Microsoft is currently in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard and that has sparked a discussion about the future exclusivity of Duty. Currently every new Duty title is available on both PlayStation and Xbox. It has become one of the largest FPS franchises on the market and the flagship of Activision. If the Microsoft acquisition goes through, then Duty will join the Xbox Game Studios family, which could mean the franchise’s days on PlayStation are numbered.
Recently, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan revealed more details about the deal Microsoft was offering to Sony, and it didn’t feel like it was adequate. Microsoft gave Sony three years after the current deal earlier Duty become an Xbox and PC exclusive, and Sony thinks that’s a disservice to players. However, the studio is also actively pursuing exclusive in-game content with all kinds of different video games and is constantly producing games that can only be played on PlayStation. These actions are making Sony’s comments sound pretty hollow and have opened up even more discussion about exclusivity in gaming.
The Call of Duty exclusivity debate explained
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. This came after months of lawsuits over workplace harassment within Activision Blizzard and significant damage to its reputation. On the other hand, Microsoft had seen a significant turnaround since the launch of Xbox One and had built a very customer-friendly reputation with the introduction of services such as Xbox Game Pass. Many players were excited about what this acquisition could entail, but it also sparked conversations about the futures of some of Activision’s biggest franchises.
Duty is one of the largest franchises on the market and has been available on almost every platform. PlayStation and Xbox gamers have both been able to view the latest entries and play together via crossplay. The only major difference is that the last few entries include some exclusive perks for PlayStation players, and Xbox had the same deal before. Black Ops 3 issued. Now that can all change with Duty set to join Xbox’s growing line of franchises.
There are some concerns about the future of Duty and whether it will still be available on any major platform. While it was originally reported that the franchise may remain cross-platform Minecraft did, there were some new developments that drastically changed the conversation. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan Has Revealed That Xbox Has Only Offered To Keep Duty on 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 this deal is inadequate and negatively impacting its players. Duty is one of the biggest franchises in gaming, and losing access to the title would be a major blow to the platform. On the other hand, making the franchise exclusive to Xbox could greatly increase the appeal of the console in the eyes of many players. It would also increase the value of Xbox Game Pass as the newest Duty titles are available from day one. At the same time, Sony is also actively pursuing its own exclusive content to boost the PlayStation 5, fueling the debate over exclusivity even further.
Sony actively pursues exclusive deals
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Sony feels that the deal Microsoft has offered is inadequate and negatively impacts the players, but the company is also committed to getting as much exclusive content for its platform as possible. It has acquired studios to increase its portfolio and is actively pursuing exclusive in-game content for games such as Hogwarts Legacy or Marvel’s Avengers. Furthermore, it has created many exclusive first-party games and even locked timed exclusives with games like Final Fantasy 16. All these actions make Sony’s comments about: Duty ring hollow, and almost feel a little hypocritical.
Sony’s first-party studios are actively working on new experiences for PlayStation players, and no other platform will get these titles in the foreseeable future. Games like God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider Man 2and Ratchet and Clank Rift split up are all only playable on PlayStation consoles. Recently, the studio released 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 aren’t the only games Sony grabs for PlayStation 5. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 16 will also be a PlayStation exclusive. This is supposed to be a timed exclusive, but there’s no news on when that time will actually be up. Square Enix isn’t a first-party studio, but Sony did manage to get an exclusive deal with it that will keep the game off the Xbox for a while. It has also done similar things with pronounced.
Games aren’t the only thing that Sony makes exclusively for PlayStation. It is also aiming for in-game content for multi-platform games and making them PlayStation only. These are not only cosmetics, but also entire characters or missions. Marvel’s Avengers featured Spider-Man as a playable character, but only if players played the game on PlayStation. The following Hogwarts Legacy will feature an exclusive quest only available to PlayStation players, and those same players will also get access to a special pre-order drink. These are just a few of the latest in-game exclusives, and there are bound to be more.
Sony seems to be constantly chasing PlayStation exclusive content to increase the appeal of its gaming ecosystem, but at the same time it is criticizing Microsoft for considering Duty an exclusive Xbox and PC franchise. Sony’s business practices don’t seem to align with the messages it sends Microsoft, which makes its comments questionable. Exclusives aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but the debate will continue, mainly because Duty is approaching a possible future without PlayStation.
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