It’s been over a year since Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. This has met resistance from rivals such as Sony and regulators in the EU, UK and US. Microsoft is proposing a deal that, if it goes through, could help allay concerns that competition in the gaming market would plummet.
Microsoft President Brad Smith has announced that his company has signed a 10-year deal with Nintendo to ensure Xbox and Activision titles are available to gamers using Nintendo hardware. High-priced items are call of dutybut the deal also covers other games.
Today’s announcement is no accident. Microsoft representatives, including Smith and Xbox head Phil Spencer, met with EU regulators today to discuss the proposed acquisition. Activision sent in his CEO Bobby Kotick, and Sony sent in its own head of games, Jim Ryan.
Additionally, representatives from the likes of EA, Steam, Nvidia, and Google attended, as well as a number of national watchdogs concerned about what Microsoft-owned Activision Blizzard means for the gaming market.
Microsoft, with Nintendo on board, is pressuring Sony to accept a similar deal. Jim Ryan called his previous three-year proposal “inadequate on many levels.” To put things into perspective, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the second most played game on PlayStation ( fortnite) when the deal was announced a year ago.
Under the Microsoft/Nintendo deal, the new call of duty The game will release on Nintendo hardware on the same day as Xbox and PlayStation. Also, these are not minified versions. Microsoft promises “complete functionality and content parity.”
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