Sony does not skimp on the means to prevent Microsoft from hosting excellent games on Xbox Series. Business is business.
While Microsoft struggles to validate its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, we see the file as a real soap opera where two industry giants clash and throw spades at each episode. In the latest, it was the FTC that entered the fray and threw Microsoft in court to blow up the takeover. It is also in its response to this new attack that Microsoft disclosed some details concerning certain maneuvers of its direct competitor, Sony.
Sony reserves big licenses
If most of the major players in the industry do not take a dim view of this takeover, Sony, on the other hand, is totally against it. One of the main arguments of the Japanese firm is that if Microsoft gets its hands on Activision and makes Call of Duty an exclusive, it could completely unbalance the competition and make Microsoft an unstoppable leader. Something that the American company refutes.
In new pages of the file, Microsoft indeed declares that exclusivities are not a problem for the industry, on the contrary even. He also repeats that his main competitors have more than him and have very strong first-party licenses. Like for example Nintendo with Pokemon, mario and Zeldaor Sony with god of war, Horizon or Marvel’s Spider-Man and Returnal.
However, Microsoft also claims that Sony goes further and does not hesitate to block third-party games in its park by signing special contracts to prevent publishers from delivering their games to the Microsoft ecosystem. This is particularly the case for Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Silent Hill 2 Remake or Bloodborne.
Sony would therefore put spokes in the wheels to Microsoft for years, and still continues, by reserving quality games. And most of the time, when it comes to timed exclusives, games can only end up being released on PC, but not Xbox. A practice that is not so uncommon in the industry, although Microsoft on its side has a completely different policy. Its goal is very clearly to be present absolutely everywhere, where Sony prefers to form a (big) cocoon of its own.
While many rumors suggested that Final Fantasy 7 Remake or Silent Hill 2 could one day arrive on Xbox Series, it now seems well and truly impossible. Sony does not want these games to be able to go to the competition, period.
It’s not tomorrow the day before that Xbox players will be able to play the latest Final Fantasy or at Silent Hill 2 if we believe the latest information shared by Microsoft, but the latter does not let go of the case concerning its takeover of Activision-Blizzard. The American giant is trying as best it can to give Sony a foothold and has even gone so far as to declare itself ready to leave call of duty land on the PS Plus as needed for many years. But for Sony, obviously, it’s still not enough. To be continued in the next episode.
