In court, Satya Nadella says he would love to end “exclusives on consoles”; Bobby Kotick says CoD being exclusive would cause “revolt” and “reputational damage”
In federal court, Satya Nadella and Bobby Kotick opposed an attempt by the F.T.C …
New York Times Kellen Browning
Context & Ripple Effects
The testimony sits within Microsoft's broader effort to rebut foreclosure concerns around its Activision deal. Before the hearing, Microsoft said it had offered Sony a 10-year Call of Duty deal, while its court filing emphasized Xbox's position as a smaller console competitor.
That framing matters because the case is not solely about console access: earlier coverage indicated that FTC officials may be particularly focused on cloud-gaming consequences of the transaction. Nadella and Kotick's remarks therefore address one prominent theory of harm without resolving the broader competitive questions.
First-order effects
- Microsoft and Activision gain on-the-record testimony that challenges the claim they would rationally make Call of Duty console-exclusive; the statements support their defense but are not, by themselves, binding access commitments.
- The FTC's console-foreclosure argument faces direct rebuttal from the companies' top executives, requiring it to distinguish commercial incentives from their stated strategy.
Second-order effects
- Sony and regulators have greater reason to test enforceable terms—such as the proposed long-term Call of Duty access—rather than rely on executive assurances when assessing post-deal incentives.
- If console exclusivity carries less of the competitive case, scrutiny can shift toward whether ownership affects distribution through cloud-gaming services and other access channels.
Third-order effects
- If major game publishers increasingly prioritize reach across rival consoles, exclusive titles become a less reliable way for platform owners to differentiate hardware and a more contested basis for merger objections.
- The larger structural question becomes whether access commitments can preserve competition as games move from hardware-specific sales toward multi-platform and service distribution.
The trend: This is one data point in the shift from console-exclusive content as a hardware weapon toward broader distribution commitments as platforms pursue scale and face antitrust scrutiny.
Related: Exclusivity economics · Crossplay as infrastructure · CoD · F.T.C · Microsoft's president discusses the FTC reportedly blocking the Activision deal · FTC v. Microsoft closing arguments
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Discussion
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
Summary of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's testimony: — Warzone Mobile supposed to launch earlier; delayed to this fall — Call of Duty has 100 million monthly active users, with #1 being mobile, then PC, consoles — Only with the right price, Kotick would consider... https:…
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
Day 4 of the Microsoft / ABK vs US FTC court case will begin in an hour... Today features testimony from Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, NVIDIA executive, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella We'll share relevant updates in a thread below
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@kellen_browning
Kellen Browning
on x
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he hates walled-off, exclusive video games. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said he was committed to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation. Our story on a high-profile day of testimony over the $70 billion merger. https://www.nytimes.com/...
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@deeketweak
Derek Strickland
on x
If it was up to me I would like to get rid of exclusivity on consoles, Nadella says The dominant player has define market competition using exclusives. I have no love for that world
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@fosspatents
Florian Mueller
on x
I know that some of you view Bobby Kotick's leadership of Activision critically, but that's another story. Here, as a witness, he comes across as very thoughtful, competent, credible, and confident but down to earth. Really good performance, reinforces some key points. 🧵15/X
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
“It makes no economic sense or no strategic sense,” says Nadella on removing Call of Duty from PlayStation He says he 100% commits to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation
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@notpatrick
@notpatrick
on x
This kind of pandering is so frustrating, and the people buying it even more so. See 3/3 for the kicker. 1/3 People think [no console exclusives] means [exclusive quality games for all]. It does not. Exclusives are, in large part, a marketing effort to get you on the platform. ht…
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@gregbensinger
@gregbensinger
on x
Activision's @BobbyKotick acknowledges his stock in the company would be worth about $400 million after a merger with Microsoft
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
Bobby Kotick says Activision “never thought” of making Call of Duty exclusive to one platform; says he doesn't think Microsoft would do it either as it would alienate “our biggest player base”
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@fosspatents
Florian Mueller
on x
Bobby Kotick declares his aversion to multi-game subscription services. Says thye have a game that has a subscription, WoW, people pay $16/mth for a single game and it wouldn't make economic sense to put that game on a multi-game subscription service. 🧵18/X
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@deeketweak
Derek Strickland
on x
Nadella wants to wipe out exclusivity, but he doesn't run a games publisher or the Xbox business. As we've learned, exclusivity has benefits for developers, especially smaller independent ones who don't have time/resources to release multi-platform. https://www.tweaktown.com/...
