Image source: Activision
Phil Spencer is making a bold statement following the company’s acquisition of Activision. The head of gaming at Xbox has reiterated the company’s commitment to maintaining “100% parity” for Call of Duty across all gaming platforms. In a recent episode of the official Xbox podcast, Spencer assured fans that exclusivity deals and timed content drops that have historically favored certain platforms will no longer be the norm under Xbox’s stewardship.
Xbox Boss Pledges 100% Parity for Call of Duty Across All Platforms
“For Call of Duty players on PlayStation, and in the future, Nintendo, I want you to feel 100% a part of the community,” Spencer stated emphatically. “I don’t want you to feel like there’s content you’re missing out, skins you’re missing out, there’s timing that you’re missing out on… that’s not the goal.”
Spencer’s message is clear: Xbox aims to ensure that all gamers, regardless of their chosen platform, will have an equal experience with Call of Duty. The focus is on delivering parity in terms of both launch and content. While acknowledging that technical disparities related to resolution and frame rates may exist across platforms due to performance differences, Spencer assured that there would be no platform-exclusive content.
“We have no goal of somehow trying to use Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console,” he emphasized. “I want the Call of Duty nation to feel supported across all platforms.”
The Xbox head also reflected on past exclusivity deals and contentious arrangements, citing examples like exclusive skins and content drops that had stirred community frustrations. The promise to eliminate these practices reflects Microsoft’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive gaming environment for Call of Duty fans.
“We’ve been on the other side of some of those skin [deals], and even this [Modern Warfare 3] beta wasn’t on Xbox the first week… I don’t think that helps the community, I don’t think that helps the game,” Spencer noted. “So it’s the focus if you’re a PlayStation player, a Nintendo player, a PC player, or an Xbox console player, I want you to feel 100% part of the Call of Duty nation.”
It’s worth noting that earlier this year, Microsoft and PlayStation signed a binding agreement to ensure that Call of Duty would remain on the PlayStation platform following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This agreement resolved concerns about potential exclusivity, which had been a contentious issue for PlayStation.
Call of Duty has consistently ranked as one of the best-selling game franchises globally, and the prospect of it entering Xbox Game Pass at launch for a comparatively lower fee was among PlayStation’s major concerns with the acquisition deal.
As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, Xbox’s commitment to cross-platform parity for Call of Duty represents a step toward creating a more inclusive gaming community, where the emphasis is on enjoying the game rather than the platform it’s played on.
