Microsoft finally shared their plans about their new strategy moving forward in their recently concluded podcast. Read on to learn more about the exclusives going to other consoles, Game Pass updates, and more.
Microsoft Shares the Future of Xbox
Xbox Goes Multiplatform
It’s official: Xbox-exclusive games are going to the rival consoles. Microsoft is going ahead and launching their "Xbox Everywhere" initiative as shared intheir recently concluded podcast regarding the future of Xbox. Though Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer doesn’t specifically name-drop the games going multiplatform, Tom Warren, Senior Editor for The Verge, reports that the four games are the following:
● Hi-Fi Rush
● Pentiment
● Sea of Thieves
● Grounded
While on the topic, Spencer also quells the rumors about Starfield, Gears of War, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and even the new Indiana Jones game going to PlayStation that these games are not part of the first 4 games going multiplatform. However, it’s certainly still possible for them to eventually arrive on other consoles.
Spencer says,"We’re focused on these four games and learning from the experience. We don’t have work going on, on other franchises. But for anybody to stand up and say something’s never going to happen, I think it feels like creating more certainty in a world of gaming where you really want to respond to what customers want and what our players and creators are looking for."
It’s not every Xbox exclusive under the sun, but it’s definitely the company testing the waters of Xbox going beyond the console. This is a means for Microsoft to check the demand for these games on the other platforms, as Spencer says they "know what it means to ship games on Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox."
"These are games that originally launched on Xbox. They were Xbox-branded games and we want to see what happens, because going and doing the development work to bring them to new platforms is real work. We want to make sure that the return makes sense. We want to make sure the audience that’s there has an appetite, maybe they don’t. "
##Everything Xbox, Everywhere, All At Once
With this being the start of the "Xbox Everywhere" initiative, the company wants "to ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole."
"We make every decision with the long-term health of Xbox in mind, which means a growing platform, our games performing, building the best platform for creators, reaching as many players as we can. We’re always looking to learn as a leadership team and grow, and we think this is an interesting point in time for us to use what some of the other platforms have right now to help grow our franchises."
Spencer also says that the fans will be the driving force of their next steps, as their feedback will be critical to their strategy moving forward.
"We know today when people are playing, their affinity for their platform is as much about their friends and where their games library is as it is any kind of one exclusive game. I know there’s this fictitious world where people think that one exclusive game kind of kicks off the sales of a platform, but the industry just doesn’t really work that way today."
He also says that he will "always take the feedback from our most ardent fans very seriously."
PC Game Pass has Been a Huge Success, Diablo 4 Yet to Arrive
This can also be seen from the growth of the Xbox Game Pass as it currently has 34 million subscribers at the moment. The Verge reports a growth of up to 36 percent from Microsoft’s previous report from 2022. While their previously stated goal of 100k subscribers is still far from completion, they’ve stated that the growth of Game Pass on the PC is immense, but has slowed down on consoles.
They also announced that Diablo IV, the fourth installment of Blizzard’s popular ARPG, is coming to Game Pass on March 28.
Xbox Develops Newer-Gen Console
Xbox president Sarah Bond also reassures the diehard Xbox fans that they’re cooking new hardware updates coming out in the holidays as she states that they’re "also invested in the next-generation road map."
"What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap that you will have ever seen in a hardware generation."
Finally, Spencer ended the interview by sharing what Microsoft thinks of Xbox in its current state, saying: "Xbox is our gaming platform and content business. It’s the number one consumer business that Microsoft has."
The Verge - Phil Spencer Interview
The Verge - Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service grows to 34 million subscribers
The Verge - Microsoft four Xbox-exclusive games are coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch
