A PYMNTS Company

Microsoft Says Sony Is Misleading European Commissioners

By  |  January 29, 2023

Microsoft communications lead Frank Shaw accused Sony CEO Jim Ryan of misleading leaders in the European Union’s regulatory commission.

Shaw made the comments on Twitter after Reuters reported that Ryan met EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager. While Reuters didn’t provide details of the conversation between Vestager and Ryan, apparently Microsoft got wind of it anyway.

Shaw said Ryan tried convincing Vestager that Microsoft would be “unwilling to offer them parity for Call of Duty ”after the acquisition went through, resurrecting previous concerns from Sony about how accessible the FPS franchise would be on PlayStation platforms.

Read more: EU’s Vestager Met With Sony’s Gaming Chief On Microsoft’s Activision Deal

Shaw reiterated Microsoft’s line as well and said the Redmond-based software company offered a 10-year deal that promised the same features and releases, available at the same time as they launch on Xbox.

Shaw said Microsoft even offered to make these terms enforceable via contract, similar to the deal that reportedly now exists between Nintendo and Microsoft.