The Verge’s Tom Warren has revealed that UK newspapers are featuring full-page ads for Microsoft’s proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard, which claims that the Xbox format holder will be able to bring Call of Duty to more than 150 million new players if the deal is secured.
Major newspapers including The Financial Times and the Daily Mail featured the ad, referencing Microsoft’s plans to bring the first-person military shooter franchise to Nintendo Switch and GeForce Now users — both of which represented a combined 150 million install base.
Sony is opposed to the deal, and it’s been claimed that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said that the format holder isn’t interested in securing a new deal for Call of Duty games on its platforms, but simply wants to block the merger. This is despite the fact Microsoft has offered the chance for new Call of Duty games to be released day and date on PlayStation Plus.
Elsewhere, Sony has also expressed concern that Microsoft would deliberately sabotage the quality and performance of new Call of Duty games on PlayStation formats.
While the deal has yet to officially go through, it has been reported that the EU is likely to approve the merger.
[Source – VGC]