A little while ago, the much-anticipated Xbox podcast was published, in which Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty discuss the approach to publishing your own titles on platforms other than Xbox and Windows. Right at the beginning, the head of Xbox confirmed that only four titles will become multiplatform for now, and what is important is that Starfield and Indiana Jones will not be among them
First four games
As for the specific games, Phil Spencer did not want to reveal their names because they will be announced by the respective developers, but it can be assumed that some of the names that have been speculated will be confirmed soon. Importantly, however, Phil Spencer debunked some of the doomsday fan scenarios and confirmed that the approach of releasing your own games to other platforms is in line with the effort to continue to ensure the full status of the Xbox console and its viability.
“We’re talking about games that are a year old and have been on Xbox and PC for a while,” Spencer says, referring to the four titles that will open the door to other platforms. In the first two cases, these are games that potentially start a new series, Microsoft wants to further invest in these brands and values the community behind them. However, in order for these games to continue to be supported and expanded, according to Spencer, it is also necessary to preserve the business that feeds them, which is why Microsoft should have decided to “release” these two titles into the world. The other two games are smaller titles that were not created with the intention of being platform exclusives, but have developed their potential and it will be nice to see them on other platforms as well.
Future plans and Diablo IV on Game Pass
As for any other games that could lose their status as exclusive titles for Windows and Xbox, Phil Spencer pointed out that there is no change in Microsoft’s strategy in this regard. It’s still in Xbox’s interest to offer games to the widest possible audience of gamers, and to that end, first-party titles will continue to be released on Game Pass. Matt Booty then confirmed that Microsoft wants to focus on cross-play and cross-save features to remove any potential obstacles and allow players to quickly switch places from which to play Microsoft games. However, it is still true – and the recent Developer_Direct should have confirmed it – that Microsoft will offer exclusive titles and is building part of its current strategy on it.
Then Sarah Bond took the floor to confirm that this approach applies to all the games that Microsoft has under its roof, and finally there is a shift in information regarding games from Activision and Blizzard. Bond announced that on March 28, Diablo IV will appear in the Game Pass menu, making it available to 34 million players for the price of a subscription only. This is, by the way, if I’m not mistaken, the most recent confirmation of how many players subscribe to the service.
Another 20 years
To the fans who deduced from the speculation that Microsoft wants to get rid of its gaming business, for example by ending the development of its own console, Phil Spencer told between the lines that they are wrong. He stated that he himself has been employed in Microsoft’s gaming division for 20 years and firmly believes that Xbox as a platform is well-positioned for the next 20 years. “That means a healthy player community, a healthy developer community, and a healthy business,” Spencer said. He also added that a critical part of all Microsoft’s efforts is hardware, which the company plans to continue to develop.
Sarah Bond explained that Xbox as a console is important because it represents the goal for developers and most importantly the flagship of the entire experience for players. He also hinted that Microsoft will share some important information on the hardware side this Christmas and confirmed that investments have already been made to develop the next generation of Xbox. So all of this is turned upside down by the sometimes hysterical steps of fans who prophesied the death of the platform and said goodbye to everything that Xbox can offer. In the end, Spencer expressed sympathy for players who are worried about the shutdown of online services and the unavailability of some games, but in this regard he could only offer a general reassurance that Microsoft is trying to keep everything running as long as possible.
Other issues, along with information about other titles that will be released this year, will be presented by Microsoft at its upcoming June keynote. Until then, more than a dozen titles are coming exclusively to Xbox this year, including Indiana Jones, an expansion for Diablo IV with the subtitle Vessel of Hatred, Hellblade II, Avowed or Ara.
2024-02-15 20:06:05
#Starfield #Indiana #Jones #heading #PlayStation #Vortex
