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Xbox chief Phil Spencer isn’t looking to persuade players on rival platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo to move to Xbox as Microsoft pivots to launching its exclusive games beyond its own console and PC. In a new wide-ranging interview, the Microsoft Gaming CEO said he was not trying to move players on other platforms to Xbox anymore and instead focussing on building a business there, echoing his earlier comments on Xbox’s multi-platform business strategy.
Phil Spencer on Xbox Games on Other Platforms
Spencer spoke to Xbox Era ahead of last month’s Developer Direct showcase and talked about Microsoft’s decision to launch its first-party games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Xbox hardware and more. The executive said it was important for Microsoft to invest on its own platform, but there would be players who stick with PlayStation or Nintendo because of their existing libraries or for the exclusive games on those platforms.
“And I don’t want to then look at that and say, well, there’s no way that we should be able to build a business there, find fans of our franchises there. I’m not trying to move them all over to Xbox anymore,” Spencer said in the interview published over the weekend.
According to him, releasing Xbox first-party games on PS5 and Switch allowed more players to experience those titles and generated revenue for Microsoft to further invest in game development.
Spencer also talked about showing the PlayStation logo for platform availability of a game at Xbox Developer Direct showcase, saying the company intended to be transparent with players and clarify the availability of a newly announced title.
“I just want to be transparent with people – for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam…People should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can,” Spencer said.
The Xbox chief emphasised Microsoft’s strategy to make its games available across as many platforms as possible, including Xbox consoles, PC, PlayStation, Nintendo and Cloud. According to him, Asia had become one of Microsoft’s fastest growing markets owing to PC and Cloud adaptation instead of Xbox hardware sales. Spencer said Microsoft won’t be able to convert a player already tied to a different platform. “So let’s find them in a way that works, and it’s better for Indiana Jones. It’s better for Xbox,” he said, referring to Bethesda’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle being available to play via Cloud.
Microsoft’s Multi-Platform Strategy
Spencer’s latest comment on Xbox’s multi-platform strategy comes after he said last month that no game in Microsoft’s stable was off-limits on the question of launching on rival platforms.
“There’s no specific game that I would — this kind of goes back to my ‘red line’ answer — like there’s no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say ‘this game will not go to a place where it will find players, where it will have business success for us,’” Spencer had said in an interview in January.
“What we find is we’re able to drive a better business that allows us to invest in great game lineup like you saw (at Xbox Developer Direct). And that’s our strategy. Our strategy is to allow our games to be available.”
Since its strategic shift to launch its first-party games on rival platforms in 2024, Microsoft has released more games on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. This year, the company has already confirmed that Forza Horizon 5, Age of Mythology: Retold and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will come to PS5 soon. Last week, it was reported that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 would arrive on PS5, as well.
