The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK has released a new report on Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The report reveals that Sony Interactive Entertainment believes if the deal were to go through it would cause Call of Duty players to switch from PlayStation to Xbox even if the series were to remain multiplatform.

"SIE told the CMA that, even if CoD games remained available on PlayStation following the Merger, the Merged Entity would still be able to engage in partial foreclosure by increasing the differentiation between the versions of CoD available on Xbox and on PlayStation," reads the document.

Sony says Call of Duty on Xbox would end up getting extra content and enhancements compared to the PlayStation version. However, it should be noted Sony's current deal with Activision Blizzard that has been in place for nearly a decade means the PlayStation versions do get exclusive content. Microsoft during the Xbox 360 era had paid for exclusive Call of Duty marketing and content.

"According to SIE, gamers may expect that CoD on Xbox will include extra content and enhanced interoperability with the console hardware, in addition to any benefits from membership in XGP." the report added. "SIE submitted that these factors are likely to influence gamers’ choice of console."

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently stated Microsoft signed an agreement to Sony in a written letter sent to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan in January. The agreement is that Microsoft will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles for "several more years" beyond the current Sony deal. 

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo  was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own  YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

As long as the game is on your platform you shouldn't complaint imo. Besides some gamers switching over isn't the end of the world.

Sony comes off pettier and pettier as this goes on. I mean look at this, whining about something they’ve engaged in themselves for generations, only they do it from a position of market leader.

I agree. What about all the third party games that sony have paid off to never appear on xbox. Sounds like they are getting greedy

The CMA, in this same report, drags Nintendo through the dirt by claiming they're not a real competitor, and that Nintendo competes with fitness and non-gaming apps xD like WTF?!? Yeah, it's not as if Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of, if not the most, highly anticipated games next year, or that the Switch is on its way to being the best-selling console of all time. I'm not going to pay any attention to what the CMA says going forward.

They are not entirely wrong though. This deal has little effect on Nintendo as their products are massively different from PlayStation and Xbox. The Switch probably has more competition from mobile/pc than either PS5 or Xbox. Doesn't mean that their games are not great.

The fact they straight said Nintendo has Wii Fit, told me everything I need to know about their position and the one party they're actually listening to. They're not in 2022, that's for sure. I hope Nintendo gets pissed and releases a statement lol

I doubt they will release a statement, but they might send a few of their famous ninjas to deliver a message.

Lol, so glad someone pointed out the Wii Fit comment. Felt like I got transported to 2007 or something when I read them talking about that.

Nintendo ever since Wii said it themselves that they aren't competing with MS and Sony anymore.

It is partially true that Nintendo isn't in direct competition with the other 2 any longer, but it sounds like they reached that conclusion for all the wrong reasons.

Read the article again, wii fit was an example of how different their games are. And once Zelda became an open world game, it success became greater. And they didn’t said anything that’s is wrong.

That's a terrible defense though. They're not taking into consideration Nintendo at its current state in 2022. The only games Nintendo has made like that in the Switch generation is Labo, Switch Sports, and Ring Fit Adventure. All other games have been just regular games. The CMA is not with the times. I even made a thread that Nintendo has published 55 games that have sold over 1 million units in the Switch generation.

Nintendo only isn't competition when they are doing well I remember when the GameCube and Wii u got "destroyed" by the PS2 and ps4, and people were saying Nintendo needs to go 3rd party (mostly off this site but still) Wii, ds, 3ds and switch do well: "oh, Nintendo "don't count"

Nintendo is in the king's seat in this whole quarrel, they are not in direct competition because they are in another league pure and simple. Their games appeal to millions of players and this all by themselves, no need for COD or anything.

Honestly I think it's ok for the article to say that Nintendo is not a real competitor against Sony & Microsoft. While yes they do inevitably compete in some cases since of course they all create game consoles competing for appeal, Nintendo doesn't really directly compete close enough to be involved in this discussion like Sony & Microsoft. The Switch is of course killing it in sales but that doesn't mean that its eating up Sony & Microsoft's market share much at all since PS & Xbox sales have remained the same even when the Switch released, that's cause the Switch is so different that it can't replace a PS or Xbox, but it's different enough for people to buy it in droves for a new experience they can't get anywhere else. Now when the article mentioned "Wii Fit" in 2022 as if Nintendo is still actively supporting it made me cringe. Like damn how could you be investigating a case between two major video game companies and not even be aware how Wii Fit been dead for 15 years now.

Showing signs of weakness and a reliance on 1 IP. That PS CoD exclusion deal must be huge

When it is three games it is as strong as a house right?

MS for 2 or 3 gens was Forza, Halo and Gears, so 3 games was what they relied (and isn't CoD yearly sales like combination of those 3 on individual entries?)

Xbox relying on their own games is different to PS relying on 3rd party.

And here I thought Sony released their own games, must be an allucination.

Based on Jim Ryans reasonings, it sounds like they cannot suvive without CoD. Sounds like they need it to remain market leader while handicapping over versions. Funny to think that when the 360 had the CoD deals, the 360 was a more successful console over the PS3.

And based on Phil Spencer CoD is a common game that there is plenty equal or better on the market and that they don't even need it. Each CEO is making the most extreme claims to try to force to one side. But you was by your own when saying they depend on a single game. And guess what, MS is putting 70B exactly to put that game on GP (or so they say), so I guess they are the one that need it to compete right?

