How much longer will Call of Duty be released for the PlayStation? The PlayStation boss doesn’t like what he hears from Xbox at all and causes discussions
With Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard comes big concerns for PlayStation owners: what happens to big titles like Call of Duty? Does Microsoft plan to offer them exclusively for Xbox and PC in the future? After Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s promise that CoD will still be released for PlayStation for the next few years, PlayStation’s Jim Ryan is now also speaking out – and he’s not very enthusiastic.
Inadequate in many respects
Actually, PlayStation boss Ryan didn’t want to comment at all on the deal, which is still ongoing, as he reveals in a (statement to gamesindustry.biz) website. It was a (blog entry by Phil Spencer) that made him change his mind. He promised that Call of Duty should also be available on an equal footing on other platforms in the future.
It had previously come to light that Microsoft had offered to continue publishing (CoD on PlayStation for several years ). A generous offer according to Xbox. In his statement, however, PlayStation’s Jim Ryan classifies this agreement as insufficient in many respects. He explains:
“Microsoft has only offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends. After nearly 20 years of Call of Duty on the PlayStation, this proposal was inadequate in many ways and did not take into account what it means to our players. We want to guarantee PlayStation players continue to have the best possible experience with Call of Duty, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines that principle”
While Ryan is speaking primarily of the concerns of gamers, there are certainly financial concerns surrounding his statement. After all, Call of Duty is one of the highest-grossing game brands around.
As Gameswirtschaft notes, Call of Duty Vanguard and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare were among the best-selling and most-played titles on the PlayStation Network in the US and Europe last year. The free2play title Warzone even made it into the top 3, and Modern Warfare 2, which will be released in October, will most likely be a big success as well. In the trailer, the game recently impressed with its graphics:
This is how the net reacts
The dispute between the platforms is also causing a stir on the internet. Often, both Jim Ryan and Phil Spencer are accused of double standards in dealing with platform-exclusive games. For example, YouTuber SkillUp writes:
I see both sides, but it will never not be extremely funny that a company that built its empire on the back of exclusive content (namely locking down the best output from Japan for the better part of three decades) is suddenly very concerned about the impact of exclusive content.
– Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) September 7, 2022
Video game journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley, on the other hand, points to Microsoft’s February 2022 pledge to continue CoD on Playstation and wonders if Xbox is now demanding concessions for that deal:
In February, Microsoft’s Brad Smith said that Xbox would treat Call of Duty similar to Minecraft and put it on even more platforms – including continuing on PlayStation.
Did Xbox want a concession from Sony to get more than 3 more years of COD?
– Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) September 7, 2022
Of course, Keighley adds, there are two sides to this as well and he will request a statement from Xbox. The question of who is now right in the dispute also occupies some commentators. And the implications of a possible platform exclusivity for Activision titles are also being discussed. Analyst Daniel Ahmad points out that Sony was Activision’s biggest customer in 2020:
Fun Fact:
Sony was Activision Blizzard’s largest customer in 2020 accounting for 17% of it sales or ~$1.37 billion.
Microsoft was Activision Blizzard’s 4th largest customer in 2020, behind Apple and Google, accounting for 11% of its sales or ~$890m pic.twitter.com/9dlm6vhDhA
– Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) September 7, 2022
Others react more humorously to the controversy. For example, insider Tom Henderson writes on Twitter that the Microsoft-Activision deal with all its disputes is just reminiscent of a CoD lobby before 2010.
This acquision deal is starting to sound like a pre-2010 COD lobby with all the pettiness 😅 https://t.co/Np4dnPGJ0k
– Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 7, 2022
As a PC gamer in particular, you might want to sit back and think to yourself with all the excitement: what’s it to me? But the fact that platform wars can also have a negative impact on the fun we all have playing games!
Now it’s your turn: What do you think of the dispute between Playstation and Xbox? Do you understand one side better than the other? Or could you care less about the dispute because you know you can still play Call of Duty on your PC? Feel free to post your opinion in the comments!
