Keeping games exclusive to Xbox is "not a path" for Microsoft, says Phil Spencer
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has stated that the company will continue to release its games on other platforms because it wants to make its titles available in as many places as possible, and that exclusivity "doesn't work" for Xbox.
The details:
In a recent interview with games journalist Destin Legarie, Spencer was asked if Starfield would have an “exclusivity window” similar to that of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is coming to PS5 this Spring after launching on Xbox and PC in December. The CEO confirmed that this is not the case, explaining that Xbox's "strategy is to allow our games to be available."
Spencer went on to say that, while Game Pass is important, keeping its games exclusive is "not a path" for the company, and that it wants developers to continue working with Xbox due to its versatility. “Most of the other platforms out there are single platform on single device, whether that's PC, whether that's mobile, whether it's a console,” the CEO said. “And we want Xbox to be a platform that enables creators across any screen that people want to play on."
The company’s multi-platform strategy has caused some concern among fans that there will be little to no reason to buy an Xbox over its competitors in the future. Spencer, on the other hand, sees it as an "evolution" of the brand by allowing players to access their games across multiple devices, as well as a "identity that this industry needs."
In another interview with Gamertag Radio over the weekend, Spencer stated that he hopes the new strategy will allow fans to choose hardware based on its capabilities, and that Xbox consoles will remain a top choice by providing the best performance. “I think the difference that we’ve seen in the last 20 years, and I think this is good because I come from building games, is it’s really games first, not platform first,” he said. “Most of the games that you or I will talk about run across so many different platforms, and those are the games that are having success, those are the games at the top of the charts.”
More gaming news:
Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have announced Ninja Gaiden 4 will arrive later this year across Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Game Pass, and PC.
The Video Game History Foundation is opening up its curated digital library, allowing the public to access thousands of rare promo kits, pieces of artwork, development materials, and more.
