Sony is deliberately blocking games for Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft says

The Xbox Game Pass is a real success story for Microsoft.

Microsoft still intends to buy Activision Blizzard, and before this massive takeover can go ahead, the deal will be reviewed by various authorities around the world for possible discrepancies. These agencies include the CADE, the Brazilian Scientific Defense Council.

In July, he asked eleven companies about possible concerns about the merger of the two gaming giants, whereupon Sony came forward and reported these concerns, for example in relation to the importance of the Call of Duty brand and the size of the Game Pass. A (English) summary can be found in this Resetera thread.

Microsoft has meanwhile in one 26-page document responded in detail to these concerns and Sony’s statements, claiming, among other things, that Sony would deliberately block games for Game Pass and other subscription services. These are referred to as “lockdowns” by Microsoft and would prevent developers from bringing their titles to said services. (via: Eurogamer).

Sony allegedly sees Game Pass as a threat to its own position

According to Microsoft, Sony’s legitimate concerns merely reflect “concerns about an innovative business model that brings high-quality content to players at low cost” that could threaten their own supremacy.

This would also be related to the fact that Sony would continue to rely on a “device-centric” business model, whereas Microsoft has meanwhile developed more in the “consumer-centric” direction, i.e. the games would be offered independently of the platforms.

The Game Pass is of course an important element here, which is why Sony’s supposed blocking rights would of course in a sense prevent the service from becoming even more popular. However, Microsoft does not cite specific examples or sources for the claim, which would be difficult to verify.

More about Game Pass and the competition with Sony

Since the launch of Game Pass in 2017, the Microsoft service has grown tremendously, and by early 2022 the number of subscribers was 25 million. While Sony doesn’t offer a comparable service, it clearly moved its PS Plus portfolio in a similar direction with a major overhaul this year.