{"id":36459,"date":"2023-07-16T17:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T21:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/investing\/microsoft-sony-reach-deal-to-keep-activisions-call-of-duty-on-playstation\/"},"modified":"2023-07-16T17:00:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T21:00:34","slug":"microsoft-sony-reach-deal-to-keep-activisions-call-of-duty-on-playstation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=36459","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft, Sony reach deal to keep Activision\u2019s \u2018Call of Duty\u2019 on PlayStation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Microsoft Corp. on Sunday announced a \u201cbinding agreement\u201d to keep Activision Blizzard Inc.\u2019s massively popular \u201cCall of Duty\u201d videogame available to Sony Corp.\u2019s PlayStation platform once Microsoft\u2019s acquisition of Activison is complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep \u2018Call of Duty\u2019 on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard,\u201d Phil Spencer, Microsoft\u2019s chief executive of gaming, tweeted Sunday<\/a>. \u201cWe look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Further details were not immediately forthcoming, but other media reports said the deal is for 10 years and applies to \u201cCall of Duty\u201d only, similar to a deal Microsoft struck with Nintendo
\n 7974,
\n -0.54%<\/bg-quote>
\n earlier this year. Microsoft
\n MSFT,
\n +0.75%<\/bg-quote>
\n did not immediately respond to MarketWatch\u2019s request for more information Sunday.<\/p>\n

Ever since Microsoft, which owns the Xbox gaming platform, and videogame maker Activision
\n ATVI,
\n +0.59%<\/bg-quote>
\n announced plans to merge in early 2022, Sony
\n SONY,
\n -1.51%<\/bg-quote>
\n \u2014 and regulators \u2014 voiced concern that Microsoft could keep Activision\u2019s most popular games exclusive to Xbox.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom Day One of this acquisition, we\u2019ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,\u201d Microsoft President Brad Smith tweeted Sunday<\/a>. \u201cEven after we cross the finish line for this deal\u2019s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that \u2018Call of Duty\u2019 remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deal could be enough to appease U.K. regulators, who have yet to sign off on the deal, which is scheduled to close by Tuesday. EU regulators approved the acquisition in May, and a U.S. federal judge gave the deal the green light last week. On Friday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission\u2019s request for the courts to pause the deal while its appeal was heard was denied.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n