Sony Accuses Microsoft Of ‘Trying To Turn Them Into Nintendo’
Can't we all just get along?
The console wars have always been exhausting. Whether you're a Sony pony or an Xbot, or you're playing your fun little pocket monster games on your Switch in the corner, one thing has always been standout about the useless infighting between consoles - nobody really gives a s**t.
Though we saw some dormancy in the age of the Xbox One and PS4, it's come back with a bite as Sony dons its angry face and fights back against Xbox's purchase of Activision Blizzard.
And now, as they lash out, Sony has some bizarre accusations to make.
Sony Accuses Microsoft Of ‘Trying To Turn Them Into Nintendo’
Click to enlargeUm… what?
A recently published document that can be found in the archives of the UK Government has seen Sony make another bid to block the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal.
Surprise, surprise. But what makes this the most interesting of Sony's pushbacks is its language, seemingly flailing and insisting that Microsoft thinks that Sony's attitude should be more like that of Nintendo.
"Microsoft argues that Nintendo has been successful without access to Call of Duty. This misses the point" reads the document. "The Decision identifies a wide body of evidence that Nintendo offers a differentiated experience to Xbox and PlayStation because it focuses on family-friendly games that are very different from PEGI 18 FPS games like Call of Duty.
This is supported by Microsoft's internal documents, which, so the CMA found, show that: "In general, Microsoft's internal documents track PlayStation more closely than Nintendo, with Nintendo often being absent from any internal competitive assessment."
Sony Calls Microsoft The "One-Stop Shop" For Shooters
In a further comment, the document seems to expose Sony's real fears for the purchase. It looks as though they're concerned that joining Activision Blizzard with Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios will make Xbox the place to be for shooter fans.
"Microsoft claims that Nintendo's differentiated model demonstrates that Sony does not need Call of Duty to compete effectively. But this reveals Microsoft's true strategy. Microsoft wants PlayStation to become like Nintendo, so that it would be a less close and less effective competitor to Xbox.
Post-Transaction, Xbox would become the one-stop-shop for all the best-selling shooter franchises on console (Call of Duty, Halo, Gears of War, Doom, Overwatch), as the Decision explains, and it would then be free from serious competitive pressure."
This probably exposes Sony's fear more than it does Microsoft's attitude, and it really isn't a good look for PlayStation. Sorry, you chose to play capitalism - this is the prize.