Sony says it may not be able to share “PlayStation 6” details with Activision

In an investigation by the US equivalent of the competition authority, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan reportedly told Sony that it could not share details about its upcoming gaming hardware – namely the PlayStation 6. and other future consoles — if Microsoft buys it with Call of Duty publisher Activision. He noticed it all Axios Gaming Journalist Stephen Totillo.

During a hearing in April of this year, the FTC reportedly asked Jim Ryan what impact it would have on Sony if Microsoft knew details about their future hardware. Jim Ryan’s response is hidden in the public version of the FTC documents, but he believes Microsoft’s incentive will be to improve business for Xbox, but not for Activision.

The FTC also reportedly asked about Sony’s cooperation with Microsoft-owned Minecraft developer Mojang. Here, too, Jim Ryan’s response is largely obscured, but he says the experience of the collaboration reinforces his concerns about Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard.

Stephen Totillo points out that the FTC doesn’t seem to be asking anything about what it looks like when it uses counterfactuals. For example, when Microsoft had to deal with Sony-owned studios like Destiny developer Bungie.

The deal is blocked in the UK and the US

Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, more than 730 billion kroner, was approved by the European Union, among others, but blocked by both the CMA in Great Britain and the FTC in the United States. This is because the business is considered to be at risk of preventing competition. One that paves the way for a lengthy legal process that both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard say they’re ready for.