Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other platforms.
27.03.2024 - 12:02 / eurogamer.net / Phil Spencer / Chris Dring / Rare
Xbox head Phil Spencer wants to see more digital storefronts such as Epic and Itch.io on Microsoft's consoles.
Speaking with Polygon, Spencer said he would like to break down the 'walled gardens' that limit players to buying games on a particular platform's official digital store.
"[Consider] our history as the Windows company," he explained. «Nobody would blink twice if I said 'hey, when you're using a PC, you get to decide the type of experience you have [by picking where to buy games]'. There's real value in that.»
To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Newscast: Behind the headlines of GDC, a cautious sense of hope.Watch on YouTubeThe old ways of console makers subsidising the cost of hardware with game sales is becoming less effective, Spencer said, noting that component prices aren't dropping and the console market isn't growing, with more and more players turning to PC and handheld devices.
"[Subsidising hardware] becomes more challenging in today's world," Spencer said. «And I will say, and this may seem too altruistic, I don't know that it's growing the industry. So I think, what are the barriers? What are the things that create friction in today's world for creators and players? And how can we be part of opening up that model?»
The Xbox head believes one solution would be to lessen the exclusivity of more Xbox games, adding that a player's experience can be 'hindered' by having limited options. He used Sea of Thieves as an example, affirming that players shouldn't be confined to hardware. Rather, he believes it should be more about knowing if a friend has Sea of Thieves, or if they want to play it.
«If I want to play on a gaming PC, then I feel like I'm more a continuous part of a gaming ecosystem as a whole,» Spencer said. «As opposed to [on console], my gaming is kind of sharded — to use a gaming term — based on these different closed ecosystems that I have to play across.»
Spencer's comments follow a report that some publishers had expressed doubts about continuing to support Microsoft consoles. Earlier this week, Chris Dring from Eurogamer's sister-site GamesIndustry.biz said his takeaway from GDC was that «Xbox is in real trouble as a hardware manufacturer», with sources who spoke to Dring during the conference stating «Xbox's performance in Europe is just flatlining».
Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other platforms.
Blizzard and NetEase have formally announced they have renewed their partnership to bring Blizzard games back to China.
While the name Kareem Choudhry may not be as well-known as, say, Phil Spencer or Matt Booty, Xbox fans who keep abreast with the company’s announcements and showcases are likely to be familiar with his face. As corporate vice president of emerging technologies at Xbox, Choudhry was in charge of a lot of the more innovative things Microsoft’s gaming division offered in recent years, including backward compatibility and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The early months of 2024 have seen Microsoft stepping up its efforts to bring its first-party Xbox titles to audiences on rival platforms, with Hi-Fi Rush having released for PS5 and Obsidian duo Pentiment and Grounded both having launched for PS5 and Switch. Sea of Thieves arrives for PS5 later this month, and though Microsoft hasn’t officially announced further plans to bring any other of its games to rival consoles beyond that, reports continue to insist that there’s more stuff in the pipeline.
Gaming analyst Michael Pachter believes that Xbox Game Pass will reach over 200 million subscribers in the next 10 years. Pachter also highlighted what he says is a common misconception regarding Xbox Game Pass' current subscriber numbers.
Hi-Fi Rush was recently released on PlayStation 5, where an analysis identified the game to be running slightly better than on Xbox. Despite being a first-party Xbox title, Hi-Fi Rush continues a trend of such releases either performing worse or lacking features on Xbox Series X when compared to the PS5 launch.
New leaked images seem to have revealed a digital Xbox Series X.
Images allegedly showing the white, digital-only Xbox Series X reported to be in the works earlier this year have leaked online.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has suggested that Microsoft would be willing to open up their console platform to third party storefronts. Could with see the likes of itch.io and Epic Games Store on Xbox in future?
Xbox head Phil Spencer has said that he wants to see more digital retailers on the console, such as the Epic Games Store and Itch.io.
In another interesting revelation, Xbox head Phil Spencer has reportedly backed the arrival of third-party game stores on game consoles. This has led to Xbox fans anticipating the possible launch of game stores, like Steam, on Microsoft's console.
Microsoft's gaming head Phil Spencer has said he wants to feature more digital storefronts on Xbox consoles.