Microsoft Isn't Currently Talking To Sony About The Call Of Duty Deal

Considering how Sony has behaved in recent weeks, they don't deserve a deal. They have shown their greediest and ugliest face. I hope more people than me leave Sony now.

It makes no sense to try make a deal with sony right now. They don't want one. Microsofr should sign this agreement with wherever other companies that are willing to do and leave sony behind.

@Joabra01Swe that is the big shame of it all. Sony don’t deserve the deal, but Playstation gamers do.

@Kaloudz

Said this elsewhere but I reckon the FTC will fold to a yes, the EC are reportedly going to say yes, which just leaves the CMA

If the EC approves the deal, big If by the way than the guarantees and concessions made by Microsoft to EC will pretty much be satisfactory to the CMA too. I just can not see a scenario were the EC will approves and CMA do not.

Still, this deal is far from a foregone conclusion , a healthy dose of realism is needed until it becomes officiall 😉.

This is the point I was making yesterday on another article. Sony have refused the deal so they shouldn't get one if the Merger is approved.

Sony don't want a deal and just want to block the merger but think it's ok to keep on making deals with Square Enix and keeping Final Fantasy games off Xbox further jeopardizing their stance in the Japanese market.

Microsoft won't look bad if they tell Sony that the deal is off the table once the merger goes through. They would be playing the same game Sony have been playing this gen.

Mr. Smith said the companies haven’t reached a formal agreement and aren’t currently in discussions

And its rather obvious they won't any time soon. Sony has zero incentive to agree to the deal since they know a 10 year binding agreement for COD PlayStation is there regardless of their position.

They need to get off that "exclusive" high horse and make some FPS games instead of the saturated 3rd person cinematic RPG games.

@Kaloudz

Yeah I did read the reports mate and I still stand by my assertion that its a very unlikely scenario for the CMA to oppose the deal if Microsoft can assuage the concerns of EC and it gets approved(this is of paramount importance by the way ).
They will basically have to prove that the EC was mistaken in their decision.. It will not be an easy task and Microsoft will likely know that too.

Sony that’s too bad. Bet they would be doing their best to share games around and not hold on to any licenses.

@themightyant I’ll always have a bit of a soft spot for Patcher from the Gametrailers days…but yeah, he’s like the David Haye of gaming (presumably without the 3somes…). Any decisions he tips his hat to…expect the opposite.

I think at this point the only thing that could turn Sonys head on this is the promise of cod either not being on GP day 1, or being on their subs also.
But I think it’s finally clear to everyone now that this hasn’t really been about cod from the start.

The moment these deals expire Xbox will utilise the CoD franchise however they need to. Game Pass and multi-platform one year, not Game Pass and exclusive the next - if business deems it the right move.

Jim Ryan might just cost Sony any COD games going forward.

@themightyant tbf to him he has somewhat of a point with ‘Sony pioneered exclusive content’ in that Sony has been buying exclusive additional content for 3rd party games regularly since the ps3 generation…loads of games had additional exclusive content on disc on ps3…more so on ps4, and now has become the norm on ps5/4…to the point I can’t even think of one 3rd party game they’ve had marketing rights for that hasn’t offered additional content for the same purchase price being asked of other platforms. So that’s pretty pioneering to create such a standard.

To my knowledge call of duty was always the same game and contents day 1 on PlayStation when xbox had marketing rights. Xbox benefitted from having timed exclusive maps etc…I can’t recall them ever being as aggressive as Sony is with their timed exclusivity either - locking away gameplay modes for a year etc.

GTA 4 dlc…well dlc in general are additions to the base game at an additional cost. GTA dlc costs MS millions to secure timed exclusivity over…it’s also something that came years after Sony was already setting their standard with 3rd party exclusive content deals. And GTA 4 itself even coming to xbox cost MS aload of money to secure as it was all set to be a PlayStation timed exclusivity deal again.

Hope Sony gets nothing for acting like a spoiled child throwing several months long temper tantrum.

@themightyant revolution for black ops 2 was also apparently timed exclusive to the 360.
But I know they stupidly gave away the marketing rights - been paying for it ever since

Sony are like a crying baby throwing a tantrum

The deal is what it is. The Xbox/PC/Mobile focus is clear. Switch will get COD native who knows how long before cloud though but if they can do it like they did the Wii limit a few things but make it possible by all means and Nintendo is interested. Sony I get their reasons but it is getting annoying hearing about it for the DLC/ad rights and Gamepass. I do think the 'updates and this and that' is just hilarious. Could Microsoft yes, will they. I mean Minecraft, Psychonauts and more haven't been updateless when made available on the platforms whether Switch even for Minecraft or others on PS/Nintendo platforms. I mean Skyrim Anniversary Edition could have not come out on either platform and just Xbox but it didn't.

Sure we don't have Skyrim VR on PSVR2, Doom VFR/Doom 3 VR or Fallout 4 VR on PSVR2 let alone likely others moving up any time soon I assume. Or a Bethesda VR games at all likely (probably is something cooking for PC VR but I haven't looked into them or their too busy with other projects which is likely or don't need a port studio for VR, maybe).

If were the Japanese market then Sega/Bandai Namco do support the Xbox somewhat but other big Japanese publishers not sure. Capcom does it's major IPs anyway if they have smaller games I'm unaware of them and most likely they go to Switch/PS anyway like MW Stories. Konami do their bit I think I forget what and if they do on Xbox anymore. No idea if their batball game or Yu Gi Oh games are on Xbox. AAs don't (GalGun Return blocked and the original was on 360) because they know they are going to stick with places they can for a Japanese audience console like Switch/PS but also Switch more because of Sony's policies.

Not all releases but a fair amount (Valkyria Chronicles 4, Yakuza mostly, Sonic, probably others but their the ones I think of most coming to Xbox One) and Namco has a fair amount with their JRPGs, anime games and certain others.

Family friendly first parties are always interesting but we don't see them as both Sony/Xbox both kind of lessened that over time with IPs to have mostly teen/adult ones which is fine but also the genres/design of many of that effects that too and I don't even up playing their third parties because of the design/genres they are. I get teen/adult audience is a good focus but at the same time some third party kids games kind of suck, many third parties are good though by veterans in certain genres or new Indie start ups that aren't veterans and otherwise first party eh I mean I can play the third parties anywhere unless I see a copy easily for an Xbox I never need to pick them up.