Sony Unveils Astonishing Worth of Call of Duty, Leaving PlayStation Fans in Awe

Sony's concerns over Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard may have been inadvertently justified, as a leaked document suggests that Call of Duty generates a significant amount of revenue for the PlayStation platform. Despite Microsoft's assurances that the franchise will still be made available on PlayStation, Sony remains skeptical and outspoken against the deal.

So far, the ongoing hearings between FTC and Microsoft have revealed, based on one of Jim Ryan's letters, that PlayStation has seemingly earned over $800 million in revenue from Call of Duty in the United States alone, and up to $1.5 billion worldwide in 2021. The letter also implies that Call of Duty players on PlayStation have collectively spent an average of $15.9 billion annually between 2019 and 2021, encompassing expenses related to hardware, accessories, subscriptions, games, and other PlayStation services. Surprisingly, Jim Ryan's poorly redacted letter states that approximately one million PlayStation gamers exclusively play Call of Duty.

Sony wasn't the only company facing issues due to the Activision series. An email sent to Xbox chief Phil Spencer revealed that Bethesda also expressed concerns. Following Microsoft's promise to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation, Bethesda's Global Marketing SVP Pete Hines inquired about the reasoning behind Microsoft's choice to retain exclusivity and pursue multi-platform projects. This concern arose after Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax Media and their decision to make certain Bethesda projects exclusive to Xbox and PC, removing them from PlayStation.

During the FTC v. Microsoft hearings, the CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, also commented on Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription service. He deemed Game Pass destructive, asserting that all publishers unanimously dislike it. When asked about his statements, Ryan explained that he frequently engages in conversations with publishers who commonly hold a negative view of Game Pass. The outcome of the Activision Blizzard deal remains uncertain, but it is clear that Sony is unlikely to relent in its opposition.

Source: The Verge