Recent rumors suggest that Xbox will bring its exclusive games to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. The idea of seeing more Microsoft productions and games from its studios on the competition has divided the gaming community. Even some Xbox fans are upset and confused by this possible decision.
What's happening? Is the company changing its strategy to become third-party? Will it give up those games that give identity to its brand? Let's analyze the case to understand its implications.
Will Xbox become a third-party company?
The year started with a possible bombshell: a popular Xbox game supposedly coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Reports claim it's the acclaimed Hi-Fi RUSH, a title from Bethesda and Tango Gameworks that was one of the big surprises of 2023.
There are also rumors indicating that Sea of Thieves, the popular pirate game from Rare, will no longer be exclusive to Xbox and will make its way to Nintendo and Sony systems. Will Xbox simply give up these exclusives it worked so hard to obtain? Let's break it down.
Firstly, seeing games with the Xbox and Microsoft seal on other company's consoles is not something entirely new. Examples include the Ori games that made their way to Nintendo Switch. Additionally, we know that As Dusk Falls will arrive on PlayStation in March. In both cases, we're talking about games distributed by Xbox.
Another case that cannot be ignored is Minecraft. The popular Mojang Studios franchise has remained multiplatform with various projects, understandable given its enormous popularity and development history. We also know that Call of Duty will follow this path, as limiting such a commercially important franchise to Xbox wouldn't make sense.
So why would they give the green light to ports of Hi-Fi RUSH and Sea of Thieves, two of their most popular games? Xbox has made it clear for some time that it's no longer in the console sales race, where exclusives have propelled PlayStation and Nintendo to the top.
Instead, they are interested in the growth of their ecosystem and the impact of their brand. Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Gaming, has mentioned it several times: they want to be on the largest number of devices and screens possible. It's evident that to achieve this goal, they will have to make some sacrifices.
On the other hand, reports of Xbox games coming to other consoles have been circulating since last year. Josh Sawyer, a creative at Obsidian Entertainment, stated that the release of Pentiment on Nintendo Switch was possible. Will it happen? No one knows yet, but the doors are open.
Even more importantly, back in 2017, Spencer suggested that Xbox's first-party games could come to other platforms in the future. One of their goals at that time was to attract players from all devices.
The issue is that much of the debate arises precisely from the confusing communication that Xbox has had on the topic in recent years. In 2020, Spencer disagreed with the idea that each Xbox title was considered a potential release for the Switch.
"I have a lot of respect for the role Nintendo plays, and I love having great games on their platform. I really don't like this idea that for every one of our games, there will be this little rumor mill: 'Is it going to end up on Switch or not?' I think we should set better expectations with our fans," he said.
Last year, Spencer criticized Sony before the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC). He claimed that when Xbox brings one of its games to PlayStation, the Japanese company takes 30% of the revenue earned on its platform and thenuses that money, along with other revenue they have, to try to undermine Xbox's survival in the market.
"Every time we ship a game on PlayStation, Sony gets 30% of the revenues we get on their platform, and they use that money, along with other revenue they have, to go out and fund a business model that I think is designed to stop our business in the long run," Spencer said.
With that said, why would Xbox bring more of its games to other platforms? The move may seem nonsensical, so it's normal that a certain sector of the Xbox community is confused and upset. The possible arrival of Hi-Fi RUSH and Sea of Thieves on PlayStation and Nintendo feels like an abrupt change in Xbox's strategy, as the company has struggled to secure exclusives of this caliber and quality.
However, the reality is that Xbox has had to make several adjustments to its strategy due to the stumble it had with Xbox One. Firstly, it decided to have simultaneous releases on consoles and PC years ago. On the other hand, it focused on the growth of services like Game Pass and pushed its commitment to cloud gaming, all with the idea of overcoming the limitations of its own hardware.
In 2022, Microsoft talked about an initiative called Xbox Everywhere, aiming to expand and enhance the reach of its brand with cloud gaming. Why not also do it in other ways, like with possible ports of its most eye-catching games?
