Following the successful Xbox Games Showcase, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming division, took part in an interview, where he addressed many questions about the brand’s future.
Spencer talked about the company’s plans, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and how PlayStation aims for content exclusivity on its platform. Many fans on social media criticized Spencer’s comments, calling them hypocritical given Microsoft’s own history of acquiring companies for exclusive content.
Phil Spencer Didn’t Miss the Opportunity to Throw Some Shade at PlayStation
Following the conclusion of the impressive Xbox event and the presentation of the deep dive for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Phil Spencer addressed a range of topics, such as the studio closures and the PS5 release of Doom: The Dark Ages. He also addressed other related topics and even talked about the competition while making a little criticism of these companies.
Spencer said the following about exclusive contracts that other platforms had in the past: “I want to give you the choice on how you play your games and who you play with, not try to do slimy platform things to force you to do what I want you to do.”
The statement clearly targeted Sony’s PlayStation for its attempts to lure players to its platform through exclusive content contracts.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Is the Latest in a Long Line of Games to Have Exclusive Content With Sony
Since 2015, Sony has secured an impressive exclusivity deal with Call of Duty to release certain content much earlier on PlayStation. However, as some users on X pointed out, Spencer’s comments are somewhat hypocritical, as Xbox had similar exclusivity deals with the franchise before Sony. Furthermore, Microsoft has purchased numerous studios to secure more exclusive content.
Other social media users believe that Spencer’s statement was taken out of context and wasn’t specifically targeting PlayStation. Ultimately, any major corporation criticizing exclusivity as a bad practice is hypocritical, as this is a primary sales strategy in gaming. Some fans disagree with Spencer’s words, which generated a heated discussion on X about whether these kinds of declarations were necessary in the first place.
Despite the controversy, the latest spectacular event positions Xbox for a brighter future, potentially boosting sales that have stagnated for several months. The trailers showcased at the event highlighted a robust lineup of exclusive games slated for 2025, many of which will be available on Game Pass from day one. This year, players can expect several highly anticipated popular games.
What are your thoughts on Spencer’s words? Let us know in the comments!
