Sony Says Microsoft Could Sabotage Call of Duty on PlayStation with Late-Game or Post-Launch Bugs

"Even if such degradations could be swiftly detected, any remedy would likely be too late, by which time the gaming community would have lost confidence in PlayStation," Sony says.

Posted By | On 09th, Mar. 2023

call of duty warzone 2.0

Microsoft and Sony have been locking horns over the former’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard for several months now, with how Call of Duty will be handled in the future being a sticking point not only for regulators, but also for Sony. Though Microsoft has stressed that it has no intentions to make the franchise exclusive to Xbox – having also signed binding agreements to bring it to Nintendo and Nvidia platforms for the next 10 years, with a similar deal also on the table for PlayStation – Sony is now raising concerns over how Microsoft could undermine the series on PlayStation in order to direct audiences to purchasing it on Xbox.

As shared by The Verge’s Tom Warren on Twitter, in its arguments submitted to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Sony has said that in spite of Call of Duty’s potential day and date multiplatform releases, Microsoft could still sabotage the franchise on PlayStation platforms through late-game or post-launch bugs that would cause the audience to “lose confidence” in the platform and be compelled to switch to Xbox instead.

“Swiftly detecting any diversions from, and ensuring compliance with, a commitment as to technical or graphical quality would be challenging,” Sony’s argument reads. “For example, Microsoft might release a PlayStation version of Call of Duty where bugs and errors emerge only on the game’s final level or after later updates. Even if such degradations could be swiftly detected, any remedy would likely be too late, by which time the gaming community would have lost confidence in PlayStation as a go-to venue to play Call of Duty. Indeed, as Modern Warfare 2 attests, Call of Duty is most often purchased in just the first few weeks of release. If it became known that the game’s performance on PlayStation was worse than on Xbox, Call of Duty gamers could decide to switch to Xbox, for fear of playing their favourite game at a second-class or less competitive venue.”

It’s fair to say that that’s very much an unlikely scenario, to say the least, and seems more like a manufactured concern by Sony to put forward arguments rather than making an actual, realistic case. To suggest that Microsoft would intentionally sabotage a series that sells massive numbers on PlayStation on a consistent basis, thus impacting its own revenue and profits, seems questionable at best.

It’s no surprise that, as revealed by Activision Blizzard exec Lulu Cheng Meservey, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has explicitly said that he’s not interested in a Call of Duty deal from Microsoft, and only wants to block the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has also confirmed that it will allow Sony to put Call of Duty games on PlayStation Plus at launch under the same terms as its Game Pass releases. The UK’s CMA is set to reach a final decision over the deal by April 26, and analysts are expecting it to be greenlit.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Surpasses 10 Million Downloads

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Surpasses 10 Million Downloads

The app has seen over 10 million downloads within 48 hours of its launch, The Pokemon Company has revealed.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership Trailer Brings a Jolly Sea Shanty

Mario and Luigi: Brothership Trailer Brings a Jolly Sea Shanty

Nintendo offers a primer on the upcoming RPG in musical form ahead of its release for the Switch under a week ...

Dragon Age Remastered Collection Would be “Challenging” Due to Engine Issues – BioWare

Dragon Age Remastered Collection Would be “Challenging” Due to Engine Issues – BioWare

A combined remastered re-release similar to Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is unlikely for BioWare's fantasy R...

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Won’t Receive DLC, All Focus Now on Next Mass Effect

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Won’t Receive DLC, All Focus Now on Next Mass Effect

The studio is shifting its full attention to the sci-fi series, with no post-launch expansions planned for the...

Planet Coaster 2 Trailer Hypes up Imminent Launch

Planet Coaster 2 Trailer Hypes up Imminent Launch

Frontier Developments' newest amusement park building and management simulator is due out on November 6 for PC...

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Has Over Three Hours of Cinematics

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Has Over Three Hours of Cinematics

The first-person action-adventure title is due out in December for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and for PS5 sometim...