A source within Sony revealed to Insider Gaming that Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan implied that the company does not see the Xbox Game Pass as a rival to the PS Plus during an employee Q&A earlier this month. According to the source, Jim Ryan answered some questions about the Xbox Game Pass at the event. Ryan reportedly said, “When we consider Game Pass, it seems to be getting lower [Game Pass numbers]. When we consider Game Pass, we’ve sold more PS5s in two years than they have gathered subscribers and they’ve been doing that for 6-7 years.” “We’re just shy of 50 million subscribers and they are in the low 20s, but there’s more work to do to grow that number,” Ryan adds. Sony recently reported that it has shipped 25 million units as of September 2022. The company also said that the stock shortage issue has been resolved.
Sony’s opposition to the Microsoft – Activision Blizzard merger
These are interesting comments coming from Sony’s Ryan as the company has recently been opposing Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Sony is the most vocal detractor to the merger, arguing that the deal will be “bad for competition, bad for the gaming industry, and bad for gamers themselves.” Sony’s opposition stems from its belief that Microsoft intends to make the Call of Duty franchise exclusive to the Microsoft platform after the deal is finalized. Microsoft has previously made upcoming Bethesda AAA games such as Starfield and Red Fall exclusive titles for the Xbox and Windows PC. Microsoft has repeatedly offered a ten-year deal to keep the Call of Duty series on the PlayStation. Xbox boss Phil Spencer previously stated that he is open to making a longer deal with Sony. While the acquisition hasn’t been finalized yet, Microsoft is already negotiating these deals in part to remove opposition. Microsoft has also extended a similar offer to Nintendo to make the Call of Duty title available for the handheld console. The company also said that it is not in its best interest to keep the popular FPS title away from the PlayStation as it has the largest player base for the game. Sony’s opposition to the deal has led to investigations by competition regulators from the UK, European Union, and the US. The UK CMA and EU Commission have moved to probe deeper into the deal citing antitrust concerns. The US FTC has also moved to file a lawsuit to block the deal. The FTC mentioned that Microsoft lied to regulators when it promised not to make Bethesda titles exclusive to the Microsoft platform. A group of ten consumers, mainly composed of Call of Duty players who own PlayStation consoles, have also filed a lawsuit in a federal court. The lawsuit stated that the deal violates antitrust laws. Microsoft is confident that the deal will push through. The company also stated that it welcomes the opportunity to present its case in court. Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have until the end of July to finalize the deal.
