Is there still hope, Obi-Wan? Microsoft appears to be backing away from the exclusivity of its games, if the rumors are to be believed. These include Bethesda's Starfield, Machine Games' Indiana Jones, and Great Circle. Both games were originally intended for release on PlayStation 5, but were released exclusively on Windows PC and Xbox as part of Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax.
Meanwhile, Starfield is already set to release in August 2023: “As we've learned, Microsoft is currently planning to release Starfield for Playstation 5, after the already-announced Shattered Space expansion is scheduled to debut for Xbox and PC sometime this year. We've been Also, Xbox Era exclusively said: “We shared that Microsoft has made additional investments in PlayStation 5 development kits to support ongoing development work – further fanning the fire.”
This will mark a turning point in the strategy followed so far, which, according to sources, has been the subject of heated debate internally as well. The release of Starfield for PlayStation 5 contradicts the original exclusivity statement made by Xbox head Sarah Bond during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Studios Summer Showcase in 2021.
Indiana Jones game exclusively on Xbox “makes sense from a financial and strategic standpoint”
The administration is said to have now agreed to a new direction. Ultimately, this is what you want to achieve as a company. Do you want to take money with you on PlayStation 5? Do you want to buy more studios and avoid ugly questions from antitrust authorities? Do you primarily want to act as a service provider and sell game tickets? In the medium term maybe even on PlayStation? These are all points that could have led to such a shift in strategy. There were also rumors that Microsoft was lagging behind in the development of the new Xbox.
Maybe not everyone will be happy with the idea, but the majority may have decided they want the money that could be made with a Playstation release. Therefore, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is scheduled to be released at the end of the year, should also be postponed to the PS5 game release list. Perhaps a valid strategy for Microsoft would be to stick with the PC versions like Sony and pursue time-based exclusivity.
Sources: Xbox Era, X/Twitter (@NateTheHate2, @ZhugeEX, @billbil_kun)
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