Microsoft dropped an absolute bombshell when the tech behemoth announced that they would be acquiring video game publishing giant Activision Blizzard for a whopping $68.7 Billion USD. What this means for the industry is yet to be known as the deal is set to close some time next year. That being said, the console manufacturer has already offered a statement regarding Call of Duty – though it is rather confusing. On this week’s KitGuru Games, we will analyse Microsoft's statement, and what we think it actually means for the future of the franchise – all corporate speak removed.
Call of Duty is by far Activision’s biggest intellectual property. Since 2003, the first-person shooter franchise has made Activision over $27 Billion USD – which is almost 40% of the entire value of the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. Call of Duty is Activision’s cash cow, however now in the hands of Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the franchise could go in any number of directions.
Firstly, let's address Spencer’s official word on the matter. Just days after the acquisition announcement, Phil Spencer took to Twitter to say “Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.”
What this means exactly is still unknown. Upon initial reading, one may think that what Spencer is saying is that Call of Duty will forever remain a multiplatform title, however with his strategic use of phrases such as “intent to honor” and “existing agreements” it is just as likely that Call of Duty will remain on playStation only for as long as previous contracts dictate.
Ever since 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the franchise has been closely aligned with PlayStation. During the early days, this would mean that Sony consoles saw access to new maps and weapons a whole month earlier than other systems. As cross-play became a much bigger demand from players, the need to ensure equality between systems was realised, and so the ‘PlayStation Advantage’ came in the form of some timed-exclusive modes – most of which were throwaway and low-effort – and marketing rights of course.
It is safe to assume that this partnership between the two companies is contracted to last for a certain number of Call of Duty entries. How many exactly? No one knows, and so it is entirely possible that as soon as all contracts and agreements made between Sony and Activision on behalf of Call of Duty are up, the franchise could go exclusive.
Another way to read Phil Spencer’s statement is that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation permanently. As mentioned earlier, Call of Duty has made Activision Blizzard $27 Billion since 2003. Microsoft could in theory just keep the ball rolling exactly as is, and in a few short years, the price of acquiring the entirety of Activision Blizzard could be paid for using only Call of Duty money. This is potentially backed up by Spencer’s confusing statement.
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.
The specific use of the word ‘and' when saying “I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation” could mean that the intention to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation goes beyond any contractual agreements. The word ‘and’ is a coordinating conjunction, the purpose of which is to “connect words, phrases, and clauses that are of equal importance in the sentence.”
Using the word ‘and’ in the context of Phil Spencer’s statement could therefore suggest that the statement “I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation” could be also read as “ I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation” – as the first half of the sentence refers to other non-Call of Duty related contracts and agreements. There is of course another, relatively recent, variable which throws a spanner into everything. I am of course referring to Call of Duty: Warzone.
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