The Microsoft/Xbox acquisition of Activision Blizzard is revealing numerous intriguing details. As companies are obligated to share information with regulators, much of this data ends up becoming public knowledge. The latest revelation comes from Jim Ryan, the president of PlayStation, with PlayStation 6 at the center of it all.
Yes, you read that correctly, it’s not clickbait or anything of the sort. The renowned Twitter account CharlieIntel, specializing in the Call of Duty franchise and boasting three million followers, has gained access to confidential information from April 6, 2023.
Within these documents, statements from Sony’s top executive can be seen. He spoke before the United States Federal Trade Commission regarding the Activision Blizzard acquisition. His words leave no room for doubt on one matter: if Xbox finalizes the purchase, Sony will not share information about its upcoming hardware (PlayStation 6) with Activision.
The reasons behind this decision are as simple as it gets: a company owned by a rival would have access to privileged information. Considering that Microsoft also owns hardware through its Xbox console, having details about the main rival console through Activision Blizzard would indeed make Ryan’s words meaningful.
This move, in turn, has another consequence: the lack of information would diminish Activision Blizzard’s interest in developing for Sony’s consoles. It’s a vicious cycle.
We must not forget that there is still quite some time before PlayStation 6 arrives. PS5 will celebrate its third year on the market this Christmas, with the particularity that we have only recently seen consistent stock availability in 2023. Therefore, there is still a long way to go before we see a potential PlayStation 6 in the market. What doesn’t take as long is finding out how the acquisition of Activision Blizzard will conclude.
