Rumors have circulated in recent days that Microsoft is considering bringing its Xbox first-party games to competing platforms once again. This wouldn’t be unprecedented – Microsoft has established itself as one of the largest “third-party” publishers on Steam and PlayStation with games like Diablo, Call of Duty, and Minecraft now under the Microsoft brand after the Activision-Blizzard acquisition. Recently, Apple has explored exclusive games to boost Apple Arcade. Things are shifting quickly in the industry. However, the latest rumors suggest something of a partnership with rivals Sony and Microsoft.
Sea of Thieves, a hit Xbox and PC exclusive since 2018, was developed by RARE and treated as a flagship franchise alongside Halo, Gears of War, and Forza. With over 30 million players, Microsoft has considered bringing this popular pirate multiplayer game to Sony PlayStation, according to a source. Reporter Jeff Grubb also mentioned that he’d heard about Sea Of Thieves coming to the PS5 and Switch.
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Microsoft previously released the Ori games on Nintendo Switch after their Xbox/PC launch and Minecraft titles frequently launch simultaneously across Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. Porting a major Xbox/PC exclusive like Sea of Thieves to Sony’s PlayStation would be a first. Expanding to PlayStation could significantly grow Sea of Thieves’ audience, but there may be some drama to unravel.
Sony publicly opposed Microsoft’s $69 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, claiming it would incentivize discontinuation of Call of Duty on PlayStation. Microsoft denied this and signed a 10-year agreement to keep the series on PlayStation. During the FTC hearings on the Activision-Blizzard acquisition, it was stressed that the only reason Microsoft makes exclusive Xbox games today is because competitors do. Spencer stated the same thing in a WSJ interview in 2022.
“One of the reasons people pick different consoles is looking at the exclusive games that are available. If you think about Nintendo, a platform I love, people think of Zelda, Mario — these are iconic franchises that are available on those platforms. For us, we have Halo, and Forza and things that people love. Sony has their own set of exclusive franchises. So, as we’re shipping things, we’ll definitely have new exclusive franchises coming to Xbox, there’s no doubt.“
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Recently, Resetera forum user “lolilolailo” backed up claims of popular XBox title Hi-Fi Rush by saying that the well-liked rhythm action game was on its way to the Sony PlayStation weeks ago. The poster in question is also known for providing accurate information, particularly about Microsoft’s collaboration with ATLUS on Persona and Xbox Game Pass. When asked about Sea of Thieves coming to PlayStation, an Xbox spokesperson declined to comment. Since then, rumors have circulated that Microsoft is considering bringing more exclusive games to other platforms.
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In this console generation, Sony has been the industry leader without a doubt. Its PlayStation 5 has outsold Microsoft’s Xbox Series devices significantly, and many of its single-player internally developed games, such as last fall’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, have sold millions of copies. However, Sony has attempted to redirect some of its development efforts toward making live service games similar to Sea of Thieves. Among these efforts was the $3.6 billion purchase of ‘Destiny‘ creator Bungie in 2022. Sony’s plans for a live service have yet to produce a hit. Naughty Dog, a major internal Sony game studio, announced last month that it was abandoning efforts to create an online game based on The Last Of Us, stating that it needed to choose between making premium single-player or live service titles; it decided with the former.
Here’s a video of no one knowing who Neil Druckmann, CEO of Naughty Dog and producer of HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’, is:
A key question for any Xbox hits that make their way to the Sony PlayStation is whether the PlayStation version will be tied to Microsoft’s game services. Xbox CFO Tim Stuart stated in November that the company’s goal is to get Game Pass, Microsoft’s popular all-you-can-play subscription service, onto “every screen that can play games.” However, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, stated in December that the company has “no plans to bring Xbox Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo.”
In the end, more platform availability benefits players. But with mobile and PC gaming ascendant, the total console market share seems unlikely to grow substantially. Porting to more platforms makes commercial sense as margins tighten. Ultimately, exclusivity appears to be losing its power in the gaming landscape.
Will moving around “premiere” games to different consoles affect your playing? What games would you want to crossover to your favorite console? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
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