Sony suggests Microsoft could intentionally make CoD buggy on PlayStation

In a recently released document, Sony shared observations on ways Microsoft could potentially impact the release of Call of Duty on platforms like PlayStation.

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A recently released document containing Sony’s observations on remedies from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority was shared that includes a number of interesting statements. Among these is one where Sony suggests that Microsoft could potentially hinder the release of games like Call of Duty on platforms like PlayStation by releasing a version where “bugs and errors emerge only on the game’s final level or after later updates.”

Sony went on to stress that even if Microsoft was operating in good faith it’d still naturally prioritize its own Xbox versions of games like Call of Duty.

Sony claims as well that Microsoft has failed to show real commitment to reaching “a negotiated outcome” as shared by outlets like Eurogamer, and that it’s dragging its feet and engaging “only when they sensed the regulatory outlook was darkening, and favored negotiating in the media over engaging with SIE.”

Promo image for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and its Season 2 content
© Infinity Ward, Activision

Microsoft responded to Sony in a statement provided to Eurogamer where it points to the CMA issuing its Provisional Findings and how it’s offered solutions including a guarantee of parity between Xbox and PlayStation.

It’ll be interesting to see, should Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard go through, whether the company attempts any of the actions suggested by Sony. Or, if it holds to its word that it won’t interfere in the release of games like Call of Duty on platforms like PlayStation.

Now that you’re caught up on Sony’s statements, and Microsoft’s response, be sure to read through some of our previous coverage including Microsoft insisting Game Pass prices won't increase with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and Microsoft signing an agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players.

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 8, 2023 12:25 PM

    Morgan Shaver posted a new article, Sony suggests Microsoft could intentionally make CoD buggy on PlayStation

    • reply
      March 8, 2023 12:31 PM

      "We won't make it any worse than the Windows version."

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      March 8, 2023 12:36 PM

      If I was playing Destiny 2 on Xbox I'd start to get worried.......

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      March 8, 2023 12:37 PM

      There is literally a decades long history of MS doing exactly that, going back to DOS. It's an entirely reasonable concern.

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        March 8, 2023 12:40 PM

        There's MS first party games being released on Playstation right now just fine, it's a dumb concern.

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          March 8, 2023 12:47 PM

          There are documented cases of them doing that sort of bullshit while officially supporting the platform.

          I mean, fuck, it's where the whole 'embrace, extend, extinguish' thing came from.

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        March 8, 2023 12:41 PM

        With the internet, modern day and how fast information spreads, I disagree. This isn't the DOS days.

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          March 8, 2023 12:49 PM

          And yet they still hijack your browser if you use Edge and change content if they think you're trying to install Chrome.

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        March 8, 2023 12:45 PM

        Didn't know they had playstation during dos days.

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          March 8, 2023 12:48 PM

          Go talk to the WordPerfect folks that were well established in the days before Microsoft Office.

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        March 8, 2023 12:50 PM

        Legit surprised at how many people think it's okay to just trust a multinational to do the right thing.

        Especially when we're in a process where we could have requirements set as part of the deal.

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          March 8, 2023 12:58 PM

          It's video games. This isn't the healthcare system

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            March 8, 2023 1:05 PM

            And that makes Sony's concern unimportant? Because it's just money?

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              March 8, 2023 3:29 PM

              It's important that companies don't do any fuckery, sure, but the death of an IP on some console is low on my list of things to be worried about.

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          March 8, 2023 1:01 PM

          [deleted]

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            March 8, 2023 1:06 PM

            MS did actually treat mac office as a second class citizen for years, and not that long ago.

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              March 8, 2023 1:27 PM

              [deleted]

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                March 8, 2023 1:32 PM

                Even if they weren't, CoD is a $70 franchise, and there are like 120MM PS4+5 devices out there. It would be penny wise and pound foolish to spend $70BN on this acquisition and then sabotage the crown jewel. Putting bugs in CoD isn't going to make people switch over from PS to XBOX, hell making CoD exclusive wouldn't either, and both Sony and MS know that. Sony's just saying dumb shit to try and block the merger. I definitely can't blame them, but still, it's a dumb "what if".

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                  March 8, 2023 1:37 PM

                  It's not about 'making COD buggy'. Think of all the properties MS with Activision would support. They could release perfectly playable games while stull ultimately giving Sony the reputation of being the platform where 3rd party ports are worse.

                  There's no reason not to put some restrictions or guarantees on this sort of deal; these types of mergers aren't good for consumers and getting at least some protections against that in writing at least ensures no idiot VP at MS moves in that direction in the future.

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                    March 8, 2023 1:51 PM

                    That seems far fetched imo.

                    But this could happen entirely as a self own without needing a 3rd party doing it. Just look at Baldurs Gate 3 not being released on Xbox yet because they haven't been able to get split screen mode running on the Series S and MS is not allowing them to remove it from one that SKU,. so in the meantime no game at all.

                    Or PlayStation 3 during the 1st years that it was a pain to develop for it.

                    MS will definitely want that CoD money flowing and sabotaging their own games will not get them sympathy imo.

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                      March 8, 2023 1:59 PM

                      You're looking at a move that leads to massive market consolidation; it's already an anticompetitive move that's not good for consumers.

                      Why not include some protections if you're going to approve a deal like that? It's literally the least they could do.

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                        March 8, 2023 2:03 PM

                        I agree with you on that. Not only because I think it’s detrimental to gaming in general but also because I have low expectations on MS ability to manage all these studios I’m just basing that on their previous gen output and the 343i ordeal.

