Sony does not rest in its attempt to stop the purchase of Activision by Microsoft. However, the Japanese are backfiring. And it is that authorities and regulatory bodies are increasingly showing more interest in knowing the moves of said company in the video game industry.
Of course, no authority can proceed against Microsoft without first knowing Sony’s competitive strategy, and this is where the owner of PlayStation could be exposed. In the United States, for example, a senator asked Sony to disclose all its exclusivity agreements with third-party companies. That is, those that limit the availability of certain games third party to the consoles of your brand.
This is the Republican senator from North Dakota, Kevin Cramerwho recently said he sent a letter to Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida to get the information.
“I am writing to express my concern about Sony’s efforts to protect its video game console business from competition. For more than 20 years, Sony has completely dominated the console market, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission. I am concerned that Sony’s dominance of that market and its efforts to perpetuate its current position jeopardize a significant economic development opportunity for North Dakota.”
Kevin Cramer.
The senator also wants to know how Sony was given the green light to buy Bungie
The document, sent on April 13, requests to share “all agreements that grant Sony an exclusive right to distribute a game developed by an independent publisher,” they collect in Axios. If the company agrees – or is forced soon -, it would have to disclose the contracts for games as final fantasy 16 or the remake of Silent Hill 2to mention just a couple of cases.
The same way, intends to know what Sony’s agreements are to prevent some games from not reaching Xbox Game Pass. Lastly, you want to know more details about buying from Bungie. Specifically, all the information sent to the regulators to receive their approval. It is clear that the senator does not trust the process that allowed PlayStation to seize the assets of the creators of Halo.
A curious point in this matter is that Yoshida, and in general the management leadership of Sony in Japan, has remained on the sidelines of the onslaught against the acquisition of Activision. Be careful, the above does not mean that they do not intend to stop it, but that it is other managers who show their faces. The most visible case is that of Jim Ryan, director of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Therefore, it is interesting that the senator has decided to skip Sony’s video game division to contact the head of the company. Will there be a response from Yoshida? The truth is that they will hardly share information voluntarily. However, with a legal order they will not be able to oppose.
The authorities, initially, listened to all the complaints and demands of Sony, which is why the purchase of Activision went through a stage of uncertainty. However, it is clear that regulators have realized that Sony is not exactly an example of healthy competition. Their crusade to prevent the takeover could backfire…