Following the closure of the Microsoft Activision deal, Microsoft’s head of gaming Phil Spencer said late Tuesday that the company has “entered into a 10-year commitment” to bring hit game series Call of Duty to Nintendo, as the U.S. tech giants look to help relieve regulators and rivals’ antimonopoly concerns. It’s unclear whether this agreement is legally binding, or if Nintendo has signed anything at all.
Microsoft Activision deal bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo
According to Spencer, “Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play.” Spencer also stated that Microsoft has “committed” to providing Call of Duty on the game distribution platform Steam alongside Xbox when the acquisition is completed.
Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play. @ATVI_AB
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 7, 2022
The developments follow Microsoft President Brad Smith’s statement on Monday that the firm has given Sony a 10-year contract to make each new Call of Duty title accessible on Sony’s PlayStation platform alongside the Xbox. Microsoft’s rush of pledges for Call of Duty, one of the most successful gaming series in history, comes as authorities and rivals intensify their investigation of the company’s proposed $69 billion merger of Activision in January. Call of Duty was created by Activision.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have launched antitrust investigations into the transaction to see if it would harm competition. The EU is concerned that Microsoft may restrict rivals’ access to games such as Call of Duty. Microsoft has attempted to assuage concerns over Call of Duty this week. The Redmond-based corporation claims the Activision acquisition would benefit gamers and promote competition in the sector.
Microsoft has been attempting to catch up with competitor Sony’s success with the PlayStation 5 system. One of Microsoft’s major challenges is a lack of first-party games, which Sony has been significantly investing in. A diverse game library is beneficial to console sales. The business is also trying to expand its cloud gaming product, which allows customers to stream games without having to buy them separately. The completion of the Activision transaction would allow Microsoft to expand its library of games for the service.
With the Microsoft Activision deal, regulators had many concerns, but this latest development might put their minds at ease. If you would like to learn what happened before regarding the deal, make sure to take a look at Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard for $68.7B, and FTC might start a lawsuit on Microsoft & Activision Blizzard deal.
