An Activision executive with a history of taking swipes at Sony on Twitter reveals a comment made by Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan regardingCall of Duty. The comment made by Sony’s head can be interpreted as brazenly stubborn without additional context but throws in a new element asMicrosoftbattles with regulators to complete the deal.The saga of the Microsoft and Activision merger and Sony’s attempts to block the deal has taken many turns and included some theatrics along the way like Microsoft president Brad Smith pulling out an unsigned agreement during a press briefing in Brussels. This was the same dayMicrosoft announced a deal with Nintendo that would bringCall of Dutybackto the platform. While Sony continues to stonewall Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard with arguments of competitive worries with theCall of Dutybrand, Microsoft is making 10-year deals with Nintendo and NVIDIA to help its ongoing arguments that it does not want to restrict what platforms one of the largest gaming franchises appears on.RELATED:Microsoft is Running Full-Page Ads About Its Activision Blizzard DealActivision Executive VP of Corporate Affairs Lulu Cheng Meservy was responding to reports on Twitter thatSony is afraid that Microsoft would release buggy versions ofCall of Dutyon PlayStationif the deal were to go through in attempts to damage the game’s reputation on the platform. In the thread, she reveals a scintillating comment made by Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan during a closed-door meeting with the EU’s European Commission. She sets up questions asking why Sony is so reluctant to accept the deal Microsoft has given other companies. She then claims that during a February 21 closed-door meeting, Jim Ryan said “I don’t want a newCall of Dutydeal. I just want to block your merger.”
Lulu Cheng Meservy is a controversial figure on Twitter due to her comments on unions within Activision Blizzard and otherstatements made about the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft deal, but as a Microsoft executive, she is privy to the proceedings in regulatory courts. Tom Warren of The Verge also corroborated the statement. Removed from additional context and possible tone, Jim Ryan’s statement comes through as petty and blunt stonewalling.
Sony has seen its reputation questioned among gamers online. Gamers continue to hearMicrosoft executives make constant and consistent comments regarding theCall of Dutybrandand its plans to expand the franchise to more platforms. Sony has sent the acquisition process into a quagmire as some of the largest government regulators listen to its concerns. Even as Microsoft continues to show that it is willing to make deals, Sony does not want to lose any advantage or potential revenue fromCall of Dutysales through the PlayStation platform to its biggest competitor. If SIE CEO Jim Ryan’s comment is Sony’s true intent to thwart the Microsoft/Activision merger, it may open the door to more brash comments before the final regulatory body makes its decision.
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