A brand new report from Reuters states that Microsoft might be providing Sony a possible concession of a 10-year Name of Obligation licensing deal to push the Activision Blizzard merger via. That is in line with a supply with direct information of the scenario. If this sounds comparable, it’s as a result of The New York Occasions reported on November 11 that Microsoft had made the identical provide to Sony earlier this month.
Sony could not settle for the 10-year licensing deal concession
Whereas the Reuters article doesn’t specify that the 10-year licensing deal could be for the Name of Obligation franchise (because it might have been for all Activision Blizzard video games as a complete), Recreation Developer stories that it’s. This is able to observe the unique report from The New York Occasions as properly. Xbox boss Phil Spencer stated on November 15 that it will be prepared to decide to releasing Name of Obligation on PlayStation consoles for a “long term” to appease regulators.
The regulator in query this time round is the European Fee, which began its investigation into the Microsoft Activision merger firstly of November. The company has a deadline of January 2023 to supply a proper checklist of competitors considerations within the type of a an announcement of objection. Microsoft’s concession of a 10-year licensing deal is supposed to be a pre-emptive strike on this assertion of objection to shorten the regulatory course of as a lot as doable.
Nevertheless, there’s not but phrase if Sony could be prepared to just accept the concession within the first place, provided that the corporate has welcomed investigations into the merger prior to now. Additionally, if Sony have been to just accept the deal, as soon as the 10-year contract is over, there’s no assure that it will likely be renewed or if it’s going to even be provided once more.