Satya Nadella Wants To Ditch Console Exclusives, But Sony's Iron Grip On Them Is Keeping Him Trapped

Microsoft Corp. MSFT CEO Satya Nadella said he would "love" to get rid of console-exclusive games if it were up to him. He blamed Sony's dominance in the gaming console market and its strategy of using exclusives to drive sales.

What Happened: Nadella took the stand on Wednesday in the company's legal battle against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). He outlined how he would like to run the Xbox business, and his vision suggests gamers would get access to all games across platforms.

See Also: FTC Sues To Block Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard; Microsoft Welcomes It

"If it was up to me I would love to get rid of the entire exclusives on consoles, but that's not for me to define, especially as a low share player in the console market," Nadella said, as reported by The Verge.

"The dominant player there [Sony] has defined market competition using exclusives, so that's the world we live in. I have no love for that world," he added.

Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have used exclusive AAA-rated titles as one of the key selling points for gaming consoles. While Sony has exclusive titles like Marvel's Spider-Man and Demon's Souls, Xbox has exclusives like Halo, Forza, and Gears of War.

FTC sued to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard Inc. ATVI in a $68.7 billion deal, citing a possible adverse impact on consumer choice and competition.

Since then, a battery of top Microsoft and Activision Blizzard executives and Sony PlayStation chief Jim Ryan have appeared to defend their respective positions. While Microsoft and Activision Blizzard want the deal to go through, the FTC and Sony oppose it.

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