Sony says it believes Xbox owning Call of Duty ‘could influence users’ console choice’

videogameschronicle.com:

Sony believes Call of Duty could inspire users to switch to Xbox following Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

That’s according to the company’s official response to questions from Brazil’s regulatory body (first spotted by Resetera), which like many regions, is currently studying the proposed deal for approval.

Along with other companies such as Ubisoft, Amazon and Google, Sony’s responses to several questions about the proposed acquisition have been published in full by the Brazilian government.

Sony’s response – read by VGC – mostly outlines the current state of triple-A game development for the Brazilian regulator. However, large portions highlight the importance the PlayStation firm puts on Call of Duty, a franchise which it claims “influences users’ console choice.”

In its questionnaire answers, Sony calls Call of Duty “an essential game: a blockbuster, an AAA-type game that has no rival.”

“According to a 2019 study, ‘The importance of Call of Duty to entertainment, in general, is indescribable,’” the company said. “The brand was the only video game IP to break into the top 10 of all entertainment brands among fans, joining powerhouses such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

“Call of Duty is so popular that it influences users’ choice of console, and its network of loyal users is so entrenched that even if a competitor had the budget to develop a similar product, it would not be able to rival it.”

Sony went on to explain how the huge resources Activision puts behind Call of Duty are the core reason why it believes the FPS series is unlikely to be rivalled by a competitor.

“Each annual Call of Duty release takes approximately 3-5 years to develop. As Activision releases