Phil Spencer: The End of Strict Exclusives in Gaming

Xbox leader Phil Spencer declares there are no additional assurances when it comes to the company’s first-party exclusives.

During a discussion with Save Pronounce Plus, Spencer was inquired to confirm whether the Xbox Game Studios title Starfield would be “remaining” on Xbox for the foreseeable future. He provided a brief “no” as his reply.

Elaborating on his answer, Spencer stated there is no basis for him to establish a “ring fence” around any title from Xbox Game Studios.

“[I won’t] claim that this game will not transition to a platform where it can reach players and achieve commercial success for us,” he mentioned. “What we observe is that we can foster a more effective business model that enables us to invest in a fantastic game lineup like the one you witnessed – and that is our strategy.”

Spencer expressed that the company aims to make its games available across a range of platforms, allowing gamers to enjoy them on their own terms. He noted that Xbox Game Pass remains a crucial part of this strategy, but emphasized that restricting titles from competitor hardware is not a direction the company is pursuing.

“The largest games in the world are available on multiple platforms, and increasingly more creators are asking us ‘how do we maintain connections when our game can be played on all these various platforms?’ We aspire for Xbox to be distinctly the platform that enables this,” Spencer elaborated.

“We believe this sets us apart. Most other platforms tend to focus on a single platform on a single device—be it PC, mobile, or console—and we want Xbox to be a platform that empowers creators across any display that players wish to use.”

Microsoft is not convinced on the advantages of platform exclusivity

Microsoft has already made first-party titles like Hello-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Sea of Thieves available on competing platforms such as Switch and PlayStation. Last year, the company also announced that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is coming to PlayStation 5.

The decision to bypass the previously formidable console exclusivity barrier follows Microsoft’s multi-billion dollar acquisitions of major studios including Activision Blizzard and Bethesda, both of which have a history of providing multiplatform titles. The latest Call of Duty game—the second to launch under Microsoft—also became available on PlayStation 5.

This shift also occurs in conjunction with declining Xbox hardware revenue. Nonetheless, Microsoft claims its Xbox business is not dependent on console sales and believes initiatives like Xbox Game Pass can “engage gamers across a multitude of different platforms.”

“We have witnessed new devices from third-party manufacturers alongside key PC and mobile platforms that aid us in empowering gamers to play in a manner that is most convenient for them,” read an excerpt from the company’s mid-year report.

“We are dedicated to expanding the platform and venturing into new ecosystems to engage as many gamers as possible.”

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