Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues. Microsoft’s new statement states that several major games will not be released for the Xbox because of Sony.
The situation in brief:
Sony blocks Final Fantasy XVI and Silent Hill 2 Remaster for Xbox
This is what Microsoft says: Now Microsoft released another statement, pointing out that exclusivity has a long history in gaming.
Both Nintendo and Sony use their brands to sift through the market, according to MS. Their exclusive games are among the best-selling worldwide. This means titles like The Last of Us, Spiderman, Super Smash Bros and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
At the same time, Microsoft pointed out in the statement that Sony is probably using its contracts with third-party developers such as Square Enix, FromSoftware or Konami specifically to keep their games away from the Xbox. This is what the statement says:
[…] In addition to the actual exclusive content, Sony is also entering into deals with third-party publishers that require Xbox to be excluded from the choice of platforms on which publishers can release their games.
Some well known examples of these agreements are Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix), Blooborne (From Software), the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix) and the recently announced Silent Hill 2 Remastered (Bloober team). […]
There are these reactions: It’s well known in the gaming community that Sony likes to secure a lot of exclusive content for itself with contracts. What is new about the statement is that it specifically excludes the Xbox, and also the reference to the upcoming games FFXVI and Silent Hill 2 Remaster.
Microsoft’s statement continued the old debate about whether or not it’s okay for Microsoft to stock up on exclusive titles, like Sony and Nintendo have done.
A third party is also completely opposed to such large acquisitions as the Activision purchase, no matter who makes them. These are bad for the industry and especially for the customers.
The top comment with the most upvotes on reddit on the topic says:
It’s funny to watch Sony and Microsoft fans bicker and defend multi-billion dollar companies while it’s the customers who get screwed.
HorrorPositive on reddit (5059 Upvotes)
What is your opinion on exclusive titles? Do you think they are good and right or should they be abolished completely, regardless of the developer? Tell us in the comments.