There’s no denying Call of Duty’s stranglehold on the games industry. While recent installments didn’t set sales records, it’s still a massive brand. According to Sony, there’s no rival for the seminal FPS.
A report by VGC notes that Brazil’s regulatory body is currently investigating Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Part of that process entails asking several massive third-party companies, including Warner Bros, Amazon, Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Riot Games, Sony, and many others, about the purchase. The initial talks are available online, though you’ll need to know Portuguese. Unsurprisingly, Sony was arguably the most outspoken.
“[Call of Duty] was the only video game IP to break into the top 10 of all entertainment brands among fans, joining powerhouses such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings,” Sony said via VGC’s translation. “Call of Duty is so popular that it influences users’ choice of console, and its community of loyal users is entrenched enough that even if a competitor had the budget to develop a similar product, it would not be able to rival it.”
It’s worth mentioning that Microsoft doesn’t intend to make Call of Duty an Xbox exclusive. Doing so could present antitrust issues for the company.
“Approximately 1,200 people work on each version, and another 1,500 are involved in publishing and distribution. Thus, Call of Duty alone has more developers than most game companies employ across its entire development portfolio, including AAA studios,” Sony continues. “No other developer can devote the same level of resources and expertise in game development. Even if they could do that, Call of Duty is overly entrenched, so that no rival – no matter how relevant they are – can catch up.”
Numerous other regulatory bodies, including The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are reviewing the transaction. Approval may come this month, though.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
