As CES® 2023 has rolled around this week, Microsoft and Sony’s ongoing battle has been seen and heard throughout the world. With the drama and public back-and-forth between the two tech giants, it is hard to not look in their direction to find out what will happen. For those watching, let’s find out what has been happening in recent months between the two.
Microsoft has made an offer to Sony (who has been known for having the most consoles for just over ten years with an 80% market share) to sign a 10-year agreement that would have a better offer than what Sony could have gotten on its own. Microsoft has even offered to allow Sony to have access to Call of Duty as soon as the agreement was made. Unfortunately, they refused the offer.
When asked why, Lulu Cheng Meservey, the Chief Communications Officer at Activision Blizzard, went online and made a statement saying that the CEO of SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment), Jim Ryan, just wanted to block the acquisition from going through. As stated before, the agreement was one that was more beneficial for Sony than what they could have gotten themselves, as it would have given them long-term access to Call of Duty. However, Ryan was determined to avoid the agreement being made.
This put Ryan in a clashing stance with Microsoft, as he was essentially denying them of the deal. On top of that, he was making comments that the offer was an “inadequate” one. Despite all of this, however, other companies such as Nvidia and Nintendo have accepted the offer Microsoft has made.
So, what do we make of this long-standing debacle? With the amount of time that has passed since the beginning of this battle, it is difficult to tell which company will take the lead. Is it Sony for sticking to their guns, or will Microsoft come out on top for offering what was perceived to be a great deal? Comment below with your thoughts.