Unlike some other processes, all information provided to the Brazilian regulator must be made public, which has allowed some eagle-eyed users on Resetera to reveal Sony’s thoughts. The answers he provides run a wide range of contexts, but some particularly juicy sections are about the importance of Call of Duty specifically and how it affects the console market. In particular, Sony is essentially growing the franchise massively, accurately describing it as the single biggest gaming franchise out there, one that has massive resources behind it and routinely sells in huge volumes. Best PS5 Games 2022: Amazing PlayStation 5 Titles By Max Freeman-Mills · Jul 28, 2022 · Updated The PS5 is finally here – these are the games you simply need to buy for it. He calls the game “substantial” and says the brand is so strong that it almost certainly influences gamers’ choice of console when they come to buy. This is obviously aimed at the possibility that Xbox could make COD a console exclusive at some point down the line. The document in question, which you can access from the list here, is in Portuguese labeled “E-mail Sony (Resp. ao Of. 4108/2022 + procuração)”, but it’s translated quite carefully and contains some interesting information about how fancy Sony thinks COD is (or, at least, how much they want to see it that way). What that translates to for the regulator is difficult to calculate at this stage – but it could affect the Xbox in some way. We know that the next two COD games will be released on PlayStation consoles due to existing contracts, and Microsoft has stated that it may continue after that, but nothing is certain. I had good conversations this week with Sony leaders. I confirmed our intention to honor all existing agreements in our acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry and we value our relationship. — Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022 It’s hard to say whether that’s still the case years later, but it’s something that regulators in many jurisdictions will no doubt look at as they look at the Xbox-Activision deal. Written by Max Freeman-Mills.
