There’s a big report claiming that Microsoft is planning to bring more Xbox Games to PlayStation, and we already have a rumor of what game is coming next.
As reported on Windows Central by Jez Corden, Xbox parent company Microsoft has been languishing from bad decisions made under Satya Nadella. They cite issues with how the company has handled its security business, and its Surface product line, but the details on Xbox are damning on how short sighted their leadership is.
Corden claims Microsoft has launched Project Latitude, an initiative to bring Xbox games to other platforms. Now, this actually won’t be as big an issue if those platforms were PC, cloud services outside of Xbox, and even Nintendo’s platforms. PlayStation is Xbox’s direct competition in the video game console market, and bringing Xbox games to PlayStation would be obviously harmful to Microsoft’s overall business.
However, Corden claims from his sources that that is precisely what Microsoft is planning, and that is in spite of the unease within the company on how bad an idea it is. Jez also points out that Nadella publicly stated that he has a distaste for console exclusives.
At the time, Nadella’s statement seemed to mirror Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s sentiments about enjoying video games from all companies. But if only Microsoft is planning to bring their big games to the competition, it doesn’t create a situation where all gamers get to choose any platform they want to get any game they want. It’s obviously a formula for Microsoft to destroy their own gaming business’ reputation.
Now, a lot of people are getting hung up on quotes on how there is no ‘red line’ on what game can be ported, but we believe this is the more important quote:
“…it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood’s mandate to increase every department’s margins.”
Now, Corden drops a few games that could be ported to PlayStation, to illustrate how serious this scenario could harm Xbox. However, Nate the Hate name dropped an actual game they believe is coming, and it isn’t one that Corden brought up.
On ResetEra, Nate said this:
“Yes. Was strictly talking about Starfield there. I’ve heard of other games coming to PS5 & they could be during holiday season this year — but working to confirm the games & the release windows.”
Starfield is a hot topic because it was made by Bethesda. In the regulation surrounding Microsoft’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard King, Sony brought up Starfield exclusivity as a reason to not approve the deal.
If Microsoft goes through with this plan, Sony fans will certainly be happy, and Microsoft will have proven they weren’t buying studios to keep their games exclusive. But it will mean one game console gets games from all companies, and one console does not.
A future where Microsoft makes consoles that doesn’t get some games and has no exclusives could really be coming, and that’s a future where the Xbox fandom will be hugely deprecated. There will still be consumers who choose Xbox, but that will give up the market to PlayStation, and that can be just as bad for the industry as if one of the console companies ends up making consoles.
Maybe Corden decided to make this all public in the hopes that Microsoft would change their mind, but it’s also possible that Microsoft has already decided.
