Microsoft, in a bid to get its mammoth acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved by the FTC, announced a 10-year deal with Nintendo to make “Call of Duty” available on Nintendo platforms — for the first time — once the merger with Activision closes.
In addition, Microsoft committed to continue offering “Call of Duty” titles on Valve’s Steam at the same time as Xbox following the closing of the Activision deal. The latest promises from Microsoft come after the software giant pledged to continue producing “Call of Duty” for Sony’s PlayStation console for a minimum of 10 years if the Activision Blizzard deal is approved, although Sony has not commented on Microsoft’s offer.
“ Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play,” Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, tweeted Tuesday in announcing the “COD” agreements for Nintendo and Steam.
In January, Microsoft announced its $69 billion bid for Activision Blizzard, which would be the biggest-ever acquisition in the video-game business. The companies have said they expect the deal to close in June 2023.
The FTC is expected to discuss the antitrust implications of Microsoft’s proposed deal for Activision Blizzard at a closed meeting Thursday, as the agency weighs concerns that Microsoft could favor its own Xbox consoles for Activision Blizzard titles at the expense of rivals like Sony and Nintendo.
“Call of Duty” is hugely popular. According to Activision Blizzard, the latest installment in the franchise, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II,” hit $1 billion in worldwide sales in the first 10 days after its Oct. 28 release — beating the previous franchise record of 15 days set in 2012 by “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.”
Read More About:
Source: Read Full Article
