Microsoft is showing that it can revive Xbox-exclusive games after putting them on hiatus for a while.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty, a message Sent to the company’s gaming staff on Thursday, it aims to create a “master plan” for Xbox to compete in a new era of gaming.
“Along the way, we’ll reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windows, and AI, and share more as we learn and decide,” they said.
Microsoft’s push to move away from Xbox exclusives in 2024 has been controversial; Phil Spencer, the company’s former gaming chief, defended change as a way to expand the user base for Xbox games and keep them alive. But moving away from exclusivity also weakens the incentive to buy an Xbox console, because like a franchise Gears of War and Hello Also released on PlayStation 5.
Sharma and Booty’s note acknowledges, “Gamers are frustrated. New feature drops on console are less frequent. Our presence on PC isn’t strong enough. Pricing is getting harder and harder for people to keep up with. Core experiences like search, discovery, social, and customization still feel too fragmented.
“The model that got us here will not be the model that takes us forward,” they add, noting greater competition and the rise of foreign game studios; “Some of the biggest hits lately have come from small teams or even single creators,” they write.
In a refreshing sign, executives said “the new north star will be daily active players” instead of revenue or Xbox Game Pass sign-ups. One priority is also to “lay the groundwork for players and partners.”
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In addition, the company’s message states that “Xbox will be affordable, personal and open”, there are concerns that there could be a next-generation console. expensiveEspecially since the memory shortage is predicted to last until 2030. Codenamed Project Helix could be the next generation Xbox. to turn on In 2027 or 2028.
The memo adds: “We’ll offer flexible pricing so it’s easy to get started and keep playing.” Earlier this week, Microsoft also was lowered Pricing for Xbox Game Pass, although it initially limited access to new Call of Duty games.
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Michael Kahn
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I have been a journalist for more than 15 years. I started as a school and city reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, covering satellite internet services, cybersecurity, computer hardware, and more. I currently live in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing more than 600 stories on availability and feature launches, as well as regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, battles with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and efforts to expand into mobile satellite-based service. I scoured FCC filings for the latest news and traveled to the far reaches of California to test Starlink’s cell service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. in 2024 and 2025 The FTC forced Avast to pay $16.5 million for secretly collecting consumers’ personal information and selling it to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint disclosure investigation with the motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Disadvantages during the pandemic he took me to the camp In front of Best Buy to get the RTX 3000. Now I’m watching how AI-based memory shortages affect the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please leave feedback in the comments and send me tips.
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