The continuing authorized battle between the US Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) and Microsoft over the latter’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has taken a brand new flip.

As reported by Kotaku, the FTC is searching for particulars from Sony about its PlayStation exclusivity offers, together with the quantity it pays for “blocking rights” to maintain video games off rival companies like Xbox Sport Cross.

This comes after Microsoft’s request to the FTC concerning PlayStation detailing its exclusivity offers. The request covers all offers made by PlayStation after January 1st, 2019, together with any charges or agreements that prevented publishers from launching their video games on Xbox Sport Cross.

The choose within the case has sided with Microsoft’s request, stating that understanding the complete extent of Sony’s exclusivity offers and their impact on trade competitiveness will help in Microsoft’s defence concerning its Activision acquisition.

FTC’s chief administrative choose D. Michael Chappell stated:

Microsoft argues that the Criticism on this case makes various allegations concerning high-performance online game console builders’ exclusivity preparations with online game publishers. Microsoft states that it’s conscious that SIE requires many third-party publishers to conform to exclusivity provisions, together with stopping the publishers from placing their video games on Xbox’s multi-game subscription service, and that understanding the complete extent of SIE’s exclusivity preparations and their impact on trade competitiveness will help in its protection.

The final time we noticed an exclusivity deal like this made public was again in 2021 throughout the Epic Games vs. Apple saga.

Microsoft’s preliminary request was to get particulars on Sony’s exclusivity offers relationship again to 2012, however the timeline was deemed “extreme” by the choose, and agreed to hunt particulars from Sony about its PlayStation exclusivity offers made post-2019. The evidentiary listening to for the case is scheduled for August 2nd, and it may very well be months earlier than any potential new particulars are revealed.

Picture credit score: Shutterstock

Supply: Game Developer By way of: Kotaku


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