FTC could soon require Sony to disclose its PlayStation exclusivity deals.
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The logo of Sony is pictured at the entrance of the company's headquarters in Tokyo on March 4, 2022, after it was announced Sony and Honda would team up to start a new company that will develop and sell electric vehicles.
Federal Trade Commission Chief Administrative Judge D. Michael Chappell made this decision after Microsoft requested to know its competitor's blocking rights deals.
The issue between Sony and Microsoft began when the software giant decided to acquire Activision Blizzard.
However, Sony asked FTC to investigate whether the billion-dollar acquisition could negatively affect the game industry competition.
FTC Could Force Sony to Disclose PlayStation Exclusivity Deals
According to GameSpot's latest report, since Sony is concerned that the Activision Blizzard acquisition could affect the competition, Microsoft also argued that the public should know the extent of Sony's exclusivity deals.
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Game enthusiasts and industry personnel walk between the Microsoft XBox and the Sony PlayStation exhibits at the Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
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At first, Microsoft asked FTC that Sony should provide documents of its exclusivity deals from 2012 to the present.
However, The Verge reported that Chappell only limited Microsoft's request; the FTC judge said that Sony should only share its exclusivity deals from 2019 to the present.
If ever FTC really forced Sony to provide its blocking rights deals, rare information could be shared. These include fees and agreements to prevent PlayStation games from arriving on the Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft Claims Sony Has More Exclusive Games
In 2022, Microsoft argued that Sony has more exclusive games, saying that most of these first-party titles are better quality.
"Sony is roughly equivalent in size to Activision and nearly double the size of Microsoft's game publishing business," explained Microsoft.
The software giant added that in 2021, there were over 280 exclusive titles and third-party games on PlayStation. Microsoft further stated that these games are five times as many as on Xbox during that period.
The tech giant manufacturer provided these details since exclusivity also negatively affects the game industry competition. Microsoft also said that game exclusivity is a more serious threat than its proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition.
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