                        MS also was about to quit Xbox entirely after Xbox One but Phil convinced the top dogs he could steer the ship back to glory.

                        But I think the deal is inevitable.

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                          March 8, 2023 2:04 PM

                          That's literally all I ever suggested.

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              March 9, 2023 3:49 AM

              [deleted]

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            March 8, 2023 5:02 PM

            [deleted]

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          March 8, 2023 1:03 PM

          Games are so hyper analyzed today I honestly don't see how they would get away with it and not destroy any goodwill

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          March 8, 2023 1:05 PM

          it's a weird take

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          March 8, 2023 1:11 PM

          Legit surprised that you completely ignore that MS are releasing games on Playstation right now with zero issues or differences between the Xbox and Playstation versions / feature sets. We're talking about MS games division after all. This is a complete non issue.

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          March 8, 2023 3:33 PM

          I mean, I kind of agree with you, but on the otherhand...I despise Activision-Blizzard so much that I no longer wish for it to exist.

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          March 8, 2023 11:11 PM

          Yeah seems that people somehow trust MS because I doknow, it's American and Phil is a nice guy? So naive.

          This deal is bad for consumers more than for Sony. I hope it doesn't go through.

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        March 8, 2023 1:02 PM

        At what point do we think it's the same company? We often hear "this isn't the same MS that did X" so why not the benefit of the doubt here?

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        March 8, 2023 3:20 PM

        tell us about the war again gramps

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      March 8, 2023 12:42 PM

      The Activision deal has really got Sony execs pissing their collective pants

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        March 8, 2023 12:49 PM

        [deleted]

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        March 8, 2023 2:53 PM

        Because they have been making exclusive CoD deals to make it seem like CoD only existed on PlayStation.

        Now that it’ll likely be MS’s turn, they’re crying foul because they were doing it first!

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          March 8, 2023 2:56 PM

          Microsoft did the same in the 360 era so it goes back and forth, nothing new there.

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          March 8, 2023 5:11 PM

          I've got all but one friend converted to PC for playing COD. They all are amazed at how much better it is. Took me awhile to get them convinced to switch.

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          March 9, 2023 3:13 AM

          MS had COD for a good number of years too

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        March 8, 2023 3:35 PM

        If you’re worried about monopolies it should make you piss your pants too.

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      March 8, 2023 12:57 PM

      That’s silly, Microsoft wants to make money or so I hope. If this happens they call them out.

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        March 8, 2023 1:24 PM

        [deleted]

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          March 8, 2023 1:26 PM

          She's one of the tops at Activision. She's said that MS offered Sony a 10 year deal for Call of Duty that was on better terms than Activision would offer them. They've even offered to let Call of Duty go on Playstation plus.

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            March 8, 2023 1:40 PM

            How do we know she isn't making that quote up

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              March 8, 2023 3:21 PM

              I suspect she was paraphrasing and I doubt they said that exactly.

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                March 8, 2023 3:45 PM

                she’s using quotes though

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                  March 8, 2023 11:11 PM

                  Well I'm seeing it reported more widely now as well so she's standing by the comments. Nobody going to know it's true ecept her and Jim Ryan and anyone else was there. But Sony have seemingly been uninterested in talking with MS so it's not exactly a surprise.

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              March 8, 2023 4:16 PM

              [deleted]

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      March 8, 2023 4:56 PM

      In other news after finally finishing Elden Ring Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Returnal and a litany of JRPGs, Sony Execs have finally played a CoD game. President and CEO of SIE, Jim Ryan, was reported saying, "What the fuck is this? I fell off the map. How do you fall off a map? There were all of these blank squares at the top of the screen. What's up with that? I attempted cross-play and I got some kind of DemonSeedFaillTunnel01 error? What the hell? I wanted to see what all the hype was about, because the numbers for these games are phenomenal, and when I tried to join a game with Dave Hewett he was shooting a gun, but his arm was hanging out in front of him! People pay for this?"

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        March 9, 2023 12:15 AM

        I'm not sure why that's being circulated; it's stating the obvious.

        Like of course Sony sees the merger as not in their best interests. A deal for COD wouldn't change that calculus at all.

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          March 9, 2023 12:48 AM

          Regulators prefer these things to be resolved without them getting involved. The fact that MS have made offers that NVIDIA and Nintendo are happy with it puts them in a better light and Sony in a more negative position with the regulators that they aren't willing to discuss / negotiate.

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            March 9, 2023 1:15 AM

            I see your point, but this is a massive merger they'll absolutely be involved in.

            And this is literally Sony's public position; that's the thing I don't get. A COD agreement doesn't help them in the broader sense; it's no remedy.

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              March 9, 2023 5:20 AM

              A COD agreement doesn't help them in the broader sense

              Help them? It is absolutely not the job of these regulatory bodies to help Sony, at all. It is their job to determine whether or not the merger is anti-competitive and anti-consumer.

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                March 9, 2023 10:14 AM

                And what do you think help them meant in this case.

                That's exactly what I'm talking about.

                5his is inherently anticompetitive.

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        March 9, 2023 3:14 AM

        I need better receipts for this

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      March 9, 2023 12:50 AM

      Yes Sony, tell us more about making specific versions of a game better than others: https://www.gamesradar.com/hogwarts-legacy-playstation-exclusive-quest-haunted-hogsmeade-shop/

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        March 9, 2023 12:56 AM

        Yeah I think some of the Sony's examples here are a little to specific, suggesting about putting a bug in the last level of a game on purpose.

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