After Microsoft scooped up Activision-Blizzard along with its diverse array of development studios, it has now positioned itself as the largest third-party game publisher in history. So when Xbox head Phil Spencer mentioned in an interview with Gamertag Radio that future Xbox games are set to launch on other platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation, it stirred quite a buzz. Honestly, though, it makes a lot of sense.
In the interview with Danny Peña and Parris of Gamertag Radio on YouTube, Spencer remarked, “I want people to be able to experience the games that we build, the services that we offer on as many devices as we can.” He also added, “We obviously love the native experience that we have on our own platform and our own hardware, and that’s something that will continue for us.” The chat, spanning about twenty-six minutes, dives deep into gaming industry insights and a wave of nostalgia reflecting on Xbox’s earlier days, notably the original Xbox and the 360 periods.
For those unfamiliar with why these statements might raise eyebrows, a quick history lesson is in order. Remember Sonic The Hedgehog? Besides being a movie star, he’s part of a legacy of video games that were locked to Sega consoles until Sonic Adventure 2 got its GameCube port. Sega’s Dreamcast, their final home console, met its demise quickly due to the more robust PlayStation 2 from Sony. That downfall nudged Sega into becoming merely a third-party developer, a void that Microsoft’s Xbox quickly filled in the market.
Returning to Phil Spencer’s comments, one might initially assume they signal the decline of a struggling console manufacturer. However, that’s far from the truth. Microsoft is a corporate titan, and now with Xbox taking the crown as the biggest third-party game publisher in history, their strategy has shifted. It’s less about funneling players to the Xbox console and more about maximizing game sales across various platforms.
As Spencer pointed out, “We want everybody to be able to play on Xbox and it does mean more of our games shipping on more platforms, not just PlayStation. We love the work that we do with Nintendo, we love what we do with Valve on Steam, and that’s going to continue.”
So, is Xbox following in Sega’s footsteps? Not quite. Microsoft’s huge resources ensure they aren’t headed down that path. However, the next wave of Xbox consoles will need to offer compelling reasons to draw people in based on hardware capabilities, especially against the backdrop of anticipated competitors like the “Switch 3” with its hybrid portability angle and the surely powerhouse PlayStation 6, both of which will continue to leverage exclusive games, a longstanding tradition in the console world.
Finally, Microsoft must tread carefully with its vision of Xbox not just as hardware but as a suite of games and services. After all, in an ecosystem where everyone’s on Xbox, paradoxically, no one really is.
