Microsoft and Nintendo enter into historic Call of Duty agreement

Date:
Tue, 21 Feb 2023 12:23:41 +0000

Description:
Microsoft and Nintendo have negotiated a historic agreement promising to
bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms.

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A historic long-term legal agreement between Nintendo and Microsoft has been struck to bring Call of Duty back to Nintendo consoles

Microsofts Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said a binding 10-year legal agreement was announced between Microsoft and Nintendo, promising to bring
the Call of Duty franchise to Nintendo Switch players.

According to Microsofts announcement , Call of Duty will be brought to Nintendo players the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy [the series]. We are committed to providing long-term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms.

This has huge ramifications for the gaming industry as a whole, as well as Nintendo Switch owners. There's not been a Call of Duty game on a Nintendo console since Call of Duty: Ghosts back in 2013. The return of the world-renowned FPS series to Nintendo platforms comes as something of a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Weve now signed a binding 10-year
contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendos gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to
more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO February 21, 2023 See more Trust issues (Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

This announcement comes in the shadow of the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) impending lawsuit against Microsoft caused by the latters ongoing efforts to buy Activision Blizzard the makers of Call of Duty. The FTC has argued that Microsofts acquisition of Activision Blizzard would create a monopoly within the gaming industry and breach US anti-trust laws.

Its no coincidence that Brad Smiths announcement ends by stating that [Microsoft] are committed to providing long-term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, bringing more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market. Its clear that the gaming giant is attempting to counter the idea that theyre cultivating a monopoly within the industry.

It remains to be seen whether or not this move will be enough to satisfy the FTC. However, what is clear is that this deal has significant ramifications for consumers.

Though the announcement only mentions Call of Duty by name, the Tweet
mentions a commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms thats titles plural. Though we dont know the exact scope and ambition of this commitment, its exciting to think that more Activision titles might be making the rounds on Nintendo Switch.

The implications of the deal are as yet unknown but could shape the industry landscape in a big way. In the short term, we are forced to wonder what Call of Duty on the Nintendo Switch would even look like. Will it be limited to a Call of Duty Warzone port, or will more technically intensive titles like
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also find themselves on Switch in some capacity? Though its too early to say for certain what exactly the promised
10 years of cooperation will bring, it is my hope that it will lead to more choice and agency for consumers. One things for certain, though: these are interesting times. The Activision Blizzard Lawsuit: everything you need to know



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/microsoft-and-nintendo-enter-into-historic-call -of-duty-agreement


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