Just over a year ago, Microsoft announced that they intend to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in cash. Since then, there have been cash discussions and rides with Sony fighting tooth and nail to stop the deal from going through.
Now Activision Blizzard’s EVP of Corporate Affairs and CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey has commented on the matter on Twitter, and writes to the US Federal Trade Commission that The Last of Us shows why the deal should be approved. She also suggests that they would be biased, and believes that the only reason for not approving is that they worry that Sony might no longer be the market leader.
“Hi FTC — did you catch last night’s episode of The Last of Us? It was incredible. No wonder the show is breaking records. It’s a true blockbuster, watched by tens of millions. If you haven’t already, you should check it out. You may be particularly interested in the fact that The Last of Us is produced by Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions. It’s based on a best-selling video game developed by a Sony-owned studio and published by Sony as a PlayStation exclusive.
Why does this matter? The FTC has opposed the Microsoft – Activision Blizzard deal on the grounds that Microsoft could “suppress competition” from rival consoles by leveraging Activision games. It sounds like there’s some worry that Sony’s position as market leader could be jeopardized by this deal.
But there’s no cause for concern. Sony has an unrivaled war chest of IP, not just in gaming but TV, movies, and music — which can be developed into games, or can market existing games. Case in point: the TV show The Last of Us is already generating renewed interest in that game.
Sony’s talent and IP across gaming, TV, movies, and music are formidable and truly impressive. It’s no wonder they also continue to dominate as the market leader for consoles. In gaming, Sony is “the first of us” – and they will be just fine without the FTC’s protection.”
Is Lulu Cheng Meservey right, can Sony get by without having guaranteed rights to any Activision Blizzard titles?
