The main point of disagreement between Sony and Microsoft on the Activision Blizzard deal has been the Call of Duty franchise. Sony has, so far, not shown a willingness to negotiate with Microsoft for fear of losing the franchise at some point in the future.
However, Microsoft has offered a 10-year deal to Sony, a similar deal to the ones that have been signed with Nintendo and Nvidia. The CMA recently questioned Microsoft, asking if the ten-year period would cause problems for Sony once the deal reached its conclusion.
In response, Microsoft claimed that a decade would be enough for Sony to develop a COD rival.
Currently, Sony owns various first-party developers that have experience making similar games to Call of Duty.
PlayStation’s acquisition last year gave the company ownership of Bungie and the Destiny franchise. Destiny 2 is currently among the most successful long-running live-service games, and developer Bungie has decades of experience with FPS games.
Bungie has previously created the ground-breaking Halo franchise. As such, the developer is capable of creating engaging single-player and multiplayer FPS games. The studio is currently working on its next game.
Furthermore, first-party studios like Insomniac and Guerilla Games have previously worked on exclusive first-person shooter franchises, Killzone and Resistance, during the PlayStation 3 generation.
While neither of these franchises measured up to the popularity of Call of Duty, they were still considered impressive in many ways at the time. However, even with these IPs, Sony has failed to make a considerable mark in the multiplayer gaming industry.
Microsoft’s plans after ten years are still unclear. The statement suggests that the gaming giant hopes Sony will not need another contract. Still, the question remains whether Microsoft would be willing to negotiate a new deal if required.
This has likely been the question that has prevented Sony from accepting Microsoft’s offer. Nonetheless, there is little doubt that Sony could create a game on par with current offerings from the Call of Duty franchise. Whether this IP could match Call of Duty in popularity and appeal, however, is an entirely different question.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
