Microsoft Gaming CEO says Sony just wants to hurt Xbox

The public feud between two of the largest console game companies has intensified. In a recent podcast appearance, Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming He criticized Sony for wanting to grow by “making the Xbox smaller.” The accusation follows the Federal Trade Commission I decided to file a lawsuit To prevent Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision because of the recently acquired game-making pattern Such as starfield exclusive.

Sony is leading the conversation about why the deal didn’t go through to protect its dominant position on the console, so the thing they’re holding onto is Call of dutySpencer said during an interview The second request Antitrust podcast last week (Across VGC). “The world’s largest console maker objects to the one franchise we said would continue to ship on the platform.”

Spencer went on to compare Xbox’s strategy of bringing the day and date of its games to PC and Game Pass with Sony’s focus on keeping the latest first-party blockbusters like Horizon Forbidden West And the God of War Ragnarok exclusive to the console for the first few years. “Sony is trying to protect its console dominance,” said Spencer. “The way they’re growing is by making the Xbox smaller.” The implication is that Sony is pushing hard to block Activision’s $69 billion deal not because it’s bad for consumers, but because it’s not good for the PlayStation.

Read more: 2022 was the year the video game industry ate itself

Microsoft ramps up its PR assault as regulators weigh the pros and cons of absorbing the seventh-biggest game publisher by revenue into buy his way inside The second place in the gaming space. The company agreed to a 10-year deal to keep her Call of duty on PlayStation, in addition to plans Bringing the franchise back to the Nintendo platform. Arguing put likes Monitoring 2 And the Diablo IV In Game Pass it means more choice for players, not less. All while Sony continues to do everything it accuses Microsoft of wanting to do, like pay to keep major games like Final Fantasy XVI from Xbox.

But there was one major flaw in the argument: starfield. Microsoft bought Bethesda for $7.5 billion in 2021, and months after sealing the deal, it announced its next sprawling RPG. Skyrim It will be the studio Exclusive Xbox Series X/S console. Redfall very. The tech giant has tried to split hairs on why starfield It was a singular exception, and why Call of duty Other Activision games will not fall into the same category. Not convinced, the FTC pointed out starfield Twist as one of the main reasons to file an antitrust lawsuit.

And because of that lawsuit, we’re likely going to have several more months of nausea Sniper unit war from both sides. To say the least, it’s refreshing not to see giant corporations trying to pretend to be gimmicks On stage at The Game Awards. Companies are not friends of you or each other.