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Our desire is to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation - Phil Spencer

SNG32

Member
Phil will continue to put Call of duty on playstation the only way he will stop is if gamepass is so lucrative that Microsoft doesn't need to. Most of you guys are thinking on some console war bullshit. But this is business make money on the phyiscal and digital sales on Playstation consoles since they have the higher use base to purchase games. At the same time draw in more people to gamepass and they can play the game free of charge if they subscribe. Microsoft will get more subscribers on gamepass and more sales on the digital and physical end through Sony sales. They will definitely put exclusive content though to entice more people to gamepass.
 
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Jigsaah

Gold Member
I think COD stays on Playstation. Why can't we just take the man at his word and stop freaking out. There may be some extra perks for Xbox or PC (including Gamepass day 1 on Xbox and PC) but you don't spend 70 billion and then cut off the majority of your player base from the biggest shooter franchise ever made.

Relax Sony folks...you're fine.
 
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Are you delusional?

He said we plan to keep COD (the franchise) on PS. That's as clear and conclusive as it gets.

He may absolutely change his mind after the deal closes. But his comments here are very clear.
Unfortunately, you're the delusional one. Phil (more his PR team) chose the words very carefully.

He INTENDS to honor CURRENT contracts.

Translation: Any games already on PlayStation and any games already contracted to be coming to PlayStation will remain in place.

He DESIRES to be able to keep Call of Duty franchises on PlayStation.

Translation: Sure, they'll put future Call of Duty games on PS5...... IF they allow GamePass on PS5 (which they won't)

This is almost the exact wording he used when talking about Bethesda. When the ink dried it became 100% clear what the intentions were - any NEW games made without prior contractual obligations will be exclusive to platforms where GamePass resides.
 
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Topher

Gold Member
Translation: Sure, they'll put future Call of Duty games on PS5...... IF they allow GamePass on PS5 (which they won't)

This is almost the exact wording he used when talking about Bethesda. When the ink dried it became 100% clear what the intentions were - any NEW games made without prior contractual obligations will be exclusive to platforms where GamePass resides.

And he has used none of that wording when talking about Call of Duty so.....
 
Unfortunately, you're the delusional one. Phil (more his PR team) chose the words very carefully.

He INTENDS to honor CURRENT contracts.

Translation: Any games already on PlayStation and any games already contracted to be coming to PlayStation will remain in place.

He DESIRES to be able to keep Call of Duty franchises on PlayStation.

Translation: Sure, they'll put future Call of Duty games on PS5...... IF they allow GamePass on PS5 (which they won't)

This is almost the exact wording he used when talking about Bethesda. When the ink dried it became 100% clear what the intentions were - any NEW games made without prior contractual obligations will be exclusive to platforms where GamePass resides.

You're just injecting your own delusions into a pretty clear and simple statement.

You guys have really lost your minds.

This Activision acquisition has put you fanboys in a state of maddened insensate delirium.
 
And he has used none of that wording when talking about Call of Duty so.....

"I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation."

That's Phil's exact, carefully worded, PR statement.

Future Call of Duty games that do not already have contractual agreements with Sony will NOT be on PlayStation for as long as Sony refuses to put GamePass on their platform (aka forever).

Just deal with this truth and move on.
 
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JLB

Banned
Lol, theres people out there that truly believes that MS will keep publishing new cods and diablos on ps?
Do you think a draconian company like MS burns 70 fucking billion us dollars in cash to play good friends with the competition?
They are buying content, and they are buying it to prevent others to have it. As simple as that. If not, tell me where i can watch Netflix originals… other than in Netflix itself.
 
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Lognor

Banned
Yeah, but in the case of Bethesda Microsoft was buying a private company. Now we are talking about buying a publicly trade corporation. He cannot legally make false statements here at all.

No idea why you think my "hopes" are anything here. I have no personal interest in playing Call of Duty and I've owned Xbox Series X for a while now.
So you're saying a public company can lie when acquiring a private company but can't lie when acquiring a public company? What? You make no sense.

Phil is using the same type of cryptic language he did prior to the Bethesda acquisition. When it finalizes I'm sure he'll be very clear like he was previously.
 
Lol, theres people out there that truly believes that MS will keep publishing new cods and diablos on ps?
Do you think a draconian company like MS burns 70 fucking billion us dollars in cash to play good friends with the competition?
They are buying content, and they are buying it to prevent others to have it. As simple as that. If not, tell me where i can watch Netflix originals… other than in Netflix itself.
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Fredrik

Member
Can this guy ever speak in absolutes? People think Jim Ryan lies all the time when everything this guy says can be taken more than one way at all times.
Yeah, I don’t get it, there is always a way to misinterpret what he says, and if he can’t be direct for legal reasons then why is he talking at all?
He should be a politician.
 
