Brad Smith, president and vice chairman of Microsoft, made the announcement today that the company had signed a 10-year agreement to bring Xbox games to Nintendo consoles.
Smith made the announcement of the “binding” contract via Twitter, promising to release “Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty” simultaneously on Nintendo hardware and Xbox consoles. The announcement comes as nearly every regulator imaginable scrutinizes Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for approximately $69 billion.
What are the terms of the agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo?
According to the statement, “Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty 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 Call of Duty.” “We 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.”
The two businesses were already negotiating the deal. When the Activision Blizzard merger was completed in December 2022, Xbox boss Phil Spencer tweeted that Microsoft had “entered a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo.” Spencer stated that Activision Blizzard games would continue to be available on Steam, Valve’s PC-based storefront.
However, Smith’s most recent information suggests that a more formal agreement has been reached because he mentioned that the deal has been “signed and negotiated.” Also new is the mention of a legally binding agreement, indicating that Microsoft and Activision have now promised Nintendo fans military shooting action.
Will Activision Blizzard games continue to be available on PlayStation?
However, it is interesting that Smith has made a new statement that emphasizes the idea of Microsoft “bringing more choice to more players” and giving “more competition to the gaming market” at a time when one of the largest console manufacturers is getting ready to acquire one of the largest game publishers. We’ll see if Microsoft keeps its promise to Nintendo and Sony, even though industry consolidation doesn’t give consumers more options.
After ActiBlizz was acquired by Microsoft, it was always uncertain how the company’s multiplatform games would develop in the future. Governmental bodies like the FTC and even a group of gamers are attempting to prevent the buyout because many people believe it is anti-competitive. Activision’s hugely successful first-person military shooter Call of Duty has been at the center of the debate, as Sony has called the series “essential” for the industry. Microsoft agreed to provide Sony with Call of Duty for at least ten years.
Has Call of Duty ever been available on Nintendo consoles?
You should know that Call of Duty hasn’t been available on a Nintendo console in a minute. If you can believe it, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 released almost ten years ago. Ghosts was the last game to be released on the Wii U, and since then, no other game has been released on the family-friendly systems. However, as a result of this recently concluded agreement, it’s possible that we will see a weapon or operator skin inspired by Super Mario Bros.