call-of-duty It may be one of the most popular franchises on the planet, but it’s not the kind of game that comes to mind when you picture the Nintendo Switch.So, in a sense, seeing Microsoft step up tonight to announce the release of the “10 Year Promise” cod Games on Nintendo platforms, starting with Switch.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced the news on Twitter, promising to continue to bring cod Games to Steam and:
Microsoft has made a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people—no matter what they choose to play.
I’m also pleased to confirm that Microsoft has committed to continuing to deliver Call of Duty on Steam to Xbox as well after we complete our merger with Activision Blizzard King.
Of course, he didn’t make these promises because there was a big market cod on Switch, but because his company (Microsoft) is trying to close a deal to acquire the company that owns call-of-duty (Activision), an upcoming deal Increasing government scrutiny not only in the U.S. but also abroad.
This call-of-duty The series is a key stumbling block to the deal, with governments saying locking popular series into one platform would create an unfair monopoly in the video game business.
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That’s why it was reported last week that Microsoft would consider a 10-year deal with Sony, their main competitor in the console space, is trying to allay these fears.However, none of those reports mentioned Nintendo or Valve’s Steam platform, so tonight’s announcement was clearly aimed at Sony in an attempt to isolate them and force them into action (even though also slightly telegraphed last month).
It’s important to note that these are just promises aimed at oiling some wheels and looking better in the eyes of skeptical administrations; Spencer can’t actually Do Unless the Activision purchase is successful. Even if this is done, there will be problems; As Spencer said in an interview Washington postpromise to bring call-of-duty It’s one thing to get to the Switch, it’s quite another to make it work on Nintendo’s hardware.
Interestingly, while the promise on Nintendo’s part stands out for its odd fit and potential technical issues, Valve’s promise seems more haphazard, Gabe Newell told Kotaku In a statement:
We’re delighted that Microsoft wants to continue using Steam to reach Call of Duty customers after the Activision acquisition closes. Microsoft has been on Steam for a long time, and we take that as a signal that they’re happy with gamer acceptance and the work we’re doing. Our job is to continually build valuable features for Microsoft and all Steam customers and partners.
Microsoft offered us and even sent us a draft agreement for a long-term Call of Duty commitment, but it wasn’t necessary for us because a) we don’t believe in requiring any partner to sign an agreement that locks them into releasing a game on Steam into remote b) Phil and Microsoft’s games team always do what they tell us, so we trust their intent, and c) we think Microsoft has all the momentum they need across the platforms and devices Call of Duty customers want become.
(call-of-duty Been on Steam for a long time allBut series Just returned after five years locked behind Activision’s own launcher, exactly the kind of restriction that various governments opposed to the proposed merger fear! )
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