Microsoft Claims Sony Is Attempting To Protect Its Dominance

The recent responses to the CMA’s provisional findings on Activision Blizzard have revealed more details on the parties involved in the deal. Six companies of mixed sizes have recently voiced their support for the deal, with others like Nvidia and Nintendo also in agreement.

However, Sony has not been too fond of the acquisition for a while. The gaming giant is not too happy with potentially losing Call of Duty. SIE CEO Jim Ryan has reportedly claimed to be more interested in blocking the merger than making a deal with Microsoft. 

Microsoft has shared its thoughts on the situation so far, claiming that Sony is simply attempting to save its position as the market leader. The response states:

“Sony’s position must be seen for what it is: a self-serving attempt to protect its dominant market position.”

The gaming giant believes Sony’s concerns go beyond the Call of Duty franchise. According to Microsoft, had this been the case, Sony could have signed a decade-long deal similar to Nintendo. 

Previously, Microsoft President Brad Smith claimed that Sony had 80% of the market share between PlayStation and Xbox. This would make Sony the clear leader, but the figure did not consider Nintendo.

Currently, the PlayStation 5 has sold over 30 million units. Microsoft has not revealed figures for the Xbox Series S|X, but an analysis reports that the Xbox consoles were trailing behind 20 million as of last month.

This would mean that the PS5 had sold over 50% more consoles than the Xbox Series S|X. Furthermore, the PS4 and Xbox One have seen an even more significant gap, with the latter selling less than half of the PS4’s lifetime units.

As such, Sony’s position as the leader cannot be denied, and there may be some truth to Microsoft’s arguments. Still, Sony has also argued that Microsoft has made games exclusive after acquisitions.

Games like Starfield may have been targeted at PlayStation consoles before the Bethesda acquisition, but this is no longer true. The gaming giant believes The Elder Scrolls 6 will not come to PlayStation. 

Nonetheless, it seems like Sony and Microsoft are at a standstill. Both companies have explained their perspectives on Activision plenty of times, yet an agreement has not been made.