Agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo for 10 years

Microsoft and Nintendo revealed in December last year that they had entered into a long-term agreement, precisely ten years, to offer Call of Duty on platforms manufactured by the Japanese company. This morning it emerged that Microsoft and Nintendo had officially confirmed the deal just hours before the hearing in Brussels over the purchase of Activision Blizzard.

However, the announcement was not only about Call of Duty, so it was a big surprise. The agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo, as reported by Brad Smith through his official Twitter account, ensures the introduction of Call of Duty on the Nintendo platform shortly but also marks the beginning of the appearance of Xbox titles on the console.

Agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo

Microsoft will have to appear before the European regulator during the last week of February to defend its acquisition by Activision/Blizzard. Let’s remember that Sony’s objections to the possibility of losing the Call of Duty franchise are one of its main obstacles with this deal. The first-person shooter franchise is one of the best-selling franchises in the history of video games.

The CMA (UK regulatory body) recently rejected the acquisition of Activision for the threat of monopoly. Following this statement, Activision/Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick stated they were trying to reach a Call of Duty deal with Sony.

These talks appear to have involved Nintendo. Microsoft VP Brad Smith tweeted that a legally binding agreement had been reached with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms within the next ten years.

Does Call of Duty work on Nintendo consoles?

The answer is no, not on the Kyoto brand’s current console. The agreement only expresses Microsoft’s commitment not to make Call of Duty an Xbox-exclusive brand, not that it will bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Switch. On the other hand, the image of the agreement only mentions Call of Duty, while Brad Smith mentions in the tweet, “Xbox games for Nintendo gamers.”

Since everything offered by Microsft up to this point was only a compromise, it is essential to reinforce the idea of a binding contract. Microsoft will be bound by this pact to include Nintendo consoles in all its releases. This could give us some clues about the future console developed by Nintendo. However, for now, we must wait and see if this is just a deal to persuade Sony and the regulatory authorities or if it comes to pass.

Today’s announcement comes before Microsoft has to go to court to defend the deal before the EU’s European Commission, one of the three central regulatory bodies currently awaiting its approval.

Header: Microsoft | Nintendo