Microsoft claims it has no concept when Call of Duty got here out

One yr in the past this month, Microsoft introduced it could spend $68.7 billion to amass Activision Blizzard, highlighting how it could get “iconic franchises” together with Call of Duty, Warcraft and Candy Crush for that payment. But now that avid gamers and regulators are worrying Microsoft would possibly hold Call of Duty from showing on Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s legal professionals are abruptly pretending they don’t know why Call of Duty is particular.

Or even when it got here out, for that matter.

As Matt Stoller notes, the corporate’s 37-page reply to the FTC lawsuit in search of to dam the Activision Blizzard deal consists of this laughable passage:

Microsoft avers that it lacks data or info ample to type a perception as to the reality of the allegations regarding business perceptions of Call of Duty and Call of Duty’s unique launch date; or as to the reality of the allegations regarding Call of Duty’s launch and typical launch schedule and the assets and funds Activision allocates to Call of Duty, together with the variety of studios that work on Call of Duty.

I’m wondering how lengthy it could take to determine Call of Duty’s rel—oh, wait:

Even forgetting for a second that a lot of what Microsoft’s asking the FTC to show is eminently googleable, I don’t imagine for a rattling second that Microsoft doesn’t have extra obscure particulars as nicely, just like the budgets and tough headcounts of each Call of Duty studio.

For one factor, Activision Blizzard in all probability coughed up these particulars as a part of the due diligence across the transaction earlier than Microsoft ever introduced it could spend $68 billion on the corporate. But even when that by some means didn’t occur, I think about Microsoft additionally has mounds of opposition analysis. When I introduced you the perfect and most revealing emails from the Epic v. Apple trial, I got here throughout a 67-page document from Microsoft’s “Gaming Business Planning & Strategy Team” that broke down all of Microsoft’s primary rivals in fairly various methods, going as far as to estimate private info like how Sony’s PlayStation Now cloud gaming service was pulling in $359 million in 2019.

So sure, that is completely Microsoft taking part in dumb.

Supposed Call of Duty exclusivity has been a thorn in Microsoft’s aspect for a lot of months, regardless that Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer has repeatedly insisted that the franchise will keep on rival consoles — Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel grilled him repeatedly about it on the Decoder podcast, and he didn’t dodge our questions. I’d advocate giving it a pay attention in the event you’re curious.