What you need to know
- Microsoft is grappling with three major regulators over its offer to acquire Activision Blizzard.
- As part of the proceedings, Microsoft revealed that Sony had “signed up” deals for third-party games on the PlayStation.
- It seems that Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 16 and Silent Hill 2 Remake will never come to Xbox, despite the silence of the publishers on the matter.
- Microsoft has also listed Bloodborne as an example of a third-party-developed game banned from non-PlayStation platforms, which could mean that the much-demanded Windows PC port is also out of the question. Sony has been a little friendlier to PCs in recent years, so I’m keeping the hippie close to this one.
Drama rages around Activision’s Blizzard acquisition as Microsoft steps up its engagement with regulators.
yesterday, Microsoft has published its response to the US FTC regarding its lawsuit, distorting its peculiar position of wanting to protect the market leader with respect to consumers. Microsoft posted a similar response to the CMA in the UK a couple of months ago as well and apparently confirmed what many of us expected to be true.
when Remake of Final Fantasy VII It was announced and revealed as a timed exclusive, complete with a countdown timer for how long it will remain a PlayStation exclusive. This led many Xbox fans to expect that FF7R would eventually make its way to Microsoft’s console, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. It seems that Square Enix’s “timed exclusives” only affect the PC versions of their games, since FF7R is now available on Steam for Windows.
In case you missed it yourself (seen earlier Korea news)Microsoft confirmed this in a Reply to the UK regulator, alleging that Sony has entered into permanent exclusion agreements for games such as Bloodborne, Final Fantasy XVI and Silent Hill 2 remake.
In addition to having explicit exclusive content, Sony has also entered into agreements with third-party publishers that require Xbox to be “excluded” from the pool of platforms on which those publishers can distribute their games. Some notable examples of these conventions include Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix), Bloodborne (from Software), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), and the recently announced Silent Hill 2 Remastered (Team Bloober).
While there was some hope that Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 16 could finally come to Xbox, it looks like this oft-overlooked clip from October’s CMA file may put the final nail in the coffin. Silent Hill 2 launches on PC alongside PS5 with a 12-month exclusivity window, but the language here begs another question mark as to whether or not Silent Hill 2 will eventually come to Xbox.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a fantastic action RPG that reinvents the classic 90s JRPG, with infectious combat mechanics and dozens of hours of nostalgic exploration to engage in. Final Fantasy 16 is also looking quite stellar, and Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake will be a great project given the legendary status of the franchise. However, Xbox may get none of it, which strengthens Microsoft’s case for exclusive content.
Windows Central
Microsoft acknowledged in the same CMA briefing that proprietary strategies are not uncommon. Of course, Microsoft has been involved in similar deals in the past, though not as often recently. Games like Ryse and Sunset Overdrive from the Xbox One generation can be compared to Sony’s deal for Bloodborne, for example. Microsoft generally has not entered into agreements with third parties that completely preclude competing platforms from the privileges that previously existed on competing platforms. Rise of the Tomb Raider was briefly an Xbox exclusive and Microsoft has been confused in the wider gaming press For daring to accept such a deal – something Sony now does with impunity, no one criticizes.
At the end of the day, Sony is doing the right thing for its customers and shareholders, and Microsoft’s recognition that games like Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield will be entirely exclusive to Xbox reflects the importance of exclusive content. Regulators wouldn’t (or at least shouldn’t) argue that Netflix or Disney+ should exchange content for free. It would be great if all content was available on one platform for convenience, but if there is only one platform, who knows how much the prices will go up? Competition is what drives prices down, and competition is what inspires innovation in new features, higher quality, and new technologies.
To me, Sony’s exclusive deals are further proof that Microsoft should be allowed to take over Activision Blizzard. And sure, contracts can run out and deals can change over time, but for the foreseeable future at least, it looks like Xbox will be locked out of Final Fantasy and most likely Silent Hill 2 for the foreseeable future.
For Microsoft to compete with Nintendo and Sony, it needs more of those big franchises under its banner, and for consumers, bringing them into Xbox Game Pass is the kind of value only the competition can deliver. The regulators’ bizarre pandering to the status quo is literally hurting competition, something they should be cultivating.