Last week the gaming world was thrown into a grade-A tizzy, when XboxEra reported the rumor that Starfield would be going to PlayStation and other platforms. In short order, rumors that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and even Gears of War were being considered for multiplatform releases began to make the rounds, raising the specter of Microsoft going fully third party.
Well, we may want to slow down just a bit. Noted insider NateDrake/Nate the Hate, who has delivered accurate info numerous times in the past, was one of the first to endorse the XboxEra rumor, but it seems he’s beginning to regret that. He already clarified his stance, saying he doesn’t think all Xbox games will go multiplatform, but now he’s gone a step further in a post on the ResetEra forums, saying he now believes Starfield will remain exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem and the rumors specifically related to that game were “pure fiction” possibly put out there by bad actors.
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“I'm now of the belief that Starfield is not happening and the info spread around was pure fiction. I'll own the miss.”
So, does that mean everything related to Xbox games going multiplatform and possible changes to Microsoft’s gaming strategy was fiction? Very unlikely. For starters, Xbox has announced a “business update event” for next week, with Phil Spencer saying the following…
“We're listening and we hear you. We've been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”
If there was no fire behind this smoke, would have simply denied everything. Something is going on, and we’ll find out more next week, but the initial “Starfield to PlayStation” rumor that kicked all this off now seems less likely. Also, definitely serve this with a grain of salt, but Tom Henderson -- perhaps the insider with the greatest track record of accuracy -- has stepped into the fray to say those within Xbox are "very surprised" by how out of control the rumors and conversation have got.
What do you expect Microsoft will announce during their business update event next week? Will it represent a sea change for Xbox or will be a more of a minor tweak to the status quo?
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Microsoft first-party games Pentiment, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves will soon be available on Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation platforms. Xbox confirmed on Wednesday that much like other popular multi-platform games like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo, players will soon be able to access these exclusive games on their Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. This move underscores a larger trend in the gaming industry towards greater accessibility and cross-platform interoperability. By adopting this strategy, the company hopes to encourage greater inclusivity and reach a wider range of gamers.
Microsoft will not release Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 – yet. Xbox boss Phil Spencer stressed these two titles are not part of the four unnamed outings it’s officially bringing to Sony’s system, but in a follow-up interview with The Verge he seemed hesitant to rule out the possibility of them ever getting converted in the future.
Microsoft will bring four first-party titles to PS5, but it’s refusing to name which. Said titles will not include Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC, until circumstances change. Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer, however, has seen the success of Helldivers 2 – and is struggling to see the advantage of the PlayStation-published shooter not being available on Xbox.
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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 for Xbox was raised.
Rare have attempted a Valentines poem which included rather blatant hint that Sea of Thieves would be heading to PlayStation and Switch. “Rowboats are red, And sometimes they’re blue, Other times they’re green, Occasionally they can be white…” they tweeted.
Following today’s Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft made its stance on first-party titles going multiplatform quite clear. While it will launch four titles on other platforms (rumored to be Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment and Grounded), there’s no change to Xbox’s philosophy regarding exclusives. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer clarified that Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle aren’t among those titles.
Microsoft finally gave its fans an update on the future of its gaming business during the Official Xbox Podcast today. It clarified some of the speculation around its first-party games going multiplatform, explaining that this move only applies to four titles.