Microsoft continues to lobby with tough expectations to approve Activision Blizzard acquisition. As it attempts to convince the regulatory bodies to greenlight the purchase, the tech giant showed that it isn’t afraid to throw shade at its biggest detractor and competition, Sony. Microsoft argues that Sony has effectively blocked a handful of games from going to Xbox platforms.
Microsoft’s latest claims don’t show the best contrast between Sony and Sony.
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MS has already told the CMA that Final Fantasy VII Remake can’t be released on Xbox. Because Sony signed an exclusion agreement for several games including FF VII.https://t.co/g5URqGI2HA https://t.co/jbk6hXoQej pic.twitter.com/caChLDNkrH.
Xbox – Korea’s Internet (@KoreaXboxnews) December 22, 2022
According to Microsoft (AS Korea) and KoreaXboxNews, Sony set up deals with a handful of third-party publishers that require the exclusion of Xbox from the list of platforms they’re allowed to download their games on.
Microsoft named the following games as part of the deal:
- Final Fantasy 7 remakes: 1.
- Bloodborne
- Final Fantasy 16 is final.
- Silent Hill 2 remake.
Bloodborne’s exclusion is understandable. The award-winning title was published by Sony, so it’s more likely that it’ll remain on the PlayStation forever. Even though we don’t do the deal with Square Enix and Konami for Final Fantasy 7 Remake or Final Fantasy 16 and Silent Hill 2 respectively, we have a lot of money. What Microsoft is saying is true, it will show the very same thing about Sony all along. The PlayStation makers are a top-rated games company. Although Final Fantasy and Silent Hill are commonly associated with the PlayStation brand, they are developed, published and owned by third parties.
By deliberately avoiding companies like Square Enix and Konami from making their games accessible to Xbox One platforms forever, Sony is feeding the narrative that it’s guilty of the same thing that it’s arguing against.
Final Fantasy 16 will be in the market until 2024.
It remains to be seen whether this will affect Microsoft’s efforts to buy Activision Blizzard. But, the immediate impression is Sony has the strength to make something so big. There are other third-party games that Sony won’t be able to come to the Xbox platform. Final Fantasy 14 and Forspoken definitely come into mind. Even though it’s clear here, Silent Hill 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth will never pass with Final Fantasy 16.