Not long ago, We discussed the comments made by Xbox Chief Strategist Matthew Ball during an interview with The Game Business’ Chris Dring.. Now that The full interview is availablethere are a few additional comments worth a closer look.
Of course, all these notes have been made Ahead of Bloomberg’s reports of Xbox layoffs next month and Xbox latest 100 day reset blog post. However, they do help paint a clearer picture of the conversations happening inside Xbox right now, so let’s take a look at what Ball had to say.
In the interview, Ball was very clear about the current state of Xbox:
“It has become difficult to explain why you should choose an Xbox console. The players told us this. I think everyone in the audience understands that exclusives are an important way to do that.”
That’s a pretty harsh admission, I must admit, but it speaks to how dire the situation for Xbox has become. For years, the company has been torn between wanting to grow outside of the console market while trying to convince people that its hardware is worth investing in.
Ball continues to discuss Xbox’s decision to return to exclusives, saying:
“We as a company, and that’s why you’ll see such a quick transition to exclusives, and again, it was important for us to do two titles instead of one, we have to ask people to spend a lot of money to be an Xbox player today… it’s expensive. This comes at the exclusion of other things, and that includes not just our competitors’ platforms, but other things in their lives… we have an obligation to work harder and more clearly. Here’s the marketing and clarity we’ll come to explaining why you should be an Xbox gamer.“
For context, the two titles in question are Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, both of which are now Xbox console exclusives.. Either way, it’s hard to disagree with Bals’s assessment. Consoles are expensive, and if Xbox wants gamers to choose its ecosystem over other forms of entertainment like PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or even TikTok, a very simple question needs a clear answer: why should anyone buy or choose an Xbox?
For a long time, it became increasingly difficult to answer this question. Xbox’s games appeared on more platforms, its messaging was often inconsistent, and many fans wondered why they invested in Xbox hardware at all. It seems that Xbox now believes that the tried and tested solution of exclusive content is the answer.
Whether this is enough remains to be seen; Xbox has a tough road ahead of it, but at least for the first time in a while, Xbox seems to have a clearer direction. What do you think? Do you agree with Bal’s comments? Do you agree, disagree or just don’t care? Let me know in the comments and be sure to take our poll above.
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