Microsoft Claims 10 Years is Sufficient for Sony to Develop Call of Duty Alternatives

For over a year now, video game industry rivals Microsoft and PlayStation are in a struggle over a proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision/Blizzard to protect their share in console market by having Call of Duty titles on their platform.

Microsoft has previously offered Sony 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation but looks like, they have no interest in any deal. Xbox maker has reportedly told regulators that 10 year is sufficient to develop Call of Duty alternatives.

UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed concerns that Activision merger could reduce PlayStation's ability to compete as Microsoft will be owning Call of Duty series and Sony would be at a cliff edge at the end of this deal.

A newly published document to CMA reveals that Xbox owner states that a period of 10 years is sufficient for a console platform and leading publisher like Sony to develop alternatives to first-person shooter franchise without any trouble.

In order to gain approval for Activision/Blizzard buyout, Microsoft has agreed to make each Call of Duty game available on PlayStation console at launch-day for a 10-year period, with contents and feature parity if A/B/K deal goes through.

Xbox's offered 10- year term extends into next PlayStation console generation and practically, it goes beyond that period as games downloaded in final year of their deal can still be played for a lifetime of that console gen and even beyond.

Next-gen PlayStation console owners will be able to play those games later on using backwards compatibility option. Sony however, argues that it is impossible to replace Call of Duty franchise and they even called it totally "irreplaceable".

Call of Duty has broke into top 10 entertainment brands, sitting next to Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Regardless, Microsoft sees no reason to extend current licensing agreement beyond proposed period.