Microsoft has been in the spotlight due to their record breaking, proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which has come under the scrutiny of the European Union, which has decided to launch an in-depth investigation.
#MergerControl Commission ???????? opens in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft ????????https://t.co/qttzWXTKPa pic.twitter.com/QWDCag28mM
— EU Competition (@EU_Competition) November 8, 2022
The Union recently tweeted about opening the investigation on this case. However, the investigation has now come under the spotlight as well, because of Ricardo Cardoso, the Deputy Head of Unit Interinstitutional & Outreach Views at the European Union, who retweeted it with some personal comments.
The Commission is working to ensure that you will still be able to play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my Playstation). Also on our to do list: update stock pictures. These gamers have wired controllers whereas Xbox and Playstation have wireless ones since about 2006! https://t.co/Gfvsi3rKXD
— Ricardo Cardoso (@RCardosoEU) November 8, 2022
In his tweet, he stated that the Commission is working towards ensuring that players will still be able to play Call of Duty on other consoles, including his own PlayStation. He also joked about the stock picture used for EU Competition’s tweet as the controllers in the image were wired.
The Commission is working to ensure that you will still be able to play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my Playstation). Also on our to do list: update stock pictures. These gamers have wired controllers whereas Xbox and Playstation have wireless ones since about 2006! https://t.co/Gfvsi3rKXD
— Ricardo Cardoso (@RCardosoEU) November 8, 2022
His comments sparked a full-fledged war, as console fanatics on both sides started pouring in with their own opinions on the thread. Ryan McCaffrey, the executive editor at IGN replied to his tweet stating, “Respectfully, sir, I’m not sure it gets any clearer than the Head of Xbox’s public statement on this matter from less than 2 weeks ago. It’ll still be on “your” PlayStation, don’t worry.” alongside a video of Phil Spencer talking about Call of Duty being on the platform as long as there is a PlayStation out there to ship to.
Another user by the name ThisWeeksTrend replied to McCaffrey, “Respectfully Phil will tell you anything you want to hear even if it’s not the truth”. with a video of Phil talking about High Fidelity VR. Eventually, lots of other comments came through as well, with some wanting PlayStation exclusives on Xbox and others fighting to retain Call of Duty on the blue side. It was genuinely a spectacle to behold, check out some of them below:
Respectfully Phil will tell you anything you want to hear even if it’s not the truth. https://t.co/32uWG7brmF
— ThisWeeksTrend (@PS_Trends) November 12, 2022
Thanks for doing a great job. Microsoft trying to consolidate the industry is horrific for gamers. They’ve already got a track record of removing long standing multiplatform titles off PlayStation.
— Kieran (@KTiereny) November 12, 2022
If we end this. Then SO Y must give up all their 3rd party exclusive forever. And also must put their owned games on PC on day one. As well as their digital rental store
— Karla Boerger (@dakrkplayer2) November 12, 2022
You should have the same behavior to impose to Sony to let me play The Last of Us, God of War and Final Fantasy XVI on my Xbox.
The EU should decide if they want to intervene and apply a par condicio or to stay away from the market and let the competition makes its job.— Pierpaolo Greco (@ilPiGreco314) November 12, 2022
IMO This is the consequences of the Xbox brand basically revolving around the US market only. Now you have people in actual important positions who only ever grew up with Playstation because Xbox never bothered in their region maybe outside of aggressive 360 years
— Niko Bellic (@NikoRomanBuds) November 12, 2022
Can you make sure I can still play Final Fantasy on my Xbox? Or does that one not bother you?
— Sixers Octavian (@SixersOctavian) November 12, 2022
It’s clear that what you are defending is Sony’s market leader position/ur interests and not the competition (which would be granted by this deal). You are triying to forbid Microsoft to be competitive and grow from its clearly weakest market position https://t.co/A3nexDBsXk
— Domenico A ????️???? (@Dome117) November 12, 2022
Will the commission also work to ensure that Call of Duty content that SONY HAS BEEN BLOCKING FROM ALL OTHER PLATOFRMS will be available going forward on “our” Xbox, Steam, Windows, Nintendo devices?
Or is that anti-competitive “benefit” reserved only for the market leader Sony? pic.twitter.com/r4umIg9Wv7
— Dark Cocatiel (@DarkCocatiel) November 12, 2022
After understanding the response to his tweet, Ricardo clarified by stating that he was not involved in the assessment of the merger. He further clarified that his comments were personal and not from a Commission position, as their decision will be taken on the basis of the facts and the law.
To clarify: I am not involved in the assessment of the merger and don’t even work in the department dealing with mergers. As is clear from my profile my comments are personal and not a Commission position, whose decision will be taken on the basis of the facts and the law.
— Ricardo Cardoso (@RCardosoEU) November 12, 2022
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