Microsoft will have access to PlayStation’s third party exclusivity deals

 Microsoft will have access to internal Sony documents regarding the Activision Blizzard acquisition deal. An American judge has ruled that the company will have the option to take a look at the communications that PlayStation has maintained with regulators, and what is more important: they will be able to analyze details of the exclusivity agreements that Sony has made with publishers since 2019.

Sony, a staunch opponent of the Activision Blizzard purchase agreement, has tried by all means to convince regulating organisms that the operation is harmful to competitors. Now, Microsoft will be able to review the arguments and complaints that PlayStation has used to defend their arguments against the operation.

On the other hand, the European Commission will take longer than expected to reveal the results of its investigation. According to VGC, they have extended the deadline and there will be no decision until April 25.

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Call of Duty, the franchise of discord

The main reason why Sony has opposed the acquisition is the Call of Duty franchise, one of the most powerful brands in the video game industry. PlayStation doesn’t want Microsoft to take over, though Xbox has defended that it is not part of its plans to keep these games under exclusivity. The signed agreement with Nintendo and NVIDIA for Call of Duty is the same that was offered to Sony, a contract that legally ensures that the saga will be released on these platforms for at least a decade.

The agreement between Sony and Activision Blizzard will expire next year, as Microsoft Chairman Brad Smith revealed: “It ensures parity, I think everyone who looks at it will see that this is a better deal for Sony than the one they have right now with Activision Blizzard and which expires next year.”

Source | Eurogamer