“We offered Sony a 10-year contract so that every new Call of Duty is available on PlayStation the same day as Xbox,” Smith says. “We are open to offering the same commitment to other platforms and for it to be legally enforceable by regulators in the US, UK and EU.”
Over time, Microsoft’s position on the presence of Call of Duty on the PlayStation has changed. At first the company was ambiguous and only promised to respect the signed agreements. But when regulators opened investigations into the Activision Blizzard purchase, they started talking about more generous contracts. Phil Spencer, president of Microsoft Gaming, went so far as to say that they would keep Call of Duty on Sony consoles as long as the PlayStation existed. Eventually, eternity became 10 years.
Sony hasn’t publicly commented on this deal for a decade, but the rest of the deals Microsoft has come up with have been called insufficient. The Japanese company is practically the only one in the video game sector that opposes the purchase of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. For Sony, the Call of Duty saga is too important and has let the regulators know. If he now refuses what he is offered and the takeover is completed, PlayStation could exit Call of Duty in a few years.
Regarding Smith’s comments in the context of the Activision Blizzard purchase, the executive fires Sony, saying the Japanese company “is as excited about this deal as Blockbuster was about the rise of Netflix.” he may be inclined to accept the acquisition deal, but with some concessions. This sale appears to be a contract to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for ten years.
