With Microsoft close to settling its acquisition of the publisher Activision BlizzardThe dangers of monopoly and competition cases led by Sony, which also found itself in the accusation circle by some US lawmakers, have surfaced.
In a dramatic turn of events, which began to turn more political than economic, Previous reports that at least 11 members of the US Congress They demanded the administration of the American president Joe Biden To act against Sony’s attempt to block Microsoft’s expansion into the Japanese market.
Members of Congress have accused Sony of violating the US-Japanese digital trade laws by Blocking the release of Japanese titles on Xbox platformsWhich the members considered harmful to fair competition, and also limits the ability of US exports to continue in the markets there.
Quoted from AxiosUS Senator from North Dakota Kevin Cramer joined lawmakers who began cracking down on the Japanese company, formally demanding that Sony’s CEO disclose information related to exclusive deals for titles released on PlayStation, regarding what he called its “anti-competitive behavior.” and to request information about the company’s acquisition agreements.
Senator Cramer’s letter to the Sony CEO also included his disdain for Sony’s efforts to maintain its dominance, and went on to say:
I am deeply concerned about Sony’s dominance in that market, and its efforts to maintain its current position threaten an important opportunity for North Dakota’s economic development.
Given the growing importance of the gaming industry in North Dakota, I am troubled by reports that Sony seems to be leveraging it to exclude competition rather than enabling choice for gamers and developers.
The senator went on to say that the Japanese company is increasingly fueling exclusionary practices that push game publishers not to release their games on competing platforms, and that Sony’s attempts to oppose Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard is an example of anti-competitive behavior by putting pressure on regulators, even though it Bungie acquired it in a short amount of time.
