Microsoft and Nintendo inked a 10-year contract to bring all Xbox titles, including 'Call of Duty,' to Nintendo Switch.
Microsoft president Brad Smith revealed that as part of the 10-year contract it signed, Microsoft would make all Xbox video games available to Nintendo Switch customers when it acquired Activision Blizzard successfully. These titles include the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty.
Microsoft-Nintendo Deal
After promising in December 2022 to port the game property to Nintendo systems once the Activision Blizzard merger is done, Microsoft and Nintendo have now entered into a formal agreement to do so.
Smith explained the decision in a tweet, saying that it is simply part of their commitment to delivering Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more people on more platforms.
The tweet includes a photo with a message that reads as follows:
"Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players - the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity - so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty. We are committed to providing [long-term] equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, bringing more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market."
Game Capacity & Features
According to PCMag, some may be surprised by the claim of "full feature and content parity," given that the Switch is much less powerful than Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X. The deal may only apply to the successor to Nintendo's Switch, but even if it does, it is not expected to be a hybrid system capable of competing with Xbox and PlayStation in terms of performance and functionality.
Certain games that are not natively compatible with the Switch can already be played via a cloud version that Nintendo permits. Rather than downloading content to each individual device, they stream it.
Here, a question arises. Is it possible that the deal between Nintendo and Microsoft will result in a cloud-based version of Call of Duty game on Switch? This would make it possible to have the same capabilities and data.
Activision Blizzard Buyout
A long-term agreement with a rival console manufacturer is rare, but Microsoft definitely needs it.
Engadget said Microsoft is making this deal in a bid to persuade authorities to approve the company's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard.
With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suing to block the merger, the EU still investigating, and the UK watchdog recommending Microsoft sell Call of Duty to get the deal approved, Microsoft is not having much luck in its attempt to push through the billion-dollar buyout.
