It’s really been a week when it comes to games, hasn’t it? Things may have escalated explosively with PlayStation’s Jim Ryan, and his view on how Xbox’s deal to keep the Call of Duty series on the PlayStation platform for several few years after the original contract ends is ‘Inadequate.’
For those who may have missed the big news, Microsoft is looking to acquire Activision Blizzard for the sum of $68.7 billion. While the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, and recently Microsoft has faced scrutiny from all angles regarding it, it looks like it will fall into place.
This will give Xbox access to a number of titles, including Diablo, Overwatch, Warcraft, and the reason for the ongoing discourse, Call of Duty. Despite this, Phil Spencer has stated that Xbox will honor previous agreements and is Xbox’s desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. However, it doesn’t seem like this is good enough.
Jim Ryan spoke to GamesIndustry.biz, stating that he initially wasn’t to comment on his discussions with Xbox regarding the COD series. Since then, he felt the need to set the record straight and explain why he did what he did. Which was taking previously private conversation, and bringing it into the public, because Phil Spencer did it first.
Touche!
According to Jim Ryan, “Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends. 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.
Now, I didn’t want to get sucked into this debate, but it seems that as someone who loves video games, and I write about them occasionally, this wasn’t meant to be. So, let me call it as I see it, regardless of whether anyone agrees.
For years PlayStation has made it a goal to lock AAA 3rd party titles to the PlayStation platform. Just look at what occurred with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which has yet to make its way to the Xbox. Forspoken, Final Fantasy 16, Deathloop, KOTOR remake, and Ghostwire Toyko are all timed exclusives as well, with Forspoken being a PlayStation exclusive for two years.
Why was there even a reason to keep any of these games that weren’t 1st party titles as PlayStation exclusives? I constantly see people saying, “Xbox doesn’t make good games, they just buy them,” yet PlayStation does the very same shit?
Earlier this year, Microsoft’s Brad Smith confirmed that “Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision”. He added: “We have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers, and for our business.”
Xbox’s Phil Spencer has mentioned that Xbox has provided a “signed agreement” with PlayStation that would ensure that the Call of Duty series would remain on the PlayStation platform for “several more years” beyond the original agreement that was set in place with Activision Blizzard. As for what the original agreement was, we don’t have a clue. But whatever it is, Xbox would extend that if and when the company absorbs Activision Blizzard.
Apparently, that’s not enough for Jim Ryan, whose company has enjoyed multiple 3rd party exclusives for years. As both a gamer and consumer, the amount of scrutiny that Xbox is getting is beyond silly. PlayStation can do no wrong for many; sadly, people still wear rose-tinted glasses. When one company is paying massive amounts of money to keep content and games off another platform for years, that’s business. But it’s wrong when another company does it, one that isn’t the one you care about.
I also want to toss in here in that it’s not just PlayStation that has done this. If you look back at the Xbox 360 era, there were some timed exclusive deals for the Xbox 360 as well. Though, definitely not on the level that we’ve seen ever since the PlayStation 4 hit the scene.
I get it. You need to sell consoles, and make money, so trying to keep 3rd party games or their content exclusive to your platform is a surefire way to ensure that happens. That’s business 101. A tactic that has worked damned well for the PlayStation brand. However, when the shoe is on the other foot, there’s a problem. Call of Duty prints money regardless of the platform. If PlayStation would lose access to the title, it wouldn’t be good news for the platform. This is what Jim Ryan ultimately fears. Hell, if I were him, I’d likely be in the same position.
However, you don’t spend the money that Xbox has dropped on the Activision Blizzard deal to keep those games 3rd party. That’s just crazy talk. Sure, those games will remain 3rd party for now, but what about six years for now? Ten years? What about when Xbox drops a new console, and suddenly it’s “Play Call of Duty exclusively on the new Xbox.”
PlayStation should be grateful
Let’s keep it real. If I were Jim Ryan, I’d be happy that Microsoft and Xbox are even considering PlayStation to have access to Call of Duty once the original contracts are over.
Xbox didn’t have to extend the original deal that is in place. It could have been said that once those contracts are said and done, that’s a wrap. No more Call of Duty on PlayStation. The series could have been said to come to the PlayStation, but not after it’s been released on Xbox for a year or longer.
But it didn’t, and that’s the key. Instead, Xbox offered an olive branch to PlayStation, but that wasn’t enough for Jim Ryan. Meanwhile, Xbox gamers are still waiting to finally play Deathloop, Ghostwire Tokyo, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. When are those coming, by the way?
Of course, in the end, this is all business. This is why I’ve learned that exclusives are a harsh reality in the video game industry. It’s a crazy town, where whoever is able to land that exclusive deal first and for how long, comes out on top. I’m not a fan of how this is all shaping up and have long said that let gamers play where they want. But it’s increasingly becoming “let gamers play where they want, but if they want X game, they’ll need to have this specific platform.” I hate it, but it is what it is.
Now, excuse me, I’ll have to take my leave before I’m labeled as an Xbox shill. Or is it too late already?
