Irritated by the lack of dialogue with PlayStation as part of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Xbox tackles the Japanese manufacturer again. The childishness on both sides continues.
Tensions between PlayStation and Xbox over the Activision acquisition are becoming more palpable, and Microsoft would like to speed it up.
“PlayStation, are you there? Give us a sign, Spencer is talking to you.”
While Microsoft has made a move towards Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to the Switch, the Redmond-based company is still waiting for a sign from PlayStation. In an interview with Bloomberg, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Sony is holding back on acquiring Activision Blizzard. According to him, the Japanese company would spend more time with regulators than Microsoft.
There’s one player in the video game industry who has really raised everyone’s objections, and that’s Sony. They spoke clearly in public about the things they did not like very much. From our perspective, it’s clear that they’re spending more time with regulators than us in trying to close this deal..
Our goal is to be more relevant on more screens. We have a pretty good idea of how to build a win-win relationship with Nintendo and PlayStation.
Here Spencer is certainly referring to the revelation of the inappropriate proposal released by Sony in response to an equally public statement by Microsoft.
It seems, therefore, that PlayStation has not yet responded to Xbox’s new offer to keep Call of Duty on its consoles for 10 years. Does the Japanese manufacturer fear that if it relents now, it will turn against it a decade later?
So we have, on the one hand, a Microsoft resentful of not being able to buy what it wants without hitting a snag, and on the other hand, a Sony frustrated and anxious at the idea of losing Call of Duty, which is a godsend represents finance. Everyone is still defending their position and their steak.
Microsoft dreams of the video game Netflix
Microsoft Vice President Brad Smith is also pointing the finger at PlayStation and his fears of a change in distribution model. Smith compared Sony to the response of Blockbuster, a defunct movie distribution chain, on Netflix.
Sony emerged as the loudest opponent. He’s as worried about this deal as Blockbuster is about the rise of Netflix. Think how much better streaming a movie from your sofa is than going to a blockbuster. We want to bring the same kind of innovation to the video game industry.
Microsoft Vice President Brad Smith at the microphone The Wall Street Journal.
Big ambitions, but still a long way to go. Xbox Game Pass has yet to hit 30 million subscribers – while the new PS Plus formulas are far from a hit – and Microsoft says recruitment on consoles is stagnant. We must also not lose sight of the fact that cinema and video games are two different industries, certainly with similarities, but different distribution models and requirements.
