The ongoing case for Microsoft’s Activision purchase has been a hot topic over the past few months, most notably since the regulators continue to raise concerns. But it’s not just regulators, as rivals have also been increasingly vocal against the pending deal with the likes of Sony pointing to Microsoft’s potential monopolistic situation with theCall of Dutyfranchise. In an effort to raise confidence within the industry,Microsoft signed 10-year deals with Nvidiaalong with Nintendo, where the tech giant will expand its library of games to the respective platforms. However, a more recent update suggests that Microsoft has extended its efforts to offline mediums as well.
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The full-page ads come shortly after Sony publicly raised concerns over thefuture ofCall of Duty’s quality on PlayStationshould Microsoft purchase Activision. Sony alleges that the Xbox maker could actively sabotage future entries on PlayStation and degrade the quality of the games. Citing a hypothetical situation, the company further states that this could come in the form of bugs and glitches in the final level of a game that players would only come across well past the initial launch phase.
While technically possible, it’s unlikely Microsoft would consciously sabotage a massive live-service franchise likeCall of Duty, as the move would undoubtedly generate more backlash for the company than anything else. Either way, it would be interesting to see how Microsoft responds as its battle with Sony continues to take the spotlight. As of now, it’s expected that theEU may approve the Activision acquisition, and the Xbox maker will hope that the CMA will follow suit.
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