Xbox Exclusivity

We were a platform

It’s another day and another motion from Asha Sharma. The Xbox head has been speaking to Bloomberg, and has been talking about exclusive ‘content’ on Xbox. Speaking about Xbox’s output, Sharmar said that they are the ‘number two publisher in the world’, and to be so you need to get your games out to as many potential fans as possible. At the same time Xbox is ‘becoming a platform’, and to be an attractive prospect to fans as a platform you need exclusive games, and these to things are at odds.

I agree with the thrust of what Sharma says her, but I’m a little confused with the idea that Xbox is becoming a platform. Surely the Xbox has been a platform since the original console released, and that platform has been denuded of exclusives as Xbox has pursued becoming an online subscription service.

Fans will surely hope that These are more than words, but I have to say, I’m still very sceptical that the new boss can change course on this frigate. So much has been put into the cause of making Game Pass a desirable subscription service that it seems to me it would be almost impossible to get executives at Microsoft to about face now (that seems difficult at the best of times). Changes to the pricing of the service gives some hope, but I just can’t see a return to the peak of Xbox exclusivity that we used to see.

Playing videogames, writing about videogames, considering videogames—that about sums it up. Videogames are the one hobby that I’ve kept since I was only little, zapping ducks on the NES or knocking out MR. X. And when I’m not enjoying classics from the bit generation of games or checking out those earliest of polygons, I’m probably playing something from today’s age of modern gaming: if I’m not complaining about it. Something I’m doing at the moment? Taking the Multisystem 2 for a spin.