How Xbox is countering Sony PlayStation's "anti-competitive" allegations by partnering with Nintendo and Nvidia

The fracture between Sony PlayStation and Xbox is no smaller than it always was, but potential new "allies" in the form of Nintendo and Nvidia could certainly spice things up. This information arises amidst a situation where Microsoft's gaming division has been busy trying to get their Activision Blizzard deal greenlit by authorities worldwide.

Yesterday, there was an important meeting in Europe over potential settlements and agreements that would satisfy all stakeholders. A major issue with the entire takeover has been the presence of the Call of Duty franchise. Sony PlayStation feels that a takeover will lead to the popular military shooter becoming exclusive to particular platforms.

This is the main subject that the UK-based CMA has claimed in rejecting the potential takeover. They strongly feel that the acquisition will place too much power in Xbox's hands, which could be detrimental to consumers in general. Interestingly, recent tie-ups with Nintendo and Nvidia may change the scenario.

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Xbox could present its partnerships with Nintendo and Nvidia as a testament to Sony PlayStation's claims

It's easy to understand why Sony PlayStation is alarmed by the potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While some valuable IPs' are part of the deal, Call of Duty shines brightly in every sense. It's also what's spicing the console wars on the commercial spectrum.

The Call of Duty series has been a financial juggernaut over the last decade and is essentially Activision Blizzard's shining jewel. Although the deal also includes major franchises such as World of Warcraft, most of them lag considerably behind when it comes to financial reports. As a result, it's obvious why Xbox is prepared to spend nearly $70 billion on this deal.

In contrast, Sony PlayStation has plenty of exclusive franchises of its own. Yet, that hasn't stopped Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, from firing on all cylinders to stop any chance of Call of Duty possibly going exclusive. This continues, despite both Phil Spencer (CEO of Microsoft Gaming) and Xbox claiming that Call of Duty will remain accessible on PlayStation consoles after the takeover.

The CMA in the UK has previously proposed that Call of Duty could be excluded from the takeover. A large part of the gaming community believes that this will have to be done by selling the franchise for the overall success of the deal. However, Microsoft has made its intentions clear of not selling Call of Duty, and with Nvidia and Nintendo on board, they might not have to.

A major part of the CMA's decision goes to the point of exclusivity as they believe that many players might not have the freedom to choose a console. Following last night's announcement, the equation seems to have changed. Xbox has officially announced that all Call of Duty games will be available on day one for Nintendo players.

This was followed by similar announcements made for Nvidia GeForce users. Both partnerships will be available for 10 years, but it's unclear when the deal will begin.

What's clear, though, is the fact that Call of Duty has suddenly become far more accessible than ever before. Based on the official announcements, it clearly states that the game will be available to Nintendo gamers, which points to plans for a cloud service. This would certainly remove the limitations of the dated hardware on the Switch. A new Switch with improved specs is in the pipeline as well, which could mean Call of Duty ports.

The potential decision for Nvidia GeForce is much clearer, given that it's an established cloud gaming service. Ever since the shutdown of Google Stadia, it remains one of the two major outlets for cloud gamers, with Amazon Luna being the other option.

Xbox has its own Cloud Gaming service, but the recent tie-ups have changed the situation. For one, it could enable services like the Game Pass to become available on more platforms, therefore benefiting the American company. Users of Nvidia GeForce and Nintendo consoles will likely reap the benefits of the service as well.

The biggest winner in this could be the Activision Blizzard takeover and all those associated with it. Although yesterday's meeting didn't end with an amicable solution between Xbox and Sony PlayStation, many will feel that some progress has been made.

How the new partnership changes things for the CMA and all those involved remains to be seen. One thing's for sure – consumers can never be losers if they gain access to more games on their existing platforms.