The FTC and Microsoft depositions regarding the Activision Blizzard merger just dropped a bombshell, Jim Ryan says Sony will hide PS6 details from a Microsoft-owned Activision.
It has now been 0 days since the last bit of news regarding the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger. A report from Axios’ Stephen Totilo reveals crucial information in the FTC depositions today. This time it comes from the PlayStation Head, Jim Ryan, and it regards the next console in the PlayStation ecosystem. Due to the competitive nature of the relationship between Xbox and PlayStation, Sony Interactive Entertainment would withhold crucial PS6 details from Activision Blizzard if the merger goes through.
When asked in an FTC deposition, “Why could SIE no longer share confidential details about its next console and development once Microsoft acquired Activision?” Jim Ryan replied, “We simply could not run the risk of a company that was owned by a direct competitor having access to that information.” Ryan goes on to explain that Microsoft would look after its own interests first, before the interests of Activision as a company. Further, Ryan continues by suggesting Microsoft “would not be incentivized” to develop titles that utilize PS5 or PS6 features that Xbox doesn’t have.
Before a console launches, typically, development kits are sent out to developers so they know the hardware (and limitations) they are working with, and with that information, they are able to create the most optimized gaming experiences for the next generation. Call it a ‘development head start,’ this is normally how consoles have day-one release titles. This report suggests the PS6 dev kit will be withheld from Activision if they are owned by Microsoft to stop a direct competitor from having access to what Jim Ryan calls “immensely sensitive” information.
Interestingly, the PlayStation Studios developed MLB The Show or the now Sony-owned Bungie exist on the Xbox ecosystem of consoles, so it remains to be seen whether Microsoft views the information as sensitive as Sony does for the PS6 on their next home console.
More reports regarding the ongoing Microsoft-Activision merger are sure to follow in the coming days as depositions are released.
