Some leaks point to a 2024 launch of some games developed by Microsoft for the PlayStation 5. A radical change in strategy that generated a lot of buzz online.
It was a tough end to the weekend on the social network for fans of the Xbox brand. Several clusters of clues point to a radical shift in Xbox history. The manufacturer may launch many of its major exclusives on competing consoles in 2024, most notably the PlayStation 5.
the facts
Several sources point in the same direction and have published articles regarding these multiplatform ports in recent days. First of all, the exclusive site XboxEra The game progresses Starfield Scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 in 2024. The release will be scheduled after the launch of the game’s first DLC on PC and Xbox. Microsoft may have invested in the PlayStation 5 development kit to finance the ports in question. In the meantime, it is Hi-Fi Rush Which will be launched on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch from this first quarter of 2024.
For its part, the site The Verge claims internal discussions at Microsoft regarding a possible game launch Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PlayStation, several months after its Xbox launch. The game was the subject of a presentation earlier this year and is scheduled for launch on Xbox and PC by the end of 2024. Additionally, links to the latest update of the game Hi-Fi Rush Point well to the game’s launch on competing consoles.
Finally, the niche site Windows Central It also claims to have echoes from December of multiplatform porting, such as for certain Microsoft successes. Sea of Thieves.
Bethesda at the center of an internal war?
When we have all these elements in hand, we can undoubtedly begin to analyze what is happening at Microsoft. with the exception of Sea of Thieves, all games mentioned in these rumors are Bethesda games. This is not trivial in more ways than one. First of all, Bethesda is one of the two major publishers bought by Microsoft in recent years, along with Activision Blizzard. It has historically been a multiplatform publisher, forced to publish its games exclusively on Xbox. Activision made a strategic choice during Blizzard’s acquisition, as documents from the trial against the FTC revealed. Especially since the latter, also a multiplatform publisher, has the right to another treatment of Microsoft. So we can imagine a change in strategy that will only affect the publisher bought for $8 billion in 2021.
Another point to highlight: this is clearly an intense debate internally at Microsoft. All of the articles point to discussions and deep disagreements among Xbox executives about what to do next. In this regard, the leaks may not be innocent. Certain officials were able to pass on information to journalists to force them to publish these debates to the general public and gather public opinion. A way to guide internal discussions or force the brand to communicate.
A new Xbox strategy?
The publication of these rumors has already bombed social networks and caused numerous discussions between Xbox and PlayStation fans. So we have a real surprise effect. You have to look at the Xbox situation to understand these discussions. First of all, in terms of console sales, Microsoft is now keeping its distance from PlayStation and Nintendo, which are the last. Despite the brand’s efforts, the Xbox Series S and
The company recently published financial results for the quarter covering Christmas and year-end promotions. Despite a 400 euro price drop for the series, the growth of Xbox consoles was very low Starfield. In short, the game console business at Microsoft is doing very poorly. Not counting 1900 layoffs. Besides that, the company is now at the head of a huge video game publishing empire. Between Activision-Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft is the largest video game publisher in the Western world today.
We can draw several theories for the future of Xbox based on these trends.
Scenario A: Only Bethesda is affected
A scenario involving the least profound change for Microsoft. In fact, the firm is content to align Bethesda’s editorial strategy with Activision Blizzard’s. You find yourself with a two-headed entity: on the one hand Xbox and Xbox Game Studios who develop game consoles and exclusives for the latter, and on the other Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda who act as third-party publishers. First party.
Scenario B: Xbox exclusives become temporary
Another hypothesis, Microsoft is actually changing the strategy radically and is now deciding to publish its game on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, when the latter can run the game. We find ourselves in a new economic model where Microsoft is exclusively launching. A game on its Xbox platform for 12 months with day one availability on Xbox Game Pass. Twelve months after launch, the game is released on rival consoles for 80 euros. This leaves an advantage for fans of the Xbox console: they benefit from twelve months in advance and availability in the subscription service.
This hypothesis is similar to Sony’s new strategy with its PlayStation Studio games. Several years after launching on the PlayStation console, Sony now publishes its games on PC via Steam. A second life for the game that allows you to generate significant income.
Scenario C: Microsoft exits the game console market
This is the scenario that goes through many people’s heads. This change in strategy will be the first stone of Microsoft’s withdrawal from the game console market. This wouldn’t be the first time in video game history. Before the Xbox, there was Sega which decided to abandon its Dreamcast to become a simple video game publisher in the early 2000s. Is the scenario going to repeat itself with Microsoft? Not so fast.
At this point, this scenario seems rather unlikely. The launch of some of Bethesda’s games after their exclusive launch is not enough to account for Microsoft’s complete abandonment of the game console market. Given the low sales, it would certainly make economic sense for the firm to abandon its consoles. Publisher of video games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. But it has to be forgotten that there is a logic to being present.
Game consoles are a huge investment for a company, but it’s a way to retain some control over the market. For example, this automatically creates a platform where Game Pass is allowed, while Sony and Nintendo close their doors. Recently, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella admitted regretting abandoning Windows Phone. Not because the businessman dreamed of becoming the great champion of the smartphone, Apple and Android were far ahead, but because the firm lost the platform on which it could promote services like Microsoft Copilot.
Microsoft should communicate
One thing is for sure, the debates on the Internet surrounding the future of the Xbox are once again very lively. Microsoft, however, managed to reassure about its ambitions to stay in video games with its successive acquisitions. The firm now has to demonstrate once again whether it wants to stay in the console market or not and what strategy it wants to adopt.
We can expect an official reaction from Xbox President Sarah Bond or Microsoft Gaming President Phil Spencer in the coming hours.
