To keep regulators happy, Microsoft is pledging to continue publishing Activision Blizzard games for the PlayStation even after distribution deals with Sony expire.
The company made the statement as the US Federal Trade Commission is reportedly scrutinizing Microsoft’s $68.7 billion plan to buy Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft already said it plans on keeping Activision’s Call of Duty franchise on the PlayStation platform. But technically, it only committed to honoring Activision’s “existing agreements” with Sony, which naturally raised questions about how long that Call of Duty support might last.
On Wednesday, Microsoft tried to clear the air. The company reiterated it will “continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available” on PlayStation through the existing agreements. “And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love,” Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post.
“We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform,” he added. “We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.”
The statements signal that none of the major titles from Activision Blizzard will be exclusive to Microsoft’s Xbox. Instead, Smith said the company’s goal is “to reach every gamer more easily across every platform.”
Open App Store Principles
The majority of Smith’s blog post focuses on app stores. To stay ahead of regulators, the software giant is committing to a set of “Open App Store Principles” for the Microsoft Store on Windows and for upcoming “next-generation marketplaces” focused on gaming.
The principles are designed to ensure Microsoft’s app stores operate fairly without constraining choice for third-party developers. For example, one principle says Microsoft will treat all “apps equally in our app store without unreasonable preferencing or ranking of our apps.” The company's app stores will also allow third-party developers to use their own payment systems, contrary to Apple, which has been fighting in courts to maintain control.
However, Microsoft is only applying seven out of the 11 principles to the existing Xbox console store starting today. The remaining principles, which will allow developers to use their own payment systems and let them communicate with customers, will be phased in at a later time.
Smith justified the decision, citing how Microsoft relies on the Xbox console store to recoup manufacturing costs. “Gaming consoles, specifically, are sold to gamers at a loss to establish a robust and viable ecosystem for game developers. The costs are recovered later through revenue earned in the dedicated console store," he said. "Nonetheless, we recognize that we will need to adapt our business model even for the store on the Xbox console."