Microsoft has signed a 10-year contract with Nintendo to release Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms if the Xbox Company successfully completes its bid to buy Activision Blizzard. However, it seems that Microsoft and Sony are still debating the deal.
According to a GI.biz source, the deal between the two companies is not final yet. Microsoft President Brad Smith said at a meeting with regulators in Brussels this week: We haven’t agreed a deal with Sony yet, but I hope we do, the website states. Smith reportedly had a piece of paper in his pocket containing the terms of the deal to show that Microsoft was willing to make a deal with Sony.
Smith added that Sony could continue to spend time and resources blocking deals, or sitting at the negotiating table and trying to get a deal done. So far, this has not been reported as happening, although we may never know the extent to which the talks are being conducted behind closed doors, unofficially and through back channels.
According to Smith, Sony’s deal with Activision Blizzard for Call of Duty exclusivity expires after 2024, though Sony hasn’t commented on those claims. Smith mentioned this potentially important detail unsolicited in an interview, and there could be many reasons for that. One possibility is that it could put some public pressure on Sony to get involved now that everyone knows that Sony’s Call of Duty deal is over according to Smith.
Smith said Microsoft offered Sony a 10 year legally binding agreement for the Call of Duty franchise, which terms were better – he said – than the agreement Sony currently has with Activision Blizzard.
So when we release a new version of Call of Duty on Xbox, it will be available on Sony PlayStation on the same day, under the same conditions and with the same features. It really ensures parity. I think anyone who’s seen it will say it’s a better deal for Sony than what they have right now with Activision Blizzard ending next year, said Smith.
In addition to its commitment to Nintendo, Microsoft is also committed to bringing Call of Duty to GeForce Now. Smith, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, PlayStation’s Jim Ryan, and other officials met with regulators in Brussels this week to discuss their arguments for why Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision Blizzard should or shouldn’t be done.
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