Yeah, I don’t get it, there is always a way to misinterpret what he says, and if he can’t be direct for legal reasons then why is he talking at all?
He should be a politician.
Transparency has been working for them lately. Seems to be part of their PR strategy.

If Call of Duty isn't on PS, then people are somewhat aware that they tried. They're in negotiations currently. He's telling people to not panic yet, and wait for more info.

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Topher

Gold Member
Good grief. I give up.

You'll realize what is obvious to most people paying attention soon enough. Until then, believe whatever you want.

I'm not the one making up silly "translations", but sure you do you.

So you're saying a public company can lie when acquiring a private company but can't lie when acquiring a public company? What? You make no sense.

Google is your friend

https://www.google.com/search?q=acquisitions+misleading+investors&safe=active&ssui=on

A private owned company doesn't have stockholder investors involved. It may make no sense to you, but there is a reason the SEC is involved here and why this deal is going to take a lot longer than Bethesda.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Yeah, I don’t get it, there is always a way to misinterpret what he says, and if he can’t be direct for legal reasons then why is he talking at all?
He should be a politician.
He wants to be well liked. He knows hes got a business to run, but he also wants to be cool and hip. It's like when he led the charge against Sony for not allowing crossplatform play in fortnite. He was all "I am pro-consumer on the side of the little guy" while Im like dude, you are literally forcing people to pay for XBL to play a F2P game like Fortnite while Sony doesnt. It took him three years to kill that requirement after Sony allowed crossplay and that too came after he literally doubled the price of XBL Gold from $60 to $120.
 

Fredrik

Member
Transparency has been working for them lately. Seems to be part of their PR strategy.

If Call of Duty isn't on PS, then people are somewhat aware that they tried. They're in negotiations currently. He's telling people to not panic yet, and wait for more info.
I really don’t understand that PR strategy. Most people haven’t bought a PS5/XSX console yet. What’s Microsoft gaining at this point by having Playstation fans without a PS5 thinking Call of Duty will keep on existing on Playstation if that’s not the real plan? CoD fans on PS4 will go from PS4 to PS5 instead of PS4 to XSX.
 
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Warablo

Member
Again, why pay 70 billion dollars to become a multiplatform developer? They could have easily paid way less and had CoD release on Game Pass.
 

dotnotbot

Member
Again, why pay 70 billion dollars to become a multiplatform developer? They could have easily paid way less and had CoD release on Game Pass.
70 billion wasn't just for COD, they can put exclusive content in it, day 1 on gamepass vs $70 everywhere else, make them timed exclusive etc. Endless possibilities with all those big franchises from Acti/Blizz + endless profits from Candy Crush alone.

And also they're sure Facebook or Amazon won't buy them and keep exclusive for themselves.
 
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NickFire

Member
Again, why pay 70 billion dollars to become a multiplatform developer? They could have easily paid way less and had CoD release on Game Pass.
You are asking the wrong question. The right question is:

Would Netflix have ever reached its current saturation point, if Apple had said no competitors to its own video store were allowed on Apple products?
 
I really don’t understand that PR strategy. Most people haven’t bought a PS5/XSX console yet. What’s Microsoft gaining at this point by having Playstation fans without a PS5 thinking Call of Duty will keep on existing on Playstation if that’s not the real plan? CoD fans on PS4 will go from PS4 to PS5 instead of PS4 to XSX.
I think that is the real plan.
 

Warablo

Member
You are asking the wrong question. The right question is:

Would Netflix have ever reached its current saturation point, if Apple had said no competitors to its own video store were allowed on Apple products?
Oh, if Sony allows Game Pass no doubt Microsoft will let them keep CoD through the service. I am more addressing all these people saying CoD is staying on PlayStation because its too much money.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Again, why pay 70 billion dollars to become a multiplatform developer? They could have easily paid way less and had CoD release on Game Pass.
They are not a developer. They are a distributor. They want gamepass everywhere and they cant get there without access to Sony and Nintendo's 200 million userbases.

Now, this move is designed to do one of two things. 1) Put sony out of business. 2) Put gamepass on PSN by holding CoD hostage.

Either move helps MS.
 

Lognor

Banned
I'm not the one making up silly "translations", but sure you do you.



Google is your friend

https://www.google.com/search?q=acquisitions+misleading+investors&safe=active&ssui=on

A private owned company doesn't have stockholder investors involved. It may make no sense to you, but there is a reason the SEC is involved here and why this deal is going to take a lot longer than Bethesda.
But you seem to forget that Microsoft is a public company! Ms cannot lie. It's the same story as with Bethesda
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I really don’t understand that PR strategy. Most people haven’t bought a PS5/XSX console yet. What’s Microsoft gaining at this point by having Playstation fans without a PS5 thinking Call of Duty will keep on existing on Playstation if that’s not the real plan? CoD fans on PS4 will go from PS4 to PS5 instead of PS4 to XSX.
MS cant say they will make CoD exclusive just now. The deal hasnt gone through. Making those statements will run afoul of anti-trust laws that could jeopardize the acquisition.

