The console wars are one of the most important parts of gaming history. Each time they happen, things in the industry boom in one form or another. For example, when Nintendo and SEGA clashed in the earlier generations, their battle led to the creation of beloved characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and a number of all-new IPs that are still around today. When Sony entered the war, they made CD gaming the norm. Microsoft brought the world online multiplayer when they arrived, and the battles have continued ever since. However, if you think the days of console wars are behind us because of comradery between the brands, you need to hear this new rumor about the next PlayStation Showcase.
Sony has been known to drop a PlayStation Showcase in September, and last year they revealed or detailed many top titles for their PS5 system. Gamers eagerly awaited the news of when the showcase would drop, but no word from Sony has come. Now, an industry insider is stating that the reason for this is that Sony may have canceled the delay due to Microsoft’s attempted buy of Activision-Blizzard.
If you’re not in the loop, Sony and Microsoft have recently expanded their reach. Both sides have bought up 3rd party developers or solidified their in-house dev teams to get the best titles possible. In addition, Bethesda, Bungie, and more have become part of their umbrella, but the most significant purchase was by Microsoft, who bid to acquire Activision-Blizzard. That was a bombshell move because Activision-Blizzard holds some of the most-popular IPs out there, not the least of which is Call of Duty.
This specific franchise is why Sony has been raging against the machine to try and stop the purchase from going through. In their minds, Microsoft will eventually restrict access to this franchise, and possibly others, to give them more exclusives. Microsoft had vehemently denied this and said they wouldn’t limit Call of Duty, just like they didn’t restrict Minecraft when they bought Mojang years ago.
Not surprisingly, Sony hasn’t believed them and made multiple appeals to regulators to try and stop the purchase from going through.
That brings us back to the upcoming showcase because the rumor from the insider is that the showcase would strengthen Microsoft’s case for the purchase. How so? Well, picture it like this. If Sony were to hold the showcase and then drop title after title, they’d prove that even if they were to lose franchises like Call of Duty, they’d be fine, as they have their own lineup. Sony doesn’t want to risk that, hence the potential delay or cancelation.
The person holding the bag here is the gamers because they want updates on multiple titles, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and rumored games like Horizon: Zero Dawn Remake for PS5.
Source: Twitter