At the same time, they have invested millions to acquire very important studios. This is a key point because the company has massively diversified its library of franchises. For quite some time now, thinking about Xbox is not just thinking about Halo, Gears, Forza, and other classic sagas. It has grown so much that inevitably, in the future, we will see more games from Xbox Game Studios on all kinds of platforms, including competitor consoles and mobile devices.
The expansion of Xbox will be so extensive that at some point, focusing only on its ecosystem will become unviable for Microsoft when there are millions of potential customers out there. In fact, Xbox already operates under a hybrid scheme, where online titles like Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, and others are multiplatform. On the other hand, the company keeps its most beloved franchises and titles like Starfield as exclusives.
From a business perspective, bringing Sea of Thieves to more platforms doesn't sound like madness. Especially when considering the social impact it has had on Xbox and PC, where it has accumulated over 30 million users. PlayStation and Nintendo could be the means to further expand the reach of this and other Xbox titles. Remember who is behind the company: Microsoft, a tech giant that rose to the top because of software and competes with other titans like Google, Apple, Amazon, Tencent, and NetEase.
If this change of plans becomes a reality, it would be an attempt by Xbox to diversify its business and revenue streams. Yes, it would deviate from the path that PlayStation and Nintendo have followed for decades, where exclusives are paramount. Xbox simply hasn't been able to follow that path and doesn't necessarily have to. However, it cannot be denied that this strategic adjustment could be costly, especially considering brand identity and the displeasure of its fans.
Will Xbox give up its identity?
Players and companies know very well that exclusive titles give identity and weight to a brand. Part of the Xbox community is worried and even offended because it seems like Microsoft will precisely give up that identity it has been shaping for years.
Not in vain, social media has been filled with criticism for the possible change in strategy. Loyal Xbox fans feel that the arrival of Hi-Fi RUSH and Sea of Thieves on other platforms will devalue the brand's ecosystem, causing a chain reaction.
Over the years, the pirate-themed title has become a flagship for the brand. On the other hand, Chai's adventure overnight transformed into a franchise that adds identity to Xbox. Fans fear that all of this will be lost due to ports, causing fewer people to be motivated to approach the ecosystem, services, and hardware of the company.
There are those who believe that a possible agreement will never be fair because PlayStation and Nintendo are not willing to bring their exclusives to other platforms. Some are glad that such attractive titles will be available to more people; however, the discomfort that Xbox will not receive something proportional in return remains.
The problem for fans is not that games like Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online belong to Xbox and are already multiplatform, but the fact that the same could happen with games of the caliber of Starfield, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, The Elder Scrolls VI, Blade, and many more.
The issue of exclusivity is gradually becoming more complicated for Xbox. Everything intensified with the acquisition of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, as the company confirmed that they will analyze case by case to determine which titles will or will not come to other platforms. The problem for fans is if the company decides to bring its previous catalog of exclusives to competitors' consoles.
However, for now, nothing is confirmed, and it's all just a rumor. Nevertheless, various reliable sources have corroborated that Microsoft has at least considered the idea and has it on its list of possible projects. The focus on a broad and more open ecosystem comes with a risk to the brand's identity, and it seems that Xbox is willing to take that risk to some extent.
"Companies' strategies change gradually to adapt to an increasingly volatile market."
Having said all this, it's worth remembering that PlayStation has brought games like MLB: The Show to competitors' systems. Additionally, it has games like Destiny 2, which remain multiplatform for commercial reasons. Moreover, it will soon embrace simultaneous releases on consoles and PC. With this, it has changed players' perception, and many believe that the company has diluted its identity a bit.
On the other hand, Nintendo has resisted more than any other to expand its franchises outside its ecosystem. Despite that, it made the leap to mobile devices and is gradually expanding to other industries.
Thus, companies' strategies change gradually to adapt to an increasingly volatile market. Why should Xbox stick to the plan of its competitors if it has always sought different alternatives? Currently, the company has what it takes to maintain an attractive catalog of exclusive games, strengthen its identity, and still bring some of its iconic titles to more systems.
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