You might think that Microsoft would be content to just sit back and let Sony impale itself on the sharp edge of its own paranoid freakout over the potential market competition fostered by the former’s buyout of Activision-Blizzard. And you would be right! But Activision-Blizzard execs apparently think it’s a great idea to twist that figurative knife anyway.
Kotaku has done the thankless work of following Activision-Blizzard Chief Communications Officer and Executive VP of Corporate Affairs Lulu Cheng Meservey, whose chief public claim to fame since ascending to those roles is openly participating in ABK’s unionbusting culture, at least when she’s not too busy hassling video game journalists with her now-large Xbox-fan following. This week, however, she’s calling out Sony’s Jim Ryan by simply quoting his own stated goals when it comes to the merger.
“Microsoft offered Sony (the dominant console leader for well over a decade, with 80% market share) a 10 year agreement on far better terms than Sony would ever get from us. We’ve also offered Sony guaranteed long-term access to Call of Duty. But they keep refusing. Why? The CEO of SIE answered that question in Brussels. In his words: ‘I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger.'”
Meservey’s follow-up clarifies that he said it on February 21st. Sony, apparently, has neither confirmed nor denied that it happened, though given the way Sony has been repeatedly rejecting Microsoft’s attempts to negotiate access to Call of Duty (not to mention refusing to take Activision’s phone calls), it’s certainly believable.
— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) February 21, 2023
