PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has responded to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer saying his company would go above and beyond industry standards and keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for years to come if the Xbox company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through. Ryan told GI.biz that Microsoft offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for specifically three years after the existing deal between Activision and Sony finishes. Ryan said this was “inadequate on many levels.”
Ryan said he wasn’t going to comment on any of this because it was a “private business discussion,” but he elected to speak out and “set the record straight” because Spencer spoke first.
“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends,” Ryan said. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”
For his part, Spencer said Microsoft’s offer to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for what Ryan now said was a period of three years goes “well beyond typical gaming industry agreements.” He added that Call of Duty releases on PlayStation will have “feature and content parity” with the Xbox versions, too.
We don’t know, however, what the duration of the previously agreed-upon deal between Sony and Activision for Call of Duty was. But whatever that is, it’ll be extended by three years, apparently, but what happens after that is unclear.
Call of Duty is getting a lot of attention in the ongoing back-and-forth between Microsoft and Sony concerning Microsoft’s proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard. For its part, Sony believes the Call of Duty franchise is so big that it represents “a gaming category on its own,” though Microsoft doesn’t exactly see it that way.
According to a report, the next three Call of Duty games will be released on PlayStation, but what happens after that is anyone’s guess. The next Call of Duty game is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, which releases in October. Sony’s exclusivity deal with Activision remains in place this year, which is why PlayStation users are getting a first crack at the beta, which starts on September 16.
In May, Ryan made headlines when it came to light that he sent an email to employees urging them to “respect differences of opinion” on abortion rights before writing, at length, about his two cats’ first birthday party.
As for Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision Blizzard, the proposal has been approved by both companies, and now regulatory bodies around the world are deciding whether or not to let it happen. New Zealand will be among the next countries to weigh in, with a decision due by September 9.
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