Xbox games could also come to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. In recent weeks, several rumors have emerged suggesting that Xbox will no longer have exclusive games. This would imply a big change in Microsoft's business strategy, but it is not an entirely crazy idea.
The hare has jumped with two games in particular: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Hi-Fi Rush. According to the specialized media The Verge, Microsoft is considering publishing the new Indiana Jones game on PlayStation 5. This information suggests that the game would come out first on Xbox, at the end of 2024, and that a few months later it would also arrive on PS5. In the case of Hi-Fi Rush, documents have been found among the game files that advance a possible launch on PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Since November 2001, with the launch of the first Xbox, Microsoft has been considered a first-party development company. A company that makes video games for its own platforms and whose business plan involves selling games and consoles. But this has changed in recent years.
In June 2017, Microsoft launched the Xbox Game Pass subscription service and, shortly after, began a round of acquisitions of large studios unprecedented in the industry. Two good examples are the purchase of Bethesda and, now, Activision Blizzard. In recent years, Microsoft's internal studios have grown by several thousand workers and all the company's efforts have been focused on growing Game Pass.
Developing and publishing video games is very expensive. It is becoming more and more so. And the investments have to be profitable. In October 2020, the Redmond company announced that all of its games would also be released on PC. Thus, total exclusivity for Xbox disappeared and a great Microsoft platform was born that also included Windows computers.
Now the strategy goes a little further and the Redmond company is considering publishing its games on other consoles, even after a period of temporary exclusivity. In January 2023, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in statements to The Verge that “if it were up to me, I would love to completely end exclusive games on consoles, but this is not up to me because we are a small player in the console market. The main player [Sony] has defined the competition in the market using exclusives, this is the world we live in. "I don't like this world."
For now, all of this is rumors and some anonymous sources confirming information to US media. But it is a logical strategy. For months Microsoft has not provided updated data on how many Game Pass users there are, although the figure must be around 30 million. But this number of users has been stagnant for months and is far from the 100 million that Phil Spencer wanted to have in 2030.
Microsoft's strategy must involve expanding its potential players and this means launching its games on more platforms. At first, Xbox's strategy included cloud gaming on mobile phones and smart TVs, but the implementation of cloud gaming is going slower than the company expected, according to several executives testifying in the trial with the Federal Court. United States Trade Commission in June 2023.
The CEO of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has assured in X that next week there will be an event in which Microsoft will give information about its future business plans. “We listen to you and we hear you. We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we hope to share more details about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.” said Phil Spencer.
Rumors suggest that the first games affected by this change in strategy would be Hi-Fi Rush (PlayStation 5 and Switch), Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PlayStation 5) and Sea of Thieves (PlayStation 5). In addition, other names such as Starfield or Halo: The Master Chief Collection are also being heard.
Now we have to wait until next week and for Microsoft to confirm (or deny) all these rumors. What is certain is that the Redmond company plans changes to Xbox's business approach. It is stagnant and has to make profitable its recent investment of $68.7 billion in the purchase of Activision Blizzard. So stay tuned, there are busy weeks ahead.
