According to the latest reports, Microsoft claims to license Activision Blizzard’s “Call of Duty” (CoD) to Sony for 10 years. A document released by the regulator has revealed that this move was made to allay all concerns raised by Britain about acquiring the game’s maker for $69 billion.
Sony licenses Call Of Duty for years to come
The point worth noting is that Microsoft also closed a similar deal last month with Nvidia Corp’s (NVDA.O) gaming platform. Microsoft president Brad Smith even hopes that rival Sony, which strongly opposed the acquisition, will consider making a similar deal.
In February, Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the deal could weaken the rivalry between Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation and even stifle competition in cloud gaming. In addition, it was suggested that structural solutions might be needed to address the concerns, along with the divestment of the business related to the highly anticipated Call of Duty.
In response, Sony stated that the package of remedies it would have offered would protect all CoD players in Britain and even provide substantial benefits to consumers and developers. Microsoft stated:
“Microsoft is proposing a package of licensing measures that (i) ensure parity between the PlayStation and Xbox platforms with respect to CoD and (ii) ensure wide availability of CoD and other Activision titles on cloud gaming services,”
The point worth noting here, however, is that Sony rejected Microsoft’s proposals, stating that the only way to maintain competition in consoles and cloud gaming was to block the deal or subject it to a structural remedy, for example by giving Microsoft CoD. let it sell. Reports claim that Microsoft will gain EU antitrust clearance with its offering of licensing deals to rivals, which will help it clear a major hurdle. The CMA is expected to rule on the deal on April 22.
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