Xbox boss Phil Spencer has reiterated that Call of Duty players willreceive full content and feature parityon all platforms should Microsoft acquire the franchise.
During a recentXbox Oninterview, Spencer was asked ifMicrosoftintends to offerXboxplayers any exclusive content if its $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty publisherActivision Blizzardis approved by regulators.
“When we say available everywhere or not exclusive, we want to make absolutely the best version of Call of Duty for any player on any of those platforms”, he said.
“I sit here today with a great game that’s come out in the last couple of weeks,Hogwarts Legacy. And yes, there isa quest that’s available on PlayStation, it’s not available on Xbox as part of that, and I know this is part of the industry,” Spencer continued.
“That’s not the game we’re trying to play here either. It’s not about a skin on a gun. It’s not about a certain kind of mode of the game. The same version of the game will be available on all platforms, which is really what we do today.
“Like if you’re aMinecraftplayer on PlayStation, I don’t think you feel like you have the lesser version of Minecraft orMinecraft Dungeonsor Legends, which is coming out when it ships.
“We want to make sure those players feel like they have a great experience on the platform they choose to play on.”
Regulators have expressed concerns that the acquisition couldsignificantly reduce PlayStation’s ability to competegiven that it would see Microsoft gain ownership of the Call of Duty series, whichSony has called “irreplaceable”.
In a bid to address these concerns, Microsoft recently said it hadoffered Sony a 10-year, legally enforceable contractto make each new Call of Duty game available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox.
WhileSonyhas so far refused to accept the offer, Microsoft president Brad Smith recently said he remainshopeful of striking a deal with PlayStation.
Last week, Microsoft announced it had signed a binding 10-year legal agreement tobring Call of Duty to Nintendo platformsshould the Activision Blizzard deal be approved.
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It also confirmeda 10-year partnership with Nvidiato bring its XboxPC gamesto cloud gaming service GeForce Now, including Call of Duty.
Spencer recently said Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition isnot a “linchpin” for the future of Xbox, and that the company’s gaming arm will continue to exist even if the deal is blocked by regulators.
