Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard, along with its many development studios, has propelled it – and by extension, Xbox – to the pinnacle of third-party game publishing. So, when Xbox chief Phil Spencer recently shared in an interview with Gamertag Radio that future Xbox games might be launched on platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation, it stirred quite the buzz. Yet, if you think about it, it makes complete sense.
During his conversation with Danny Peña and Parris from Gamertag Radio, Phil shared his vision: “I want people to be able to experience the games that we build, the services that we offer on as many devices as we can.” He wasn’t coy about his appreciation for Xbox’s own platform either: “We obviously love the native experience that we have on our own platform and our own hardware, and that’s something that will continue for us.” The dialogue, available on YouTube through Danny’s Podcast Interviews, was a treasure trove of industry insights and a walk down memory lane, revisiting the glory days of the original Xbox and the Xbox 360.
For those scratching their heads over why these declarations are a big deal, let’s take a quick jaunt through gaming history. Remember Sonic the Hedgehog, the speedy blue icon from movies? Before becoming a big-screen star, he was the face of Sega, featured exclusively on their consoles. But when Sega’s Dreamcast failed to match up to Sony’s powerhouse PlayStation 2, Sega shifted from console manufacturing to game development, and it was Microsoft’s Xbox that snatched up the opportunity to fill the void left in the marketplace.
When the “DirectX Box,” which later evolved into the Xbox we know today, was first being developed, it was compatible with Sega Dreamcast games, thanks much in part to the Dreamcast’s compatibility with Windows CE. While this feature didn’t carry over to the final version, Xbox did enjoy its share of Dreamcast-born sequels like Jet Set Radio Future as exclusives.
Initially, Spencer’s words might sound like a classic goodbye from a sinking ship in the console wars, but in reality, Microsoft is far from down and out. With Xbox now crowned the ultimate third-party game publisher, the goal has shifted from tethering gamers to the Xbox platform to simply selling as many games as possible.
Spencer elaborated, “We want everybody to be able to play on Xbox, and it does mean more of our games shipping on more platforms, not just PlayStation. We love the work that we do with Nintendo, we love what we do with Valve on Steam, and that’s going to continue.”
Is Xbox poised to follow Sega’s footsteps? Hardly. Microsoft’s deep pockets ensure that’s a scenario we’d be unlikely to see. Yet, it’s clear that the next wave of Xbox consoles will need to outshine the competition and provide distinct value via hardware alone. This is especially true as Nintendo likely leans toward a hybrid portable model for “Switch 3” and the PlayStation 6 continues the tradition of banking on enticing exclusive titles to win over users.
Microsoft, however, must tread carefully with its evolving brand identity. The essence that Xbox is more than just a gaming console – a suite of games and services – needs to be handled wisely. Otherwise, as the old adage might go: when everyone is on Xbox, is anyone truly on Xbox?
