile devices at all costs:
“Call of Duty, specifically, will be available on PlayStation. I would love to see it on Switch, I would love to see the game on different screens. Our intention is to treat Call of Duty What Minecraft. This opportunity is really about mobile devices. When you think of 3 billion people playing video games, there are only about 200 million on consoles.”
phil spencer
Sony will hardly be satisfied with this promise
Is this statement enough to reassure Sony? Not at all. The Japanese company is not only concerned about the possible exclusivity of Call of Duty with Xbox and PC; also the availability of it on Xbox Game Pass. Naturally, this move could alienate the gaming community from PlayStationbecause on the rival platform they would only have to pay a monthly amount to access any new release of the franchise.
Therefore, Sony is unlikely to be satisfied with Phil Spencer’s statement. The big question that arises now is: Will Microsoft be able to convince regulators with this position? We’ll see. What is a fact is that organizations from various regions, mainly in Europe, they have been very strict while analyzing the purchase proposal.
In recent weeks, the European Union sent a questionnaire to video game developers and distributors to find out how the purchase of Activision could harm them. The UK CMA, for its part, even wants to hear the opinion of the players. Risking, of course, to collect comments that lack objectivity.