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Microsoft made no secret that Game Pass is the centerpiece of its strategy for Xbox. It has invested heavily in the subscription service, which features cloud streaming and a catalog of over 400 games. However, one analyst believes Sony could turn the tables by launching a multimedia streaming service.
Games Industry.biz recently spoke to several analysts about Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard and its effect on the industry at large. Among them was Karol Severin from Midia Research. He believes a Sony streaming service could surpass anything Microsoft is working on. Unlike Microsoft, Sony’s media empire extends beyond gaming and into film, television, and music. A Sony multimedia streaming platform combining all four would have a massive edge over Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass.
“Sony has one of the most impressive content catalogues on Earth,” said Severin. “Bringing it together in a subscription offering, for example, could pose a solid competitive answer to Xbox’s cross-platform efforts.” He does not believe Sony could best Microsoft purely on the strength of its game library. According to Severin, the Japanese company could only match Microsoft in gaming by acquiring a company similar in size to Activision Blizzard. However, the analyst does not put much stock into that possibility. “The only response for Sony on the games-only side would be buying something really big like Take-Two, but that is unlikely.”
Not all the analysts Games Industry.biz talked to thought that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard would significantly impact the PlayStation manufacturer. Another believed the corporation might prioritize expanding its business through corporate buyouts. However, Severin’s suggestion could allow Sony to beat Microsoft at its own game.