https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-has-accused-sony-of-paying-developers-game-pass-block-fees/ Open main menu * VGC News * Reviews * Features * PlayStation * Xbox * Nintendo * PC Gaming * Mobile Hot * MultiVersus tier list * Tower of Fantasy * MultiVersus characters Search VGC [ ] First for Video Game News * Follow VGC * * * * * Xbox has accused Sony of paying developers Game Pass 'block fees' The company claims Sony is trying to "inhibit growth" of its subscription service Video Game News 10th Aug 2022 / 8:06 pm Posted by Chris Scullion Xbox has accused Sony of paying developers Game Pass 'block fees' Microsoft has claimed that Sony pays developers for "blocking rights" in return for them agreeing not to put their content on its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. As part of a document sent to Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) to justify its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the Xbox firm claimed that Sony actively attempts to "inhibit growth" of Game Pass by trying to prevent content appearing on it. The comments are part of Microsoft's response to Sony's claims to the Brazilian body - which makes much of its responses public - that Xbox acquiring Call of Duty would be anti-competitive. "Considering that exclusivity strategies have been at the core of Sony's strategy to strengthen its presence in the games industry, and that Sony is a leader in the distribution of digital games, Sony's concern with possible exclusivity of Activision's content is incoherent, to say the least," Microsoft claims in the documents published by CADE. Subscribe to VGC on YouTube "It only reveals, once again, a fear about an innovative business model that offers high-quality content at low costs to gamers, threatening a leadership that has been forged from a device-centric and exclusivity-focused strategy over the years." It then claims: "Indeed, Microsoft's ability to continue expanding Game Pass has been obstructed by Sony's desire to inhibit such growth. Sony pays for 'blocking rights' to prevent developers from adding content to Game Pass and other competing subscription services." These kinds of platform deals have been common in the games industry, and reference was even made to PlayStation blocking third-party games appearing on Game Pass in docs revealed as part of last year's Epic vs. Apple lawsuit. Further reading 24 Microsoft claims it 'simply wouldn't be profitable' to make Call of Duty Xbox exclusive The Xbox firm reiterates it intends to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation beyond its Activision acquisition The remainder of its response, and two further claims under the same section, are redacted in the document, presumably for confidentiality purposes. Elsewhere in the document, Microsoft claimed that Sony "does not want attractive subscription services to threaten its dominance in the digital distribution market for console games," arguing: "In other words, Sony rails against the introduction of new monetization models capable of challenging its business model." Last month Sony was one of a number of third-party companies (including Bandai Namco and Ubisoft) that submitted their opinions to CADE on the pending Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Xbox is reportedly aiming to hit a target number of Game Pass subscribers before it considers dropping Xbox Live Gold Further reading 182 Sony says it believes Xbox owning Call of Duty 'could influence users' console choice' Regulatory docs reveal the PlayStation firm's thoughts on the Activision Blizzard acquisition Sony claimed that the acquisition could influence users to switch to Xbox because it is "an essential game - a blockbuster, an AAA-type game that has no rival". Microsoft's head of gaming Phil Spencer confirmed in January that it was his intention to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms should Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard be completed. However, it was later claimed that Activision Blizzard is contractually committed to releasing only the next three Call of Duty games for PlayStation consoles, including this year's Modern Warfare 2. 198 Comments Related VGC Content Microsoft refutes Sony's claims that its Activision acquisition is anti-competitive 1 day ago Square Enix has reportedly confirmed it's 'looking to sell stakes' in its studios 6 days ago Xbox Series X/S consoles will soon boot up faster 2 weeks ago A PlayStation Store anti-competitive lawsuit has been thrown out of court 3 weeks ago We sometimes publish affiliate links on VGC. For more information read our affiliate linking policy. * Activision Blizzard * Acquisitions * Bandai Namco Entertainment * Phil Spencer * Activision * Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft) * Ubisoft * Sony Interactive Entertainment Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 475 articles Popular Now on VGC 1 Xbox has accused Sony of paying developers Game Pass 'block fees' 2 Geoff Keighley says to expect 'cool surprises and things you wouldn't expect' at Gamescom Sponsored content Tower of Fantasy is a shared open world anime MMORPG with deep customisation 3 Microsoft claims it 'simply wouldn't be profitable' to make Call of Duty Xbox exclusive 4 Sega has confirmed 11 more Mega Drive Mini 2 games for Japan More Video Game News 24 Microsoft claims it 'simply wouldn't be profitable' to make Call of Duty Xbox exclusive The Xbox firm reiterates it intends to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation beyond its Activision acquisition 1 day ago24 Comments Unity wins contract with US Government Defense Employees have previously spoken out against Unity's government work 2 hours ago New Modern Warfare 2 video shows the Farm 18 map The map features close-quarters combat with a densely overgrown factory to explore 4 hours ago The Pokemon Center London pop-up store is now taking reservations The store will only be open for four days, but visitors can book a slot now 1 day ago By commenting on this article you agree to adhere to VGC's community guidelines. 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