Activision/Microsoft: Sony’s “Disappointing” Stance Won’t Impact Activision’s Long-Term Relationship, Says CEO
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick remains confident in the Microsoft acquisition despite Sony’s criticisms, and is committed to preserving the long-standing business relationship between Activision and Sony. Kotick addresses concerns surrounding the potential impact on PlayStation gamers, reassuring that high-quality games will continue to be delivered on Sony platforms.
Despite Sony’s criticisms, Bobby Kotick is confident that Microsoft will purchase Activision.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has expressed disappointment over Sony’s public comments regarding the potential acquisition of Activision by Microsoft. Despite facing setbacks from various global regulators and criticisms from its primary competitor, Kotick remains confident that the deal will eventually go through.
Sony’s Concerns and Activision’s Response
Microsoft’s bid to acquire Activision Blizzard has encountered resistance from regulators around the world and has been met with complaints from Sony. Among the concerns raised by Sony is the possibility that Microsoft might make Call of Duty an Xbox exclusive by adding it to Game Pass or providing it on PlayStation Plus at an unsustainable price.
In response to these criticisms, Activision Blizzard has defended its deal with Microsoft by addressing specific complaints from Sony, including a recent allegation that Xbox might release a deliberately buggy version of Call of Duty for PlayStation to sabotage sales.
Kotick, in a publicly available email to staff, dismissed these claims: *”We all know our passionate players would be the first to hold Microsoft accountable for keeping its promises of content and quality parity. And, all of us who work so hard to deliver the best games in our industry care too deeply about our players to ever launch sub-par versions of our games.”*
Kotick’s Commitment to the Sony Relationship
Despite Sony’s insinuations that Activision’s games may be compromised on PlayStation hardware, Kotick is determined not to let the current tension affect the longstanding business relationship between Activision and Sony.
In his email, Kotick stated, “Sony has even admitted that they aren’t actually concerned about a Call of Duty agreement—they would just like to prevent our merger from happening. This is obviously disappointing behavior from a partner for almost thirty years, but we will not allow Sony’s behavior to affect our long-term relationship. PlayStation players know we will continue to deliver the best games possible on Sony platforms as we have since the launch of PlayStation.”
Regulatory Victories and Ongoing Discussions
Microsoft has recently achieved a significant victory, with UK regulators withdrawing their concerns about the Activision deal. Kotick also highlighted that the Japan Fair Trade Commission approved the acquisition this week, removing another potential obstacle.
Regarding the ongoing regulatory discussions, Kotick added, “We will continue to have discussions with European and UK regulators until the decision dates, which we expect in the coming months.”
Why Microsoft Wants To Buy Activision Blizzard
Microsoft is one of the biggest tech companies in the world. It makes Windows, Office, Xbox, and many other products and services. But it also wants to make more games and reach more gamers. That’s why it wants to buy Activision Blizzard, one of the biggest game companies in the world.
Activision Blizzard makes some of the most popular games in the world, like Call of Duty, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. By buying Activision Blizzard, Microsoft would get access to these games and their millions of fans. Microsoft would also get more talented game developers and studios to work on new games.
Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard on January 18th 2022 for $68.7 billion in cash. This is one of the largest acquisitions in gaming history. The deal is expected to close by Spring 2023 pending regulatory and shareholder approval. When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. Microsoft will own Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King under the Xbox Game Studios brand.
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In conclusion, despite Sony’s criticisms and regulatory hurdles, Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick remains optimistic about the acquisition by Microsoft. He also emphasizes the company’s commitment to maintaining a strong relationship with Sony and delivering high-quality games for PlayStation players.
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