Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer says the gaming industry shouldn’t “rule out” any game going multiplatform, after today’s Xbox Podcast delved into the future of the company. During the podcast, Spencer confirmed Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones game wouldn’t be part of Xbox’s wave of titles coming to other platforms, yet. Speaking on the platform exclusive approach of rival companies as well in a companion interview, Spencer said Helldivers 2’s lack of Xbox release didn’t seem to be benefitting anyone.
Spencer’s comments about platform exclusivity come after multiple interviews with publications where the CEO discussed Xbox’s hopes for exclusivity, and their thoughts on branching out to reach more players. While both Starfield and Indiana Jones were confirmed to not be part of the four games coming to other platforms, Spencer said in a recent interview with The Verge that ruling out any title ever making the leap was not on the cards.
“I don’t think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform,” he said. “We’re focused on these four games and learning from the experience. We don’t have work going on, on other franchises. But for anybody to stand up and say something’s never going to happen, I think it feels like creating more certainty in a world of gaming where you really want to respond to what customers want and what our players and creators are looking for.”
It seems like Spencer’s thoughts on platform exclusivity extend beyond Xbox’s wheelhouse of titles to include recent releases like Helldivers 2. Alongside the Xbox Podcast, Spencer spoke to Game File journalist Stephen Totilo about the four games coming to rival platforms, and his thoughts on whether Sony and Nintendo should consider taking a similar approach to exclusivity as Microsoft.
“I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2—and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation—I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox. If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere,” he said (thanks to Press Start for the quote).
“But I get it. There’s a legacy in console gaming that we’re going to benefit by shipping games and not putting them on other places. We do the same thing,” Spencer added. “I will say shipping more games in more places and making them more accessible to more people is a good part of the gaming business.”
While we don’t yet have official confirmation on which Xbox exclusive games are making the shift to other platforms just yet, today’s Xbox Podcast affirmed the rumours and reports from the last few months that the company appears to be changing its approach to exclusivity. As Spencer said, making games accessible to a wider audience is a boon to sales – and perhaps a much-needed shift for Xbox given the possibility that Game Pass could be eating into exclusive sales figures.
We won’t be seeing Starfield or Indiana Jones coming to PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch just yet (if at all), and it’s not clear on the other end of the spectrum if Helldivers 2 will capitalise on its success and make the jump to Xbox, either. But given the rough year the gaming industry has had with layoffs and studio closures, moving away from a platform exclusivity approach could just be the shot in the arm the industry needs to bolster itself.
What are your thoughts on platform exclusivity and the Xbox Podcast announcements today? Let us know in the comments.
Image: Bethesda
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