January 13th 2024.
There has been a lot of buzz lately about Xbox potentially branching out to other platforms. Some people argue that this was bound to happen eventually and shouldn't come as a surprise. I can't help but think back to the email from Xbox boss Phil Spencer that was made public during their FTC court trial. In it, he talks in a very condescending manner about wanting to buy Nintendo. He even goes as far as saying that it will take Nintendo a long time to realize that their future lies beyond their own hardware. And yet, here we are less than three months later, and it's Microsoft that people are talking about giving up on making consoles.
Now, I'll admit, that email really rubbed me the wrong way, as I'm sure it did for many others. But let me make one thing clear: I am not some rabid anti-Xbox fanboy. I actually owned an Xbox 360, as did most of my friends at the time. And if the Xbox was significantly better than its PlayStation counterpart, I would gladly switch back. However, in recent years, the consoles have been essentially the same in terms of power, but the exclusives on PlayStation have been noticeably better. And that's just an objective fact.
Last year, it was also revealed that Xbox sales in Japan and Europe were not doing well, making it clear that they would never outsell the PlayStation 5, or any future Sony console for that matter. However, thanks to Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is now the biggest publisher in the industry. So, it only makes sense that going multiformat and giving up on hardware would be a legitimate option. And it seems like that's the direction they may already be heading in.
Recent rumors suggest that one or more exclusive Xbox games will be going multiformat this year, with titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Sea Of Thieves being mentioned. Now, keep in mind that these are just rumors, and even if they are true, there's no guarantee that there will be more than one or two games this year. But to me, it seems obvious that Microsoft is gearing up to give up on hardware, or at least greatly diminish their reliance on it.
Let's look at the facts. Last November, a Microsoft executive stated that they were about to undergo a "change of strategy" and hinted at Xbox content appearing on PlayStation and Nintendo. Phil Spencer later tried to backtrack on those comments, but here we are, barely a month later, and multiple reliable sources are claiming that certain games will be going multiformat.
And then, just a day after those rumors, Microsoft announces a Developer Direct event for next week. That's quite a coincidence, don't you think? It's possible that Microsoft may have changed their plans slightly, and maybe won't announce the news this month now that it has partially leaked out. But it's pretty clear that it's only a matter of time before it happens. And, from a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense.
The weak sales of the Xbox console mean that Microsoft is limiting their audience. So, it's likely that they weren't lying when they said they didn't want to make Call of Duty an exclusive. But they would make much more money selling Hi-Fi Rush, Starfield, Forza, and other games on PlayStation and Nintendo. These games are not system sellers, so why not turn them into money-makers?
After all, EA and Activision Blizzard don't need to make consoles to be industry giants. They are influential and can demand things from Sony simply because of their size and importance. If Microsoft gives up on hardware, they would have even more control over the industry than they do now.
Of course, I can't say for sure what kind of behind-the-scenes deals might be made. Maybe Sony will say they don't mind if Microsoft continues to make consoles as a side business. But by that point, it won't matter. Without any exclusives, the Xbox will become even less desirable than it already is.
As a PlayStation owner, I have to admit, I'm excited about this potential change. Not because I dislike Xbox and want to see it fail, but because I do want to play some of their games. However, I'm not interested enough to buy a new console just for that. This way, we get closer to that one-format future that so many people have wanted. And Microsoft finally gets to be a big player in the industry.
But despite all the signs pointing in this direction, I still see so many Xbox fans in denial, claiming that all the rumors are wrong and ignoring the things that were said by Microsoft themselves last year. This will only make the uproar worse when it does happen, and I'm not looking forward to the console wars that will ensue when even something as minor as Hi-Fi Rush goes multiformat.
Perhaps Microsoft could have handled the reveal better and gotten ahead of the leaks. But at this point, it seems like it's only a matter of time before it happens. And honestly, it's not surprising at all.
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