Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the largest gaming deal in history, has sent shockwaves through the industry and raised questions about the future of some of the most popular franchises on PlayStation. While Sony’s official response to the deal was measured and diplomatic, leaked documents from a recent cyberattack on Insomniac Games have exposed the internal concerns and fears of the PlayStation maker.
According to the documents, Sony views Microsoft’s move as “the leapfrog”, a term that implies Microsoft has jumped ahead of Sony in the gaming market by acquiring one of its biggest rivals. Sony also worries that Microsoft will eventually make Activision’s games exclusive to Xbox and Windows, depriving PlayStation of some of the most lucrative titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Diablo.
Sony’s public statement to the Wall Street Journal was more optimistic, saying that it expects Microsoft to honor the contractual obligations and ensure that Activision’s games are multiplatform. “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual obligations and ensure that Activision games are multiplatform,” Sony said.
Activision echoed this sentiment, saying that it will honor its existing commitments after the acquisition closes in 2023 and won’t remove anything from platforms where they’re already available. The company cited Minecraft as an example of a game that Microsoft has kept on other platforms after buying it in 2014. “We will honor our existing commitments after the acquisition closes in 2023 and won’t remove anything from platforms where they’re already available,” Activision said.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer also tried to reassure PlayStation fans, saying that the company doesn’t intend to pull communities away from Sony’s platform. “We don’t intend to pull communities away from Sony’s platform,” Spencer said.
However, these statements may not reflect the long-term plans of Microsoft, as seen with the case of Bethesda, another major publisher that Microsoft acquired last year. While Microsoft has maintained some of the existing agreements and support for Bethesda’s games on PlayStation, such as Deathloop, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Quake, and Elder Scrolls Online, it has also made clear that future games, such as Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI, will be exclusive to Xbox and Windows.
Activision Blizzard’s current projects for PlayStation include this year’s and next year’s Call of Duty games, Overwatch 2, and Diablo IV. These games will likely still launch with PlayStation versions, but their future updates and sequels may not. This could be a huge blow for Sony, as Call of Duty is one of the best-selling franchises on PlayStation, and Overwatch and Diablo have large and loyal fanbases.
Sony, on the other hand, is not in a position to match Microsoft’s spending spree on mergers and acquisitions, as the PlayStation 5 is a huge success and its first-party games are setting sales records. Sony has made some acquisitions of its own, such as Destiny maker Bungie for $3.6 billion, and Spider-Man 2 developer Insomniac for $229 million, but these are dwarfed by Microsoft’s $69 billion deal for Activision Blizzard.
Sony Interactive Entertainment business boss Eric Lempel, said that PlayStation is still looking for partners to work with, but not necessarily with a view to buying them first. “We have a number of ways of looking at this,” Lempel said. “In terms of great content, that’s where we’re focused. We’ve done more M&A in the past decade than we’ve ever done. We’re always looking to work with new partners, whether that’s somebody as an external provider… or working with a developer along with the way and then acquiring them later.”
Relevant articles:
– Activision apocalypse: Sony forecasts $1.5 billion loss by 2027 after Microsoft merger
– Sony Feels Threatened by Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Leak Reveals
– Insomniac Breach Leaks Marvel, X-Men Gaming Details: Does Sony Fear Microsoft’s Strategy?
– Sony responds to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard