Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Microsoft Games

Microsoft Signs Another Call of Duty Deal In Bid To Impress Regulators (arstechnica.com) 18

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Microsoft announced Tuesday that it has signed a 10-year deal to bring its Xbox PC games to little-known Ukraine-based streaming platform Boosteroid. The move is being positioned in part to "mak[e] even more clear to regulators that our acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make Call of Duty available on far more devices than before," as Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said in a statement. "If the only argument is that Microsoft is going to withhold Call of Duty from other platforms, and we've now entered into contracts that are going to bring this to many more devices and many more platforms, that is a pretty hard case to make to a court," Smith told The Wall Street Journal.

Started in 2017, Boosteroid boasts 4 million streaming customers using servers based in nine European countries and six US states. Those customers pay 7.50 euro per month to stream games from those servers to any smartphone, Windows/Mac/Linux-based PC, or Android TV device. Boosteroid currently links to users' accounts on other PC-based platforms -- including Steam, the Epic Games Store, Blizzard's Battle.net, EA's Origin, the Rockstar Game Launcher, and Wargaming -- and lets them play games from those services without having to install them on a local gaming PC. With this new deal, that access will expand to include games available through Microsoft's Xbox app on the PC.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Microsoft Signs Another Call of Duty Deal In Bid To Impress Regulators

Comments Filter:
  • Microsoft better watch their step in a game called Call of Duty. I hope they brought plenty of toilet paper.

  • Don't believe them regulators!
    • I came across this amazing website that offers a wide range of digital products that are perfect for businesses and individuals alike. The company creates high-quality products such as apps, websites https://www.voypost.com/ [voypost.com] , and software that are designed to make our lives easier. What I really love about them is that they are always up to date with the latest trends and technologies. Plus, their customer service is top-notch! If you need help with anything, they are always there to answer your questions.
  • As of right now PlayStation players get CoD content that is either exclusive to PlayStation or timed exclusive to PlayStation. Even if Microsoft continues to make every single piece of CoD content available on PlayStation at exactly the same time as its available on XBOX, Sony still looses out because they no longer have the exclusivity.

    • Whether Sony supports the deal or not is immaterial. What matters is whether their arguments are compelling. "I won't have exclusives any more so you can't buy that business" is not such an argument — in that case they would literally be arguing that Microsoft's purchase would reduce anticompetitive behavior... by Sony.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    And rejects Microsoft's attempts to monopolize the gaming industry. Historically, many consoles have failed if third party game makers didn't support it, even if they were technologically superior.

  • What's the penalty is MS changed these deals after regulators approved the sale? Nothing*, so don't get your hopes up MS would do anything differently this time.

    * - see the WhatsApp TOS change a few years ago for example, the change violated what Zuck promised when buying WhatsApp and FCC did nothing.

  • And if there's one company you can trust, it's Microsoft!

  • The best argument against this acquisition is that World of Warcraft will eventually be made to require login with a Microsoft account.

  • It's likely that CoD will generate more revenue by being available on multiple platforms. CoD is currently the popular franchise of discussion, but it's not the only one Microsoft will acquire. More than likely, CoD will be sacrificed by Microsoft to make the other acquired IPs become console exclusives.
    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      It's likely that CoD will generate more revenue by being available on multiple platforms. CoD is currently the popular franchise of discussion, but it's not the only one Microsoft will acquire. More than likely, CoD will be sacrificed by Microsoft to make the other acquired IPs become console exclusives.

      Yes, CoD can't be made console exclusive. Make it Xbox only would mean Microsoft is leaving millions or billions of dollars on the table. Xbox is #3 in CoD platform, after PlayStation and PC.

      I don't think Mi

  • As someone who's always on the lookout for reliable sources of restaurant equipment, I was thrilled to find this one-stop-shop online https://mcdonaldpaper.com/ [mcdonaldpaper.com] . They have everything you need, from commercial-grade cookware to restaurant furniture. What sets them apart is their extensive product range, competitive prices, and excellent customer support. Trust me, you won't be disappointed when you shop here for all your restaurant needs!

There are two major products that come out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson

Working...