The Official Xbox Podcast just concluded as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, President of Xbox at Microsoft, Sarah Bond, and Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Studios, Matt Booty spoke in length about the updates on the Xbox business. Phil Spencer revealed and confirmed what was rumored for a while now, that four Xbox-exclusive titles will go over to other consoles.
Spencer stressed that the move to take four exclusive titles to other platforms is not an indication of any changes to the fundamental exclusive strategy. He also stated that the decision was taken for specific reasons which also wasn’t revealed.
Phil Spencer’s comments on the future of Xbox exclusivity
Spencer revealed during the update that four exclusive titles are coming to other consoles, confirming recent rumors. Spencer was asked about the reasoning behind the decision and he went on to say that a lot of major titles have been landing on multiple platforms regularly over the past 10 years.
Spencer mentioned how most major titles have landed on either one console and PC or multiple consoles and PC or even on mobile devices, consoles, and PCs. Spencer mentioned that the decision was taken with the “long-term health of Xbox in mind.”
He did not reveal the four specific titles coming to other consoles, but stressed that the move is a way for the studio to grow and also to “use what some of the other platforms have right now to help grow our franchises.”
He also stated that while the move was surprising, Xbox will strive to remain the platform for creators to “realize their potential.”
Choosing the four specific exclusives
Speaking about the criteria for choosing those four specific titles, Spencer stated his belief that over the next five or 10 years, “games that are exclusive to one piece of hardware, are going to be a smaller and smaller part of the gaming industry.”
When host Tine Amini asked for the names of the titles, Spencer mentioned he couldn’t reveal them right away as the developers of those specific titles have “announced plans that are not too far away“, but confirmed that two of the recently released major titles, Starfield and Indiana Jones are not part of the four titles in question.
As for the criteria for choosing the four specific titles, Spencer mentioned that one of the main criteria was looking at games that were over a year old. Two of the four titles were revealed to be community-driven, new games and they were the first titles of a franchise that “have reached their full potential.”
Spencer also revealed that the other two titles are smaller games that were never really meant to be exclusive to any one specific platform.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Let us know in the comments.
