We have seen in recent years Microsoft and Xbox includes releasing first-party games on competing platforms such as PS5embraces a full multiplatform strategy and effectively destroys the idea of having exclusive titles for the Xbox ecosystem. This there is brought success – Forza Horizon 5 performed quite well on PlayStationand Sea of Thieves did too – but not every Xbox game was a hit on other systems.
One result of this new direction is that many believe that the lack of console exclusives devalues the Xbox brand and makes it difficult to justify buying a console. Xbox Series X|Over PS5 except S Helldivers 2all PlayStation Studios titles are exclusive to that platform.
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This slow and careful process will likely disappoint some hoping for a quick return of Xbox-exclusive games, but ultimately Sharma is making the right call here. There are a lot of pros and cons to weigh, both on a macro level and in individual games, so Microsoft and Xbox management would be wise not to rush to a decision.
Personally, I’ve always felt that a good middle ground would be to bring multiplayer-centric and community-based games. Grounded 2 Move over to PlayStation, where having as large a player base as possible is a particularly huge boon, but perhaps only does so a year after launch. Single-player story-based titles or entries in Xbox’s biggest franchises (Hello, Gears of War), but will remain exclusive to Xbox forever in this assumption.
Ultimately, we won’t know when, how, or if Xbox exclusives will return until Sharma makes his decision, but it’s good to know it’s at least being considered in depth and carefully. After all, this is an incredibly important position for Microsoft to understand, especially in the new year Project Helix console on the horizon.
Note that these comments come a day after Sharma and the Xbox CCO Matt Booty shared A big manifesto for the future of Xbox. He revealed it Microsoft is discontinuing “Microsoft Gaming” completely and is completely rebranding its gaming division to Xbox only, aiming to make sure “Xbox is where the world plays.”
It also comes after several upgrades to the Xbox in Sharma’s first two months Updating achievementsthe adding customization improvementsand a big Game Pass price cut largely counterproductive the infamous Game Pass price walk arrived last October.
How do you feel about the hot topic of exclusive games? Do you think Xbox should have them again, or is it a good idea for Xbox games to be fully multiplatform? Let me know in the comments and in our poll.
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