Microsoft came out with a major win this week. After facing off with the FTC, the judge decided to be in favor of Microsoft, further giving them momentum to acquire Activision Blizzard. However, that hasn’t fully allowed the company to proceed with the purchase. We’re still waiting to see what the outcome ends up being with the discussions Microsoft is having with the CMA. Still, there are plenty of little bits of information surfacing online from this back and forth in the court systems. One of which has to deal with Sony apparently shooting down any marketing extension with Call of Duty.
CharlieIntel recently posted on Twitter a small document snippet from Microsoft. The portion showcased has Microsoft making a big claim. It looks like, according to the document, Microsoft revealed Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick’s recent attempts to talk with Sony. Apparently, Bobby Kotick was discussing the extension for Call of Duty marketing. We know that within 2024 the marketing deal with Sony will be coming to an end, and Bobby reached out to Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida along with PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan to see about the extension as Call of Duty was still set to land on PlayStation platforms after this acquisition goes through.
However, it’s noted that both refused to talk with Jim Ryan, stating that he hopes the regulators do their job and block the deal. Meanwhile, we know that Jim Ryan also referenced the deal in an email, stating that he doesn’t believe Call of Duty would become an exclusive IP to Xbox if the deal did go through. So more drama is stirring up within the court system, and it doesn’t look like it will be ending anytime soon.
As mentioned, Microsoft is having discussions with the CMA. We reported that the appeal process for Microsoft against the CMA decision was put on hold as the two opted to talk about this purchase rather than go through the court system. However, we also know now that the FTC has moved forward with an appeal of its own. So it looks like Microsoft might have to once again face the FTC regarding their intentions of purchasing Activision Blizzard and defend their actions. Of course, there’s bound to be plenty more drama and insight into the companies involved if this goes back into the court system.
