Microsoft signed a 10-year deal to release upcoming Call of Duty titles to Nintendo hardware. According to Reuters, the official agreement came just one day before Microsoft President Brad Smith met with EU antitrust regulators.
The statement says the following: “Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players – the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity – so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty. We are committed to providing long term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, bringing more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market.”The deal marks the first time Call of Duty will appear on Nintendo consoles since 2013. The deal between Microsoft and Nintendo was announced by Xbox head Phil Spencer in December 2022; it’s now officially been signed on the dotted line.
Related: Microsoft Brings ‘Call of Duty’ Into Activision Merger Deal
Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard, announced in January 2022, has had some run-ins with regulators.
The US FTC announced plans to block the merger in December on grounds of antitrust, arguing the deal “would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.”
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the deal could harm UK gamers(Opens in a new tab), concluding that “Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers.
Featured News
Judge Mehta Questions Both Sides in Landmark Google Antitrust Case
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
FCC Urges Urgent Funding for Removal of Chinese Telecom Equipment from U.S. Networks
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Former Pioneer CEO Facing Potential Criminal Charges For Colluding With OPEC
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
South Korea’s Antitrust Regulator Greenlights K-Pop Powerhouse Deal
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Exxon’s Pioneer Purchase Approved, Former CEO Barred from Board
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI