PlayStation CEO says Xbox’s 3-year Call of Duty commitment isn’t enough

Microsoft continues to process Activision Blizzard acquisition. While regulators crack down on Microsoft and PlayStation are taking heat for their own actions.

Among the largest concerns regulators have expressed was the idea that certain significant game series — particularly the Call of Duty franchise, one of the largest games series on the planet — might become platform-exclusive to Xbox as a result of the acquisition. Xbox stated in multiple ways and settings that Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation to help answer this question.

Although the initial statement said the series would be available on multiple platforms for the duration of Activision’s current contract, the second stated the same. Phil Spencer, Xbox president, stated Monday that Microsoft and Sony have made an offer to continue the game’s play on PlayStation. This deal wasn’t intended to be public, according to Sony, and it still isn’t enough of a guarantee for the future.

“I hadn’t intended to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to set the record straight because Phil Spencer brought this into the public forum,” PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said in a statement to business-focused website Games Industry.biz.

“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends,” Ryan continued. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”

While none of these deals are set in stone, (outside of the initial one, which was made before Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard began) both companies have incentive to continue these semi-public negotiations. For Microsoft, it’s a chance to prove to regulators that it’s working with Sony to ensure it doesn’t monopolize franchises like Call of Duty, while Sony has the opportunity to get a more favorable deal while Microsoft is under a bit of extra pressure.