You know that $70b is for a bunch of companies and a plethora of IPs. Its not just for CoD. Sony are the ones bringing up CoD and trying to block the deal. MS are wanting the entire slice. If its only CoD they want, than why dont they just ask to buy that IP and not the entire brand. .

Yes sure, half of the company was basically only supporting CoD, the other half is half WoW and half other games. So let's pretend CoD on GP wasn't the biggest reason for MS to buy it. Bringing it to discussion on Sony end, wasn't MS complaining about not being able to add it to GP without buying ABK?

Dude.. ever heard of King Soft and Blizzard? They are also money mountains. Sure CoD is all part of the deal. Look closely, Sony have to buy exclusive rights to CoD for the past decade, why cant they compete without having these deals? Also Sony is paying to keep games of GP. Its as clear as day that Sony doesnt want competition. If Sony are great than they will make there own Counter to CoD just like Xbox has Halo etc.

Sony: Microsoft's acquiring actibliz will hurt our sales and it's anti competitive Also Sony: we plan to ship 30 million ps5's next year, also pay to keep ff7 remake and 16 off Xbox kthx

Obviously no one could possibly ever find one deal made by Sony that was "to influence gamers’ choice of console."

Cool, wish these companies would just make more games instead of spending all this money on buying games companies or even talking. They should all shutup.

Keep crying Jim Ryan. Prick.

This seems like a pretty obvious outcome. Regardless of whether it stays on PS or not, a number of people ultimately will switch for one or more of 3 reasons:

So its okay for PS to have CoD audience but not Xbox? I dont get the arguments. If you have a good console, a good ecosystem and good games to keep that audience attached.. than they wont leave right?

So what? Players switch consoles all the time for all kinds of reasons.

I find it very absurd that the CMA is siding with Sony blatantly. I'm sure MS would not let this slide and sue to death the CMA and I'm certain they're going to win. Heads will roll.

I can see this making sense if say.....even though CoD is still on Playstation but MS decides to delay any CoD DLC content on Playstation for like a year and let it release first to Xbox players etc.. I remember when Xbox360 had DLC exclusivity and early access for CoD before PS3 did and that strengthened Xbox360 a lot. But if MS is being nice and equally putting CoD and DLC on both consoles then Sony shouldn't have to worry.

So its okay if Sony do that exact same thing? Delaying content, content exclusively, betas etc all first on PS?

Tencent should buy Sony. That's the only way they'll shut up.

I think the bigger threat is not COD but MSFT stripping the other games from PS at the next round of console releases. COD as a paid for game is a declining franchise - the future for COD is Warzone and that will clearly always be multiplayer because there is simply too much money to make from that. The SP/MP game whilst great isn't the same as what it was a few years ago. Knowing that some games will eventually never appear on consoles outside of xbox is a bigger threat. This will impact the next generation of consoles.

I mean yeah it's extremely unfounded, but at the end of the day Sony is a business. Can't really blame them for trying to keep their place in the market. Not saying you have to agree, but honestly, what do you expect? Do you expect Sony to say "yeah this acquisition is great, go buy an Xbox everybody" while clapping loudly? Honestly, why is fanboyism always countered with more fanboyism? I just hope the deal doesn't change the landscape of gaming for the worse. I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm not a fan of the primarily streaming future Xbox is seemingly pushing.

That's what's going to happen coz everybody gonna be buying game pass just to have free call of duty

It is likely that several would change system do to it being on GP, but that really isn't a claim to cry about. Regarding the perks of version that is something that have been in place since Xbox had the deal in X360 days.

I like how Microsoft is shit talking cma, that will help

CMA won’t win Court if if goes that far and everyone knows it, not approving the deal means that they have to sue to stop it

Doubtful the ARM buyout was also deemed unstoppable and that deal was smaller than this deal.

You cant even compare the Arm deal to this. Its not the same thing at all.

Something that's been multiplat for over a decade should remain so. When they say they care about gamers, they're full of it.

Sony's had deals with Activision to give preferential CoD content on PS since the PS4. But only now is that potentially a problem (if Microsoft buys Activision and does the same to them in return)? Sony's argument is hypocritical. And Microsoft has said up and down, left and right, that CoD will remain multiplat. And I believe them, let Sony fans pay $70+ for CoD while Xbox and PC gamers get it as part of their Game Pass subscriptions.

I made the same arguement last year why microsft would keep exclusives on playstation, and no one believed me then. Anyways, it doesn't help that spence wrote a letter to ryan to extend the deal by a few years. He could have put in some more effort if he has no intentions of ever removing it from playstion. Still it's a crappy move by them. I'm a fan of compainies creating new games, not taking them away from gamers. Look at microsofts's mission. They want to pretty much put every blockbuster they can get there hannds on on gamepass and get everyone on board. They know sony can't compete with that business model as of yet, so they are hoping sony crumbles. They know Sony will have to eventually compete with gamepass, but there can only be one winner . It would be fair competition if both companies had a gamepass , but when you have only one out there.n and buying out major titles that were multiplat, this isn,'t competition. If sony does offer an alternative and grows, then you'll see microsoft locking out all those exclusives.

Sony does have a streaming service, and has had it longer than Microsoft has had. And they've merged it with PS+, which last I checked had more subscribers than Game Pass does. Game Pass' killer app is day-1 releases, and Sony hasn't chosen to seriously compete in that vein, but that's a choice on Sony's part rather than an inability for Sony to do that.

Sony doesn't have the same cash as microsoft, and if they were to go the same route as gamepass, you will see less first party exclusives.

For sure. There are good reasons for Sony making that choice, but it's a choice all the same.

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