The end of exclusivity for four undisclosed Xbox games marks the start of significant changes in Microsoft’s gaming division, contrary to rumors
After weeks of rumors and concerns from fervent fans, the Microsoft announced this Thursday (15) significant changes in its strategy for the Xbox brand. The main change concerns four brand-exclusive games that will receive releases for other consoles, but the titles themselves have not been revealed.
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For now we only know that the initial list consists of two service games and a couple of smaller games that were never intended to be exclusive, but which received support from Microsoft during their launch. Furthermore, during the new edition of the Xbox podcast, where the news was revealed, Phil Spencerdirector of the Xbox brand, made it clear Star field AND Indiana Jones and the Great Circle they are not part of this lot.
The games to lose exclusivity at this stage came out at least a year ago on Microsoft platforms. Other criteria involve whether they have started new franchises and have already reached their “full potential” on current platforms. This is especially true for service games, which are the ones that would benefit most from opening up to more people.
Spencer’s statements coincide with some of the rumors that have been circulating in recent weeks. With the exception of Star field AND Indiana Joneswhich have already been discarded as part of the change in strategy, the expectation now is that the names will be liked Race to Hi-Fi, The Sea of Thieves, Repentance AND To the ground arrive in the future to NintendoSwitch AND PlayStation 5.
According to Spencer, announcements on expected new releases and the end of each exclusivity will be made at the appropriate time by the development teams over the next few weeks. For the executive, exclusive games are expected to become a smaller and smaller part of the gaming industry over the next decade, which is what drove Microsoft’s controversial decision.
Commitment to new consoles
Given the apocalyptic tone of the rumors that have circulated in recent weeks, some even advocating the end of the Xbox brand, the publication of the podcast almost serves as a signal of calm for gamers. So much so that, in her speech, Sarah Bond, president of the Xbox brand, reiterated Microsoft’s interest not only in exclusive games, but also in new generations of board video games.
The idea is that, as a console, Xbox is the ideal place to access the full experience provided by the brand. Like the rest of the market, devices will continue to evolve, with major announcements from hardware scheduled for the end of the year. Once again, mystery in the air, as Bond has given no indication as to the nature of these revelations, which likely concern new releases in the Series line of tabletop consoles.
OR Game passage, of course, is an integral part of the “new” strategy. New games from Microsoft studios will continue to be available on launch day, and there are no plans to take the subscription platform outside of Xbox and PC. Crossplay and the sharing of saved games with competing consoles, however, will be even more encouraged among developers.
This support also applies to titles merger between Activision Blizzard and Microsoft. Diablo IV, the company’s recent blockbuster, is coming to Game Pass on March 28 and should kick off a wave of branded games on the service; once again, no further announcements on this matter.
The 22 minutes of news, in fact, sound more like a reaffirmation of the brand as a platform and service than a change in strategy. Spencer clarifies that the idea of bring games to different screenswith a single purchase and subscription, remains a central point of Microsoft’s approach, while developer support remains one of the pillars of the company’s platforms, even outside of Xbox itself, but without even such distant moves.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
