Microsoft has confirmed multiplatform release plans for four first-party titles.
12.02.2024 - 17:43 / comingsoon.net / Phil Spencer / Shannon Liao
Reports are suggesting that the next-generation console may be made by the same team that developed the Microsoft Surface tablet. Jason Ronald, the person responsible for leading the development of the Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox One, is also reportedly not in charge of the team creating the upcoming console.
The latest rumor comes just days after Xbox CEO Phil Spencer reassured his team that there were no plans to stop making consoles and that Xbox would be part of the company’s strategy “that involves multiple kinds of devices” according to reporter Shannon Liao. According to Shpeshal_Nick on the latest XboxEra podcast, the next Xbox console even has a development team already. He added his voice to others who claim that “Jason Ronald is not leading on the next Xbox and the Surface team is doing it.”
Ronald led the development of the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, which were both beaten in sales by their PlayStation equivalents. A recent financial earnings presentation from Take-Two Interactive even suggested the PS5 has outsold the Series X|S on a scale of 2:1. Putting another team in charge of the new console to try and turn the Xbox’s future around would not be a surprise.
Numerous rumors over the past week have led to turmoil within the Xbox community. These have included claims that Xbox first-party games like Hi-Fi Rush, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and even Halo could be coming to other platforms like PS5. These then progressed to rumors that Microsoft would cease the production of consoles and take a third-party direction akin to that of Sega in the past.
While Spencer has addressed the latter rumors, the future of Microsoft’s games hasn’t been denied. He has confirmed that Microsoft will be “sharing more details... about our vision for the future of Xbox” this week.
Microsoft has confirmed multiplatform release plans for four first-party titles.
More great games are coming to the PS5, and that’s never a bad thing. Microsoft announced during a highly massaged corporate message that it’ll bring four first-party titles to rival systems, although it wouldn’t name any names. Fortunately, the rumours have been so strong that we can surmise they’ll be rhythm brawler Hi-Fi Rush, historical adventure Pentiment, nautical outing Sea of Thieves, and survival game Grounded. These fit Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s description of two smaller titles and two live service experiences.
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Four Microsoft first-party games will launch on Sony's PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, the company confirmed late Thursday after weeks of speculation over its exclusive titles releasing on rival platforms. The announcement came on the Official Xbox Podcast from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who also shed further light on the reasons behind Xbox's business decision and confirmed that the next generation of Xbox consoles were in development. Microsoft has not yet revealed the four Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but The Verge reported that said games would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.
The last 10-days-or-so have been quite the roller coaster for Xbox fans. Team Green was thrown into turmoil earlier this month by rumors that everything from Starfield, to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, to even Gears of War may be going multiplatform. Granted, some of those rumors were later walked back, but still, the spectre of a third-party future with Xbox getting out of the hardware business was raised.
If it weren’t enough that Microsoft detailed its plans for bringing first-party titles to other platforms (which doesn’t include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle), it also discussed its next-gen hardware. Xbox president Sarah Bond promised the “largest technical leap” in a hardware generation.
Xbox's Phil Spencer has confirmed that two major Bethesda titles, Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will not be going multiplatform. The announcement comes after recent rumors that the Xbox titles would be released on competing consoles.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty have hosted the latest official Xbox Podcast which was trailered to announce an “Xbox Business Update”. This follows days of speculation that many Xbox exclusive games might be going multi platform, such as Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Starfield. There were even suggestions that Xbox legends such as Halo could be heading to PlayStation!
During today's highly anticipated Xbox Podcast, Microsoft confirmed that while four Xbox games are going to other platforms, big titles like Starfield and Indiana Jones are remaining exclusive for now. Nevertheless, Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes that exclusive games are going to become much less important in the industry over the next decade.
Seemingly speaking to Xbox devotees worried by rumors that the core platform is getting thinner, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer has committed to future hardware generations that "respect the investments that people have made in Xbox."
There was quite a bit of uncertainty for the Xbox brand last week. I’m sure you saw the nonstop flood of rumors suggesting that Xbox would see many exclusives leave the brand for other platforms. That also left concerns that we might see Microsoft’s gaming division imploding. We even had rumors that Activision Blizzard games might not even be coming to Xbox Game Pass. But that is not the case as Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty clears the air.