For Bethesda, he said the same thing. he will honor existing agreements. And that he will look at Bethesda games on a case by case basis. Six months later after the deal went through, he said sike, everything is exclusive.
 

Topher

Gold Member
But you seem to forget that Microsoft is a public company! Ms cannot lie. It's the same story as with Bethesda

If Microsoft "cannot lie" then I guess we will be seeing plenty of Call of Duty on PlayStation in the future.
 

Zug

Member
Software is what makes the real money for Microsoft, hardware isn't in their DNA and never has been.
Quite the opposite of Sony which is an electronic engineering company.

Microsoft has the opportunity of becoming the multiplatform Steam/Videogame Netflix, to distribute their content through all means and everywhere with their gamepass : PC, consoles, streaming.
They own the software developpement (studios) and the architecture (cloud), the Xbox plastic box is anectodical in the bigger picture.
 

Rippa

Member
I could see a future where CoD will become:

GamePass only. No physical release.

This makes me a sad Panda.

I don’t want to pay $15/mo just to play CoD.
 
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sainraja

Member
Software is what makes the real money for Microsoft, hardware isn't in their DNA and never has been.
Quite the opposite of Sony which is an electronic engineering company.

Microsoft has the opportunity of becoming the multiplatform Steam/Videogame Netflix, to distribute their content through all means and everywhere with their gamepass : PC, consoles, streaming.
They own the software developpement (studios) and the architecture (cloud), the Xbox plastic box is anectodical in the bigger picture.
That is certainly possible if you look at the PC space. Now they are even making their own PC hardware along with the other PC makers (e.g. Dell) so it is in the realm of possibility that they are trying to force the same kind of future. Not saying it is good or bad but it is one possibility if this 'move' really gives them that kind of leverage over Sony & Nintendo.

And as the Xbox diehards keep insisting that COD will go full exclusive after the smoke clears, it will also be a real test of how strong COD as a game/brand is. It's been a multi-platform one so far but exclusivity is a going to be a factor if this reality comes to pass.
 
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NickFire

Member
They are not a developer. They are a distributor. They want gamepass everywhere and they cant get there without access to Sony and Nintendo's 200 million userbases.

Now, this move is designed to do one of two things. 1) Put sony out of business. 2) Put gamepass on PSN by holding CoD hostage.

Either move helps MS.
Remember Phil's comment from yesterday or prior day about MS and Sony being good for gaming, and the bigger companies not so good?

Like others, I interpreted that comment from a customer point of view regarding the absurdity of taking COD away to save gaming. But let's step back for a second. What would actually happen if MS crushed Sony? Would they just go out of business? Or would their gaming division get sold to one of the same companies that MS does not feel is good for gaming?
 

Fredrik

Member
Again, why pay 70 billion dollars to become a multiplatform developer? They could have easily paid way less and had CoD release on Game Pass.
I’m thinking they did it to block Tencent or Facebook.

And multiplat games means a bigger userbase and more money. Haven’t seen any platform split figures but I’m guessing that erasing PS from the CoD equation would erase at least half the CoD console money.
Then again, $70B is a lot of money too…
 

Fredrik

Member
MS cant say they will make CoD exclusive just now. The deal hasnt gone through. Making those statements will run afoul of anti-trust laws that could jeopardize the acquisition.
I see people mentioning anti-trust laws but what’s the details there?
 

lingpanda

Member
The deal hasn't closed. MS isn't going to state something controversial until the deal is final. Once final, my bet it will be hard to keep COD and others on PS without gamepass.
 

Lognor

Banned
If Microsoft "cannot lie" then I guess we will be seeing plenty of Call of Duty on PlayStation in the future.
Did Spencer say you'll see"plenty" of cod? No. He said something to the effect that they want to continue with the franchise on ps. They do that via warzone.
 

SNG32

Member
I’m thinking they did it to block Tencent or Facebook.

And multiplat games means a bigger userbase and more money. Haven’t seen any platform split figures but I’m guessing that erasing PS from the CoD equation would erase at least half the CoD console money.
Then again, $70B is a lot of money too…

It would take microsoft 12-13 years to recoup from the acquistion if we are talking about people just accessing these games through gamepass users. Microsoft is still going to be releasing on competing platforms such as steam and playstations. If they make Call of duty exclusive to only Xbox and PC I expect the triple AAA quaility to take a huge dip.
 
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