Sony is worried Microsoft may rip off Call of Duty on the PlayStation, intentionally or not

It’s time to get back to everyone’s favorite ongoing story in games, namely, the war of words between Microsoft and Sony regarding the former’s intention to buy publisher Activision Blizzard. In the latest twist, Sony has expressed concern that if the acquisition goes through, future Call of Duty titles on PlayStation could be broken by design or neglect by Microsoft. This, in turn, could cause players to lose “confidence in PlayStation as a go-to place to play Call of Duty.”

as Reported by EurogamerSony has outlined several ways in which it believes Microsoft could harm Call of Duty or “undermine PlayStation’s competitiveness”. New document Including Sony’s notes on the UK competition and market authority’s suggestions.

Sony suggests, variously, that strategies available to Microsoft could include: raising the price of Call of Duty on PlayStation, reducing its quality and performance (including by ignoring DualSense-specific features), Limiting or not prioritizing investment in multiplayer on PS5 or PS4. , or simply by making the game a Game Pass.

But it’s Sony’s accusations regarding technical performance parity that are the most outrageous, stating that, “For example, Microsoft could release a PlayStation version of Call of Duty where bugs and errors only occur in the game’s final levels. On or after subsequent updates. The fallout can be detected quickly, any remedy will likely come too late, by which time the gaming community has lost confidence in the PlayStation to play Call of Duty. will be.”

Sony suggests that any form of “behavioral commitment” from Microsoft will be “difficult” and further claims that Microsoft has “dragd its feet, getting involved only when it felt the regulatory outlook was bleak.” is happening and has supported the conversation in the media to engage with SIE.”

Microsoft responded to Sony’s allegations in a statement to Eurogamer: “Since the CMA issued its provisional findings, we have offered solutions that address its concerns and deals for UK players and game developers. These include guaranteeing parity between Xbox and PlayStation on access to Call of Duty and ensuring that Call of Duty is available to at least 150 million more players when the deal closes. This is a deal and protects Sony, the dominant market leader, or considers solutions that make more games available to more players.”

What do you think about Sony’s concerns? Would you believe that the PlayStation version of Call of Duty would be on par with the Xbox if Microsoft was bankrolling the effort? Let us know in the comments section below.