EA CEO wants Call of Duty to be an Xbox exclusive
Last Updated on: 21st September 2022, 09:47 pm
Xbox has been acquiring exclusive rights to game titles left and right. In their most recent conquest, EA seems to want to add Call of Duty to the list.
One of the biggest news that hit us previously is the strides of Xbox to ensure the closure of their acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Once completed, this will greatly shift the tides that have already been favoring Xbox as of late. From the humble beginnings of Xbox back in 2001 when they acquired Bungie and concluded the win by getting exclusive rights to Halo, to now possibly getting exclusive rights to Call of Duty, there seems to be no stopping Microsoft.
EA’s CEO since September 2013, Andrew Wilson, believes that Call of Duty being an exclusive for Xbox is a “tremendous opportunity” for Battlefield.
READ MORE: MICROSOFT WILL LET SONY KEEP CALL OF DUTY FOR SEVERAL YEARS
“In a world where there may be questions over the future of Call of Duty and what platforms that might be on or might not be on, being platform agnostic and completely cross-platform with Battlefield, I think is a tremendous opportunity,”
Andrew Wilson, EA CEO
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and now EA’s Call of Duty will put it on a pedestal as a gaming platform owning the biggest names in the shooting games world. This, however, has PlayStation getting weary of the repercussions, especially with the traction of the gap between the two competing companies.
Previous interactions between the two companies include a statement of Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO, Jim Ryan, calling Microsoft’s proposal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles “inadequate on many levels”. However, Microsoft has continued to assure both customers of Xbox and PlayStation that there is nothing to worry about for both companies.
READ MORE: XBOX GAME PASS: GAMES COMING THIS SEPTEMBER 2022
Microsoft Gaming CEO on concerns with Call of Duty being an Xbox exclusive
“In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract. This offer goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements.”
Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO
This back and forth between the two companies has both potential benefits and future negative effects on the gaming industry. For one, Battlefield has the advantage of having a larger player base because of the game’s current multiplatform state; PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Let’s say, the Battlefield IP switches to an exclusive (particularly for Xbox) it would cause a considerably negative impact on the number of players that are currently enjoying the game outside the Microsoft space.
On the other hand, there have been numerous exclusives that have been a smashing success. There’s the Pokémon series for Nintendo, God of War for PlayStation, and a string of IP for Microsoft. One likely reason for their success is both funding and concentration on just a particular platform, giving more time for game developers to focus on content rather than game compatibility.
READ MORE: MOST DEMANDING PC GAMES 2022
“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.”
Jim Ryan, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO
It is unlikely to see the two companies settling this in the near foreseeable future. However, what could be a game changer is the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) seeking an ‘in-depth investigation” into Xbox’s closure of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
“It could harm rivals, including recent and future entrants into gaming, by refusing them access to Activision Blizzard games or providing access on much worse terms. Microsoft could leverage Activision Blizzard’s games together with Microsoft’s strength across console, cloud, and PC operating systems to damage competition in the nascent market for cloud gaming services.”
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), United Kingdom
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has clarified this growing concern in a recent blog post on Microsoft’s website.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will launch on October 28 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
