Microsoft shoots down Sony’s claims that its Activision acquisition is anti-competitive
Microsoft has spoken out against Sony‘s claims that its ongoing attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard would be anti-competitive, especially with regards to Call of Duty.
Last month Sony told Brazil’s regulatory body CADE, which is investigating the acquisition, that the acquisition could influence players to switch from PlayStation to Xbox.
At the time, it argued: “Call of Duty is so popular that it influences users’ choice of console, and its community of loyal users is entrenched enough that even if a competitor had the budget to develop a similar product, it would not be able to rival it.”
Now, according to ResetEra member Idas, Microsoft has replied to CADE with a lengthy response dismissing Sony’s claims.
As Idas reports, Microsoft stated: “Not surprisingly, Sony was the only third party to convey public opinion materially different from MS/ABK and the third parties regarding the competitive analysis of the transaction.”
Microsoft claimed that Sony doesn’t want to see Call of Duty games on Game Pass on day one, because it “is not resigned to having to compete with Microsoft’s subscription service”.
“Sony’s public outcry on subscription games and the company’s response are clear: Sony doesn’t want attractive subscription services to threaten its dominance in the market for digital distribution of console games,” it claims.
“In other words, Sony rails against the introduction of new monetization models capable of challenging its business model.”
Microsoft also shoots down Sony’s claim that Call of Duty is a “category of games in itself”, stating: “The PlayStation itself has a foundation established by players loyal to the brand.
“This finding, however, does not lead to the conclusion that the PlayStation – or any branded
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