The ongoing trial between Microsoft and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has been hot gaming news for a while now, and it seems that Microsoft’s next big title, Starfield, may have caused some controversy between Sony boss Jim Ryan and Microsoft. Jim Ryan has expressed his disdain for Starfield’s exclusivity.
Starfield is the next big title developed and published by Bethesda, creators of huge series like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Bethesda has been acquired by Microsoft, so Starfield will be a Microsoft exclusive, releasing on the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Microsoft Windows.
Read Also: ‘Starfield’ Is One of the Biggest Releases of the Year, and It Almost Came To PlayStation!
The FTC and Microsoft Trial, and Jim Ryan’sView
The trial is mainly focused on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The $69 Billion acquisition is being blocked because there is a possibility that it could harm the gaming market. Particularly when it comes to PlayStation, as Call of Duty has been a flagship title for years. Though Jim Ryan is very against the idea of Call of Duty being exclusive, he has seemingly made peace with the fact that Starfield will only be available on Microsoft’s platforms.
During his testimony, referring to Starfield’s Microsoft exclusivity, Jim Ryan said:
“I don’t like it, but I don’t view it as anti-competitive.”
It seems as though Jim Ryan no longer has his eyes set on Starfield. Bethesda has published all their previous games on PlayStation, so this is the first time that such a huge developer is not releasing their game on Sony’s platform.
Jim Ryan may have made his peace with this, but he is still trying to make sure that the Activision Blizzard and Microsoft merger doesn’t go through. He believes that the acquisition would irreparably damage the gaming market, and that there would be a degraded performance of Activision Blizzard games on PlayStation.
“I think the harm to SIE arises from gamers deserting our platform and going to Xbox.”
Also Read: “This sh*t is stupid”: Disappointing ‘Starfield’ Update Pushes Xbox Fans to the Breaking Point
What This Means for PlayStation
Starfield being a Microsoft exclusive will definitely cause PlayStation a setback, but at the end of the day, it will make the competition between these two Goliaths all the more interesting. Microsoft still hasn’t decided whether or not The Elder Scrolls 6 will be exclusively available on Xbox and Windows.
Sony,on the other hand, just recently released Final Fantasy 16, and it is a PlayStation Timed Exclusive, and Square Enix is no small publisher. So arguments can be made regarding who is right in this situation and who is not.
The gaming community is still keeping a very close eye on the trial. Jim Ryan’s testimony could be the deciding factor here. Whatever the verdict, it will surely change the landscape of gaming.
But what do you think of Jim Ryan’s view? And will you be picking up Starfield when it releases on September 6, 2023, on Xbox Series X/S and Windows? Let us know in the comments.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
