After Sony’s latest comments for the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft heated up with its claim.
The rivalry between Microsoft and Sony is getting a bit of a tension these days. Saying that Microsoft is worried about the Activision Blizzard acquisition and that it thinks it will affect the preferences of console players, Sony’s response was not delayed. Microsoft claimed that Sony paid developers and publishers not to add their games to Xbox Game Pass. With the money given under the name of “block fee”, they were prevented from adding their games to other subscription services.
Microsoft alleges bribery for Sony
This information comes from a document Microsoft sent to the Brazilian Economic Defense Administrative Council. Last month, the Council asked Sony and other third-party companies to submit their thoughts on this acquisition. Sony has expressed its concerns here and stated that the console preferences of the players will be affected after this purchase. Microsoft’s response was that Sony was more afraid of Xbox Game Pass.
“Exclusive games are at the heart of Sony’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the games industry. Given Sony’s leadership in the distribution of digital games, Activision’s concern over whether its content will be exclusive is inconsistent,” Microsoft argued. After that, things get a little hotter.
“Regarding a business model that delivers high-quality content to gamers at a low cost it only reveals fear once more. The leadership it has held for years is threatened by its custom-game-driven and device-focused strategy.”
As you know, under the influence of the popularity of Xbox Game Pass, Sony recently announced PS Plus Deluxe, Extra and Essential packages. Although this subscription system has changed, it still provides access to old game catalogs. As with Xbox Game Pass, it is still not possible to play a newly released first-party game from day one. Stray was released as a third-party game and was available to PS Plus subscribers from day one.
Microsoft argues that Sony does not want attractive subscription services for console games that would threaten its dominance in the digital distribution market. So, the company argues, Sony opposes all new monetization methods that could challenge its own business model. What justifies Microsoft here is that Sony does not include games developed by PlayStation Studios in its subscription system. For example, even if a PlayStation user pays every month with a PS Plus subscription, their only chance is to pay the full price for the game when God of War Ragnarök comes out.
The reason Sony is worried about the Activision Blizzard acquisition is probably because Modern Warfare 2 will outsell anything it currently holds. Although Microsoft has repeatedly said that the Call of Duty series will continue to be released on a multiplatform basis, Sony still continues to worry about the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In response, in one of his statements at Microsoft, he claimed that Sony paid publishers and developers to hold back Xbox Game Pass.