Xbox claims Sony and Nintendo ‘will remain the biggest’ even after its Activision Blizzard deal

Microsoft has claimed that Sony and Nintendo will “remain the biggest” players when it comes to “traditional gaming”, even after its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through.

The company recently launched a new website designed to voice its perceived benefits of the acquisition, as the deal continues to be scrutinised by competition regulators worldwide.

Among the arguments made is the claim that the deal will “benefit the gaming industry”, and that it would lead to “greater competition in traditional gaming, where Sony and Nintendo will remain the biggest”.

It’s not entirely clear what Microsoft means by “the biggest” – whether this means it feels Sony and Nintendo will continue to sell more consoles after the acquisition, or that it simply considers them the “biggest” competition.

The new site is titled “Our vision for gaming: More choice and more games for people everywhere”, and attempts to argue that the acquisition would benefit more than just Xbox owners.

“Players and developers are at the center of Xbox,” it argues. “We want to enable people to play games anywhere, anytime and on any device.

“And developers deserve more options to build, distribute and monetize their groundbreaking games. When we do this, we all win. That’s why we’re sharing more on the industry and how our acquisition of Activision–Blizzard fits into our gaming strategy.”

The site states that the acquisition would benefit players, leading to “more games on more devices including Xbox, PlayStation, phones and online”.

Referring to Game Pass, it also claims it will give more “choice in how and where people buy games with subscription and one-off purchase options”, as well as “alternatives to gaming offerings from the dominant mobile platforms” on iOS and Android.

And in a possible reference to Activision Blizzard’s ongoing reputational issues regarding sexual assault and harassment allegations, it claims the deal will lead to an “emphasis on positive workplace culture”, as well as “increased local investment from Microsoft in studios and creative ecosystems around the world”.

Earlier this week, it was reported that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan flew to Brussels in September to meet with European Union regulators currently scrutinising Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

According to Dealreporter sources, the Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO personally visited the EU headquarters on September 8 to voice the console rival’s concerns over the proposed $68.7 billion deal.

Further reading

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Microsoft files its case for Activision acquisition with EU competition regulator

The European Commission has set a provisional deadline of November 8 to rule on the deal

PlayStation’s concerns over the deal are around the future release arrangements for the Call of Duty series – which is regularly PlayStation’s annual best-seller – and whether it will be pulled from their platforms.

Last month, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said Microsoft had committed to making Call of Duty available on PlayStation for “several more years” after Sony’s current marketing deal with Activision expires.

However, SIE CEO Ryan, who is reportedly seeking access to future Call of Duty games on equal terms and in perpetuity, responded publicly by calling Microsoft’s proposal for keeping the series on PlayStation consoles “inadequate on many levels”.