Microsoft is apparently no longer paying attention to the success (or lack thereof) of Xbox consoles and is focusing on multi-platform capabilities. The expansion still does not have an official release date, but it should be released this year. Microsoft is even said to have invested additional funds in PS5 developer kits. The news reported by XboxEra made a big impact in the industry, eliciting various reactions.
The same source states that not all Microsoft employees informed about these multi-platform plans agree with them, and similar sentiments are not only felt among regular gamers, but also among industry journalists. According to Xcloud’s Timdog, Xbox hardware sales (mainly XSX/S consoles) have fallen below Microsoft’s expectations and have “alarmed” the Chief Financial Officer (Tim Stuart). As has been mentioned before, Xcloud’s Timdog reported on the disappointing sales of Xbox Series X/S, despite significant price drops in some regions. An internet user also draws attention to the fact that Satya Nadella, the current CEO of Microsoft, sees his company as being based on “services” (which is no surprise, as he oversaw the development of cloud services, among other things).
Thus, from his perspective, a policy of game exclusivity may seem outlandish, and the company should also focus on multi-platform capabilities in this area. A separate issue is whether such a development direction will actually be beneficial for Microsoft. The success of the Switch (and to some extent, Xbox’s defeat by Sony in two generations) seems to indicate that the game catalog still holds significant importance for buyers. In this context, some gamers wonder whether purchasing another Xbox would make more sense.
However, it was immediately added that they may have certain reservations about this presentation.