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
Nadella also says the market leader (Sony) has used exclusivity to become the dominant player “I would love to get rid of the entire exclusives on consoles, but that's not for me to define. Especially as a low share player in the console market that the dominant player [Sony]... …
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@rurikhan
@rurikhan
on x
I would also prefer everyone be able to play everything anywhere. But it's also very easy for Satya to make this statement when the Xbox is in last place.If they were on top, they'd be doing everything to keep their lead. Never saw them port halo or gears or fable to others. http…
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@charlieintel
@charlieintel
on x
NVIDIA executive is testifying now; says they opposed Microsoft's acquisition of ABK because of their concerns on cloud gaming, but changed their stance cause of the 10 year deal signed
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
We've just had some big testimony from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. He says he read about Call of Duty coming to Nintendo Switch in the news and that he regrets not bringing the game to Switch originally. There's even talk about a next-gen Nintendo console https://www.theverge.co…
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
Sony's PlayStation chief says publishers hate Xbox Game Pass. In day three of FTC v. Microsoft we got an inside look at Microsoft's Call of Duty contract negotiations and Sony's fear of Game Pass. Read my full summary here: https://www.theverge.com/...
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r/XboxSeriesX
r
on reddit
Microsoft CEO says if it were up to him he would get rid of Xbox exclusives entirely, but blames Sony for having to still make them.
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r/TwoBestFriendsPlay
r
on reddit
Microsoft CEO Says If It Were Up To Him He Would Get Rid Of Xbox Exclusives Entirely, But Blames Sony For Having To Still Make Them.
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r/gaming
r
on reddit
Microsoft CEO Says If It Were Up To Him He Would Get Rid Of Xbox Exclusives Entirely, But Blames Sony For Having To Still Make Them.
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r/videogames
r
on reddit
Microsoft CEO claims he'd ‘love to get rid of console exclusives entirely’
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Gameranx
Ryan Parreno
on x
Sony Accidentally Revealed How Deeply Loyal Call Of Duty Players Are
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@irenes@mastodon.social
@irenes@mastodon.social
on mastodon
redaction is hard and every redaction method has its challenges and people and organizations with a lot on the line mess it up constantly — most of the examples we're aware of involve electronic redaction though. this one is definitely going on an index card in our brain for w…
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
the court just gave up and deleted all of the submitted evidence for FTC v. Microsoft that was made public with redacted parts. I'm sure Sony isn't happy with whoever was responsible for not redacting info properly https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/... [image]
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@tha_rami
Rami Ismail
on x
I'd need a tenth of that to fund 20-30 incredible indie games by super cool devs around the world. Not to say these games shouldn't get those budgets - they're super cool games - but gosh I wish someone would also take these bets on indie devs elsewhere https://www.ign.com/...
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@madhavchanchani
Madhav
on x
🤯 Call of Duty has global revenues of $1.5 billion. PlayStation users who play Call of Duty spent $15.9 billion on the platform between 2019 to 2021. Sony says 1 million PlayStation gamers play nothing but Call of Duty. https://www.theverge.com/...
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@aricohn
Ari Cohn
on x
Any law firm filing sharpie-redacted documents in the year 2023 deserves to lose every single client and should be forced to complete 400 mandatory CLE hours on how to use technogy made after like 2006. https://twitter.com/...
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
Sony just spilled confidential PlayStation information because of a Sharpie. Sony supplied a doc that was redacted with a Sharpie and a scanner caught secrets like huge Call of Duty revenues and that The Last of Us Part II costing $220 million. Details: https://www.theverge.com/.…
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
Sony wasn't the only one that had a document issues. Microsoft's Xbox document about acquisition targets (hello Bungie and Sega) was supposed to be redacted. The new version looks like this. Oops https://www.theverge.com/... [image]