PlayStation Boss Admitted Xbox/Activision Deal Isn't About CoD Exclusivity In Private Email

[John Elden Ring]

Sony's PlayStation chief, Jim Ryan, and a former Sony CEO, in which the PlayStation boss discusses his belief that Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard isn't an "exclusivity play" to lock games to Xbox.

"It is not an exclusivity play at all," Ryan's email read (via The Verge). "They’re thinking bigger than that and they have the cash to make moves like this. I've spent a fair amount of time with both [Phil] Spencer and Bobby [Kotick] and I’m pretty sure we will continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for years to come."

This email runs counter to the claims that Sony has made in opposition to Microsoft's acquisition plans, as the PlayStation company has frequently argued that if the deal went through, then Microsoft would eventually turn Call of Duty into an Xbox-exclusive franchise. Microsoft would constantly dismiss these claims from Sony, and after it first offered a new three-year extension deal to Sony after the current arrangement ends, it then offered to extend that deal to 10 years, but Sony has yet to agree to it.

 

[Lord Mittens]

C'mon Jim, stick to writing emails about cats.

I appreciate it <3

 

[AshHunter216]

I'm not so sure the email runs counter to Jim's public reaction. Was it prior to him learning about the terms of these deals?

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Of course, he doesn't want people in the company to panic and lose value. People are twisting his words.

 

[KnittedKnight]

They're definitely thinking bigger - which is the problem itself. Can't get any more obvious. The sooner this clown gets replaced the better. Hopefully his stint is cut short soon... counting the days.

 

[Danja1187]

This is not the smoking gun the media is trying to make it out to be. It's clear talks were being had before he got the 3 year deal. As initially Jim Ryan never planned to go public with it, until Phil was doing media tours painting a picture he was offering the other platform a good deal.

Jim Ryan is an idiot, but not over this.

 

[daniel5043]

This is not the smoking gun the media is trying to make it out to be. It's clear talks were being had before he got the 3 year deal. As initially Jim Ryan never planned to go public with it, until Phil was doing media tours painting a picture he was offering the other platform a good deal.

Jim Ryan is an idiot, but not over this.

You know the media is gonna jump over this without any critical thought

 

[AshHunter216]

You know the media is gonna jump over this without any critical thought

They always do, but Playstation still does well.

 

[Danja1187]

You know the media is gonna jump over this without any critical thought

Absolutely! Unfortunately Playstation had shitty PR or none at all, they always allow these narratives to spread without shutting anything down.

 

[ksdixon]

This is not the smoking gun the media is trying to make it out to be. It's clear talks were being had before he got the 3 year deal. As initially Jim Ryan never planned to go public with it, until Phil was doing media tours painting a picture he was offering the other platform a good deal.

Jim Ryan is an idiot, but not over this.

Mean... Take your like and get out.
Making me like something positive about Jim Ryan.

 

[Danja1187]

Mean... Take your like and get out.
Making me like something positive about Jim Ryan.

Jim is a complex guy there is things to like and many to dislike. But one thing I can say is... Jim Ryan going public was the beginning of the end for this deal. Microsoft simply never recovered.

If the FTC can keep the heat, then good. And you know the CMA is watching.

 

[ksdixon]

Jim is a complex guy there is things to like and many to dislike. But one thing I can say is... Jim Ryan going public was the beginning of the end for this deal. Microsoft simply never recovered.

If the FTC can keep the heat, then good. And you know the CMA is watching.

Wouldn't anyone in his position/figurehead roll have made the exact same moves though? Creatively/decision wise he's still yet to win me over.

 

[Cool hand luke]

This is clearly written in response to the initial announcement and precedes any unsatisfactory deals being offered by Microsoft following that announcement. I'm sure Tom Warren mentioned this in his article?

 

[anonpuffs]

Call of duty exclusivity is just the public scare tactic to get people to care. Microsoft's bigger play is to squeeze everyone else out of the industry by forcing everything onto subscription services, killing b2p revenue, and then using their multi-trillion dollar corporation's backing to outlast the competition because they and everyone else in the AAA business knows that the returns on sub services isn't sustainable. They couldn't compete on the products the customers want, so their play is to force all the customers to accept the only product that they and no one else can give.