Microsoft is currently in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard and that has sparked a conversation around the future exclusivity ofCall of Duty. Currently, every newCall of Dutytitle is available on both PlayStation and Xbox. It has become one of the biggest FPS franchises on the market, and is Activision’s flagship series. If Microsoft’s acquisition goes through, thenCall of Dutywill join the Xbox Game Studios family, which could mean that the franchise’s days on PlayStation are numbered.
Recently, theCEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryanrevealed more details of the deal that Microsoft offered Sony, and it did not feel like it was adequate. Microsoft gave Sony three years after the current deal beforeCall of Dutybecome exclusive to Xbox and PC, and Sony feels like that is a disservice to the players. However, the studio is also actively pursuing exclusive in-game content with all sorts of different video games and is constantly churning out games that can only be played on PlayStation. These actions make Sony’s comments ring pretty hollow, and has opened up even more conversation around exclusivity in gaming.
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The Call of Duty Exclusivity Debate Explained
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it has plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. This came after months of lawsuits overworkplace harassment within Activision Blizzard, and significant damaging of its reputation. On the other hand, Microsoft had seen significant turnaround since the Xbox One launch and had built a very consumer-friendly reputation with the introduction of services like Xbox Game Pass. Many players got excited for what this acquisition could entail, but it also sparked some conversations around the future of some of Activision’s biggest franchises.
Call of Dutyis one of the largest franchiseson the market, and it has been available on almost every platform. PlayStation and Xbox gamers have both been able to check out the latest entries, and they have been able to play together through crossplay. The only big difference is that the last couple of entries featured some exclusive perks for PlayStation players, and Xbox had that same deal beforeBlack Ops 3released. Now, that may all change withCall of Dutyset to join Xbox’s expanding roster of franchises.
There has been some worry over the future ofCall of Dutyand if it will still be available on every major platform. While it was originally reported that the franchise may remain cross-platform likeMinecraftdid, there were some new developments that have drastically changed the conversation. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has revealed thatXbox only offered to keepCall of Dutyon PlayStation for three years after the end of the current deal. The franchise would most likely become an Xbox and PC exclusive after that, unless the two companies could come to a new deal.
Sony feels like this deal is inadequate and that it negatively impacts its players.Call of Dutyis one of the largest franchises in gaming, and losing access to the title would feel like a major blow to the platform. On the other hand, making the franchise an Xbox exclusive could significantly boost the appeal of the console in the eyes of many players. It would also boost the value of Xbox Game Pass ifthe newestCall of Dutytitlesare available day one. At the same time, Sony is also actively pursuing its own exclusive content to boost the PlayStation 5, which even further sparks the debate over exclusivity.
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Sony Actively Pursues Exclusivity Deals
Sony feels like the deal that Microsoft offered it is inadequate and negatively impacts the players, yet the company is also committed to getting as much exclusive content for its platform as it can. It has acquired studios to boost its portfolio and is actively pursuing exclusive in-game content forgames likeHogwarts LegacyorMarvel’s Avengers. Further, it has been creating many exclusive first-party games, and it has even locked down timed-exclusives with games likeFinal Fantasy 16. All of these actions make Sony’s comments aboutCall of Dutyring hollow, and almost feel a little hypocritical.
Sony first-party studios are actively working on new experiences for PlayStation players, and no other platform is going to be getting these titles for the foreseeable future.Games likeGod of War Ragnarok,Horizon Forbidden West,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, andRatchet and Clank Rift Apartare all only playable on PlayStation consoles. Recently, the studio has been releasing some of its older first-party games on PC, but all of its future games are still PlayStation exclusives until further notice.
First-party games are not the only games that Sony is grabbing for PlayStation 5.Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 16is also going to be exclusive to PlayStation. This is supposed to be a timed-exclusive, but there is no news on when that time actually runs out. Square Enix is not a first-party studio, but Sony has been able to sign an exclusive deal with it which will keep the game off Xbox for a little while. It has also done similar things withForspoken.
Games are not the only thing that Sony makes exclusive to PlayStation. It has also been pursuing in-game content for multiplatform games and making them PlayStation only. This is not just cosmetics, but entire characters or missions as well.Marvel’s Avengersfeatured Spider-Manas a playable character, but only if players were playing the game on PlayStation. The upcomingHogwarts Legacywill have an exclusive quest only available to PlayStation players, and those same players will also gain access to a special pre-order potion. These are just a couple of the latest in-game exclusives, and there are bound to be more.
Sony seems to constantly be pursuing exclusive PlayStation content to increase the appeal of its gaming ecosystem, but at the same time, it criticizes Microsoft for considering tomakeCall of Dutyan Xbox and PC exclusivefranchise. Sony’s business practices do not seem to lineup with the messages it’s sending Microsoft, and that makes its comments feel questionable. Exclusives are not going anywhere anytime soon, but the debate will continue to rage on, especially asCall of Dutynears a possible future without PlayStation.
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