Something big is about to happen to Xbox. On Monday, Phil Spencer, president of Microsoft’s gaming division, revealed that the company will share his “vision for the future of Xbox” next week.
What caused this? In January, reports began to emerge that Microsoft was considering porting its excellent first-party game Hi-Fi Rush to other hardware platforms, with the Nintendo Switch widely named as the recipient. At the time, there were also rumors that multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves might be coming to Switch and PS5.
On Sunday, The Verge suggested that Microsoft was considering a multiplatform release for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (below) with a “short” exclusivity period on Xbox. A day later the story expanded. XboxEra news site claimed that Microsoft plans to bring Starfield, the biggest Xbox exclusive game of 2023, to PlayStation 5 immediately after the game’s expansion pack to be released for Xbox and PC. According to XboxEra, the decision caused “fierce internal debate” within the Xbox division.
So what is Spencer about to announce and why? The problem it’s struggling with is that Xbox as a brand has become almost unmanageable. It started as the Xbox console, which sold 24 million units but failed to make an impact in the Asian market. The Xbox 360 followed in 2005, shifting 85 million units, but still lagging just behind the PS3 with 87 million units. Then came the Xbox One, with a reported 58 million units, half that of the PS4, due in part to a misguided attempt to market the console as a versatile media platform; Sony, on the other hand, remained true to its slogan “PlayStation is a gaming machine”.
Now Xbox is also a software application that runs on PCs, phones, and some TVs, and is a streaming platform that consists of both Game Pass for downloads and the Xbox Cloud Gaming service for playing classic games over the internet. The company also went through a tough antitrust investigation to complete a massive $68 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a company whose main series, Call of Duty, was required to remain multiplatform.
Then you see the fact that Xbox hardware has been consistently outsold by PlayStation machines for over a decade. Latest figures show the PS5 outperformed the Xbox Series X by three to one last year; This is further supported by the huge success of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Microsoft stopped reporting console sales in 2015, saying these figures were not considered a sales figure. the main indicator of the success of the brand due to other platform manifestations; instead, it points to Game Pass subscriptions. However, since January, it has also not reported these figures, which are believed to be around 30-33 million worldwide but may have stabilized.
Microsoft has effectively backed itself into a corner where no means of escape are entirely desirable. In many ways, it would be wise to combine the business models of Sega, which stopped developing consoles and became a third-party game publisher after the failure of the Dreamcast, and Valve, which stopped being a developer and became a digital platform owner. Steam. In fact, it could abandon Xbox hardware and focus on bringing Microsoft exclusives to other platforms, while keeping the Xbox name for a streaming service accessible via PC, phones and smart devices. However, this will leave many extremely unhappy Xbox fans behind.
The concern is that Microsoft is opting for a series of half measures: porting some Smaller games for PS5 and Switch, but not all; is launching a new Xbox machine, but perhaps only as an elite option; While we’re trying to make Game Pass available on more platforms, we’re also trying to block important exclusives. To ask a cruel question: Have they truly mastered the console hardware market the way Sony and Nintendo have? Is it time to let go? But oh my goodness, the reaction from the Xbox fanbase is going to be overwhelming and that alone might be enough to keep Microsoft’s hand in console production. Whatever the case, it’s all a bit messy, and it typifies the strange, slightly uncomfortable role Xbox has always had in the Microsoft empire.
When Xbox gets it right, it really gets it right. The entire Xbox 360 era with its revolutionary online multiplayer infrastructure; Halo’s legacy extends to Gears of War, Forza Horizon, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, Fable; The sheer discount of Game Pass. Xbox has become the necessary third runner in the console race by investing money in big ideas and pushing the technical agenda. We now have to wait for this statement regarding Spencer’s “vision for the future.” And fans of the console will have to hope it’s not too blurry to recognize.
what to play
Imagine Streets of Rage crossed with Michael Douglas’ Falling Down. rising, a pixel-art brawler about an office worker who loses his printer when it malfunctions and goes on a devastating equipment-smashing rampage. Created by a small team led by coder Erik H Jørgensen, the art style, tone, and simple kick-punch-jump action are perfectly reminiscent of classic scrolling beat-em-ups of the late 1980s and packed with ridiculously funny moments. You can play it for free on the indie gaming site Itch.io.
Available in: PC/iOS
Estimated playing time: One hour
What to read
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I loved this Eurogamer piece. Die Hard Trilogy origins and how UK developer Probe managed to make three games in one, and largely succeed. But I also like that the article starts as a profile of Simon Pick, the developer of the 8bit classic Daredevil Dennis. You’ll have to read it to see how they’re connected.
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Kotaku has a really interesting article ageism in the gaming industryWe speak to industry veterans about the challenges of staying active in the industry once you’re past your 30s. “The difficulty of the job and the low pay are driving away even young developers,” says legendary designer Warren Spector. But older voices are definitely needed to mature as a culture.
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And finally from Polygon “palworld is the culmination of every game I’ve ever loved,” is a review of the unexpected hit game that combines elements of Pokémon and online shooters and currently has nearly 19 million players.
What to click
Question Block
This week’s question comes from Keza MacDonald of Pushing Buttons, who, despite being on sabbatical, slid into my DMs to ask:
“Which Xbox game in history would you like everyone to experience?”
I’ll always feel guilty for giving Sea of Thieves It had a three star rating, but that was fair at the time because I couldn’t find a stable game and there was a slight lack of content; It was magical though when it all worked. I think everyone should play now; It’s such a joyful, rich and funny experience and For this reason There’s a lot to do.
Previously, the Ninja Gaiden games were brutally excellent, Gears of War 2 was stunning, and I loved digital games like Trials and Geometry Wars. Oh and Forza Horizon 4. And Minecraft. Always, always Minecraft.
If you have a question about the Question Blog or have anything else to say about the newsletter, email us at pushbuttons@theguardian.com.