Microsoft just continues to mount pressure against Sony to accept the Activision Blizzard deal.
As reported by The Verge, Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, announced that the company will be bringing its Xbox games that play on PC to Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service. Smith made the announced at a press conference in Brussels where Microsoft held a closed-door meeting with Sony and EU regulators to discuss the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
“Microsoft will be bringing its Xbox games that play on PCs to Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service,” said Smith in a press conference attended by The Verge. “We will also bring all of Activision Blizzard’s titles including Call of Duty to GeForce Now.”
In response to the announcement, Nvidia is now putting its full weight behind Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
“The partnership delivers increased choice to gamers and resolves NVIDIA’s concerns with Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. NVIDIA therefore is offering its full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition,” reads another part of Nvidia’s press release.
So, how will this work? The deal is for 10 years and will allow GeForce Now subscribers to purchase PC-compatible Xbox games. You’ll still need to purchase the games individually, but they will now be available on the service, a first for both companies. In Microsoft’s press release, the company says that it hopes to eventually bring its games to the Windows Store, Steam, and even the Epic Games Store.
The announcement comes hours after Microsoft and Nintendo signed a “binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers.” The deal, if the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes through, will bring games like Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles for the next decade.
Microsoft is surely mounting pressure against regulators and Sony with these moves. We’ll have to see if it’s enough to overcome Sony’s pressure campaign and win the minds of those with antitrust concerns.
