June 19th 2024.
For Xbox players, there's no trip down memory lane. The recent Nintendo Direct showcased a number of third-party games that will not be available on Xbox, including Darkest Dungeon 2 and Hello Kitty Island Adventure. As Xbox shifts its focus towards the next generation and struggles with underwhelming sales for the Xbox Series X/S, it appears that many multiplatform games are already abandoning the console.
Earlier this year, there were reports that third-party publishers were questioning the idea of continuing to support the Xbox, as the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch dominate the console market. In recent months, several games have skipped the Xbox, such as Monster Hunter Stories and Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. And surprisingly, a large number of titles shown in the June 2024 Nintendo Direct have also chosen to exclude the platform.
One highly anticipated example is the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, which includes seven legendary games in one bundle. However, as confirmed by Capcom, the compilation will only be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC this year. This has led to some players expressing disappointment and frustration on social media, with one Twitter user writing, "No Xbox? Come on now Capcom. This is ridiculous."
Other third-party titles from the Nintendo Direct are also skipping Xbox, such as Hello Kitty Island Adventure, the console version of Darkest Dungeon 2, and Lego Horizon Adventures. While these may seem like smaller titles, the trend of leaving out the Xbox is becoming more common, causing concern for fans that it may soon extend to more prominent releases. So far, the Xbox hasn't missed out on a major triple-A title, but with the early transition to next-generation hardware, that may change sooner than expected.
One factor that may contribute to this trend is the popularity of Game Pass and the fact that Xbox owners tend to purchase more digital titles. As a result, many retailers have already stopped selling physical Xbox games. The CEO of Limited Run Games, a company that sells physical copies of smaller titles, recently stated that they have reduced their Xbox offerings due to a lack of demand.
In a statement about why Limited Run chose not to release physical versions of Felix The Cat and Rocket Knight Adventures Re-Sparked on Xbox, CEO Josh Fairhurst explained, "Unfortunately, the vast majority of Xbox gamers are digital first. It's not that we can't develop Xbox ports or that we're too cheap to do it, it's that we don't earn anything on the game digitally. Physical game sales are not high enough on Xbox to offset our development costs, so we have no option but to skip Xbox on these titles."
As more smaller games continue to ignore the Xbox, this trend could become a significant issue for Microsoft. If this message reaches current Xbox players and consumers at large, it may affect their perception of the console. In the end, it's up to players to decide how much weight they give to this issue and whether it will influence their gaming choices.
In the meantime, there are still plenty of exciting games and developments to look forward to in the gaming world. From a potential new handheld console from Xbox to more multiformat games, it's an exciting time for gamers. And if you want to stay up to date with all the exclusive gaming content and latest releases, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media. We also welcome submissions and letters from our readers, so feel free to reach out to us via email or through our Submit Stuff page.
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