Sony says it wouldn't share PS6 details with Microsoft-owned Activision
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has said that Sony would no longer be able to share details of its upcoming console hardware with Call of Duty maker Activision, if Microsoft's proposed $68.7bn buyout was approved by regulators.
Speaking to the US Federal Trade Commission, which is currently involved in legal proceedings to block the deal, Ryan said Sony «simply could not run the risk of a company that was owned by a direct competitor having access to that information».
Ryan's comments date from April this year, when the FTC questioned the PlayStation CEO on statements submitted by Sony designed to give its perspective on the deal. Chief among those is the worry by Sony that its game development processes would be interrupted as it «could no longer share confidential details about its next console in development».
In follow-up questions, Ryan is asked about the impact of sharing information — and what might change if Sony was no longer closely collaborating with Activision on games such as Call of Duty.
Ryan's response on the potential damage to Sony of Microsoft knowing PS6 details is largely redacted from the public version of the court documentation.
From what is publicly available, we can see Ryan suggest Microsoft would have less of an incentive to develop PlayStation-specific features for Activision games, post-buyout.
«I believe that [Microsoft]'s incentives — their primary incentive will, at post-acquisition, would be to optimise its overall Xbox business, not the business of Activision,» Ryan said.
In an FTC v MS/ABK deposition, PlayStation chief Jim Ryan said that, if deal closes, Sony couldn't tell Activision about its next console Is then asked about Sony working with Mojang (Minecraft) after MS bought them.
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