Microsoft has made some significant moves lately. The Microsoft company has been on a spending spree as they picked up different studios to add under the umbrella. For instance, there was the ZeniMax Media deal that came with heavy-hitting studios like Bethesda. However, their biggest purchase would be Activision Blizzard which is a deal that has had quite a bit of pushback. There are some concerns that this deal would create more harm for the likes of Sony. But Microsoft is looking to address these issues and ensure that the deal can go on as planned.
Recently, the deal has hit the headlines over the EU issuing an antitrust warning against the Microsoft bid. It’s just one of the obstacles that Microsoft is looking to overcome in order to secure Activision Blizzard into its ranks. Recently, Politico reached out to Microsoft over this latest development. Fortunately, the publication was able to get a comment from a Microsoft spokesperson. According to the report, Microsoft’s spokesperson noted that they are listening carefully to the European Commission’s concerns and are confident they can address them.
We are listening carefully to the European Commission’s concerns and are confident we can address them.
Microsoft – Politico
It looks like Microsoft is still optimistic that this deal will go in their favor. Although that doesn’t mean there are likely plenty of changes to plans leading up to the purchase. While obstacles are seemingly popping up to refrain Microsoft from the purchase, the company is looking to work through them. The main reason there is so much trouble going on for Microsoft is the fact that the Call of Duty franchise could soon become exclusive. This FPS franchise has become a behemoth of an IP, and it’s drawing quite a bit of concern for Sony.
If there is suddenly a lack of Call of Duty games, Sony might lose out on quite a bit of profit. But that is one area that Microsoft had previously addressed. For those of you who might remember, Microsoft had stated that they would be happy to sign a contract that would force Call of Duty games on competitor platforms for at least ten years. That would essentially allow Call of Duty to continue thriving on the PlayStation 5 for the console life cycle. Although, it doesn’t look like Sony is keen on just a ten-year contract. We’ll have to continue monitoring this acquisition to see if Microsoft is able to reel in Activision Blizzard or if they’ll have to cut them loose.