The console wars reared its ugly head this past month with rumors that Xbox might be ending them once and for all. The latest internet scuttlebutt suggests that certain Xbox titles will soon become third party titles as they are released on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Fans have responded to these rumours with outrage and claims of feeling left out and betrayed, Xbox head Phil Spencer has responded.
The “console wars” have dominated gaming discussions for years, as the gaming generations have gone by the question has always stood; should I buy an Xbox or a PlayStation? As we approached the release of the next gen consoles, it quickly became apparent to me that this question was losing relevance, as cloud gaming and subscription services like GamePass were the hot topics.
GamePass was announced to be coming to PC in May of 2019, a year and a half before the start of the current console generation. This was the writing on the wall, Xbox’s interest was no longer in selling consoles, it was about selling games to as many people as possible.
Fast forward to now, it is 2024 and we are now almost five years into this radical shift in the industry. Recent rumours have suggested that Microsoft plans to release games that were originally slated as first party exclusives on the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, some of the rumoured titles include: Starfield, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush.
These rumours have rocked the fanbase, with many feeling betrayed and let down by this rumoured decision, these enraged fans have taken to Twitter/X to vent their frustrations.
Xbox Head Phil Spencer Responds
Spencer’s response has been lambasted by many within the community. with particular criticism being directed towards the amount of time that Xbox has its fans to wait without any concrete answers. Some have suggested that leaving an entire week between the leak and an official comments only opens the door for rampant speculation and unfounded predictions.
We're listening and we hear you. We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 5, 2024
This has only sparked more anger from fans with many responding, including X user, Synth Potato.
Bringing Xbox to Multi platform will devalue the platform, please don’t
— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) February 5, 2024
While others like The Preston, are concerned that Sony and Nintendo users are being rewarded:
Been with Xbox since day 1 and the news I’m hearing isn’t good, what benefit do we get while Sony and Nintendo lock away content and games from us? Why reward them?
We will have to wait and see exactly what Spencer is planning for the Xbox brand in the coming days and what we can expect the gaming industry to look like in the next few years. One thing is clear though, as is usually the case when rumours start flying, fans are not happy with what they’re hearing and Microsoft has an uphill battle if it wants to get people back on its side.
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