Xbox May Opt For “Timed Exclusivity” In Future, But Should Never Fully Abandon It

If you look at the video game history, you’ll see it populated with many legendary consoles and devices that I’m sure kept you company in your childhood. Some of these may no longer be around but’ll forever be in my heart. Every era had some competing consoles, and it’s possible you held a different one than me. Even though they were all gaming devices, what gave them identity was the kind of games each offered.

Exclusives have always been a game changer for consoles. You might’ve liked Nintendo’s games more so you opted for an SNES, while I enjoyed Sega’s titles more so I went with the Mega Drive. Eras went by, but this point withstood the test of time. Sony is pulling ahead primarily because of the exclusives. And when it was rumored that Xbox was giving up exclusivity, I feared for the console. I’m glad that never happened.

Xbox Is Making 4 Games Multi-Platform; Won’t Be Making An Exit 

The Xbox business meeting clarified a lot of stuff, and here’s what we know so far. The first thing is regarding the critical exclusivity. It’s been confirmed that so far, four of Xbox’s games will become multi-platform. These four are Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. Although it hasn’t been ruled out entirely for the future, games like Starfield, Indiana Jones, etc. are not among these.

Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded are coming to Nintendo Switch & PlayStation this year
byu/IcePopsicleDragon ingaming

If you look at the lineup, I feel like this was a pretty impressive decision. These games are community-based titles, that are bound to perform better the wider the possible audience. These are the kind of games that can make good use of being multi-platform. The single-player title Hi-Fi Rush was a sleeper hit and a highly impressive game. Putting it on other platforms can give it the recognition it deserves.

What’s more, it doesn’t look like Microsoft is entirely abandoning the Xbox console, either. There are solid plans for more Xbox hardware down the line, with projects in development to be revealed later on. Xbox will receive a powerful addition to the family, possibly a handheld device, which if played right can be a great move. All in all, the reality is nowhere near as dreadful as rumors made it out to be.

The Rumors Were Great Exaggerations It Seems

Now that the truth’s out, I can rest easy. So I’ll take this opportunity to tell you why this meeting was essentially responsible for deciding the future for Xbox. It’s all because of the insane rumors that started surfacing sometime earlier. These entail that Microsoft is looking to make all of its games multi-platform right from day one. That’s right, Xbox was going to lose any exclusives.

To sort of “commemorate” this decision, it was rumored that Xbox’s big names like Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones will be announced becoming multi-platform very soon. Hearing all this had me worried for the Xbox console in particular. Soon after these rumors, an Xbox business meeting was announced. I and many other people thought this was where they’d make all this official.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says he doesn't think they should "ever rule out a game going to any other platform" when asked about Starfield and Indiana Jones exclusivity, but that doesn't mean that "everything else is coming".

"We’re focused on these four games and learning from the… pic.twitter.com/dPnw4Rlz4Y

— Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) February 15, 2024

However, thankfully it was not representative of the full picture. With the meeting, we know what games will be multi-platform. And while the possibility of more games becoming so wasn’t denied, it might happen in the future still. But, since Xbox has confirmed new hardware in development, I don’t think it would happen. If Microsoft planned on erasing exclusivity, it wouldn’t have invested in new consoles.

While Microsoft Might’ve Profited, Abandoning Exclusivity Would’ve Doomed Xbox

Now that you know what was at stake, I don’t think I need to tell you how harmful it would’ve been if true, especially for the Xbox console. You must be wondering how it might’ve profited Microsoft, so here’s the answer. First thing, all the profit from the sales of first-party games even on other platforms would come to Microsoft. The extra popularity and audience were nothing but beneficial.

On top of that, Microsoft could eliminate the cost of producing Xbox units, focus entirely on game development, and improve earnings by multi-platform sales. However, stop for a moment and ponder. Xbox would be over; Microsoft wouldn’t be affected. If every game the console has simultaneously releases on other platforms, wouldn’t it be better to get some other platforms that have all these and then some more?

Longtime Xbox user. I couldn’t stand the lack of first party exclusives so I sold the Series X and made the switch.
byu/lukev1992 inplaystation

With its exclusives gone, the entire incentive to purchase the console would go down the drain. It might profit Microsoft, yes, but what about the rich history and legacy of the Xbox console? I don’t know about you but the Xbox 360 was and still is one of my most cherished possessions, and I have wonderful memories with it. I’m glad Microsoft decided to preserve the console’s legacy by not abandoning exclusivity entirely as rumored.

Microsoft Should Adopt Timed Exclusivity And Improve Exclusive Quality

Now with that out of the way, let’s discuss the future of Xbox a bit. There’s a way Microsoft can reap the benefits of both these approaches, and that is timed exclusivity, just like Sony has. Xbox should continue to receive exclusive games, but Microsoft should set a period after which it may release them on other platforms. This would uphold Xbox’s value while also achieving multi-platform objectives.

And to make all this work, it’s imperative Microsoft work on improving the quality of its exclusives. Let’s be honest, Starfield was not the kind of masterpiece I was expecting. Without quality exclusives, it’ll all move close to a lost cause anyway. Currently, Xbox has some big guns at its disposal, which are the upcoming Indiana Jones and Blade games. It can surely improve its image and value in the eyes of consumers by going all in on these titles and all future ones.