as in keeping with Lulu Cheng Meserveywho’s the chief vp, company affairs and leader communications officer at Activision Blizzard, Sony does not desire a deal and simply desires to dam the merger.
“Microsoft offered Sony (the dominant console leader for well over a decade, with 80% market share) a 10 year agreement on far better terms than Sony would ever get from us. We’ve also offered Sony guaranteed long-term access to Call of Duty. But they keep refusing. Why?,” she wrote in a tweet.
“The CEO of SIE answered that question in Brussels. In his words: ‘I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger’,” she mentioned, including that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) president and CEO Jim Ryan mentioned those phrases on February 21.
The CEO of SIE responded that query in Brussels.In his phrases: “I do not want a brand new Call of Duty deal. I simply w… https://t.co/6hhCzrGW6d
— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) 1678309342000
Microsoft’s defense of Activision Blizzard deal
The date and place in Meservey’s tweet are significant because it was on February 21 when Microsoft president brad smith defended the $69 billion acquisition of the video game company at the EU hearing in Brussels. Smith also said that Sony hasn’t responded to its 10-year licensing offer and he carries the envelope with the deal with him.
Sony’s changed narrative?
Initially, Sony claimed that Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard would harm the competition because the company would make Call of Duty games an Xbox-exclusive. However, Microsoft’s deals with Nintendo and Nvidia punctured those claims.
In its recent narrative, Sony raised concerns saying that the Windows maker might sabotage the game for the PlayStation in terms of quality and performance compared to Xbox.
It is to be noted that Sony’s current deal with Activision for Call of Duty expires in 2024. The European Commission will announce a decision on the acquisition on April 25. It has been reported that the deal is close to being approved.