You all know how Microsoft really, really wants to purchase Activision Blizzard? Well, as it turns out, they’re running into some serious trust-related trouble on that front. It’s why they have now granted Ubisoft the privilege of streaming all Activision games, including their venerable and money-making Call of Duty franchise. Don’t believe me? Then why not read on below so that we can find out more about it together, shall we?
Microsoft x Ubisoft: Activision Blizzard Streaming Details
Microsoft has officially announced that they’re entering a 15-year partnership with Ubisoft Entertainment SA. This new partnership includes an agreement to transfer the “cloud streaming rights for all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years” to Ubisoft. Granted, this will only happen when Microsoft closes its deal with Activision Blizzard. However, once they conclude that deal, not only will Ubisoft have the streaming rights to those games, but the rights will also be “in perpetuity”. Judging by this, it seems that from now on, Ubisoft will get to get Activision Blizzard games.
In fact, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith has something to say about this deal with Ubisoft. You can read it below:
The agreement provides Ubisoft with a unique opportunity to commercialize the distribution of games via cloud streaming. The agreement will enable Ubisoft to innovate and encourage different business models in the licensing and pricing of these games on cloud streaming services worldwide. Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage. It will also give Ubisoft the opportunity to offer Activision Blizzard’s games to cloud gaming services running non-Windows operating systems.
Microsoft and Their Legal Woes?
So why this deal with Ubisoft? Apparently, Microsoft has been running into some legal troubles with their planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In this case, the trouble is coming from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This streaming deal is apparently to satisfy their concerns that Microsoft isn’t turning into a video game monopoly. Whether or not this is indeed the case is another matter entirely. At the very least, it looks like we’re going to keep getting Call of Duty on other consoles. Tune back in to THS later to find out more about this planned Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft when we do so.
