As part of a potential deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, Sony is forced to answer questions from regulators, acting as one of the main opponents of a potential merger. A new document has surfaced online in which Sony answers questions from the CMA (the regulator in the UK that is reviewing the deal). In this document, Sony declares the critical importance of Call of Duty for the Playstation as a whole. Some excerpts from Sony’s responses:
Over the past 10 years, Call of Duty games have been the best-selling games on the Playstation, with the exception of one year – 2021, when the not-so-successful part of the franchise was released: Vanguard. In 2021, Call of Duty surpassed other popular franchises such as Fortnite, GTA and FIFA.Playstation will lose a significant share of its revenue if Call of Duty fans leave the platform. The document notes that “In 2021, Call of Duty players spent on Playstation [скрыто] billion dollars, which is [скрыто]% of total Playstation revenue.” Sony notes that “Call of Duty is a key factor in platform selection.” Call of Duty’s new releases get significantly more attention than new releases from other franchises, including FIFA.
Let’s remind, the British regulator should make the decision on the transaction of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard in April.
