One of the FTC’s evidence against the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft regard Starfieldi.e. the behavior of the Redmond company after the acquisition of Zenimax, which made it aXbox and PC exclusive.
According to what the FTC argued in an official document of the process that sees it as opposed to Microsoft, whose first hearing is taking place in these hours, Starfield would be a “decisive evidence” against Microsoft’s reassurances on keeping Call of Duty multiplatform.
FTC: “Microsoft’s Shares After 2021 Zenimax Acquisition, Speak Louder Than Defendants.”
As you know, Microsoft has repeatedly reiterated that it will not take Call of Duty away from PlayStationin case the acquisition goes through, because it wouldn’t make sense to do it, given that the strength of the series comes from its sales on all platforms.
However, according to the FTC, Microsoft faced the same risk of angering the gaming community when it made franchises exclusive. Zenimax. As proof, the FTC has taken an apology from Bethesda’s Pete Hines to PS5 players, regarding the cut of the game on the console.
As pointed out by the source, that of the FTC is exactly the same thesis expressed by Sony at the beginning of the year on why Microsoft cannot be trusted regarding the claims made on Call of Duty. Also from the folds of the process it emerged that Microsoft intends to publish other Bethesda games on the PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.
During the initiation of the process, however, it emerged that Sony’s Jim Ryan was adamant that Microsoft would not make the Call of Duty series exclusive.