Microsoft and Xbox have been the topic of much discussion lately, mainly because the publisher and brand have been going through serious changes in their gaming distribution plan. Specifically, instead of focusing on having lots of first-party exclusives to help bring people to the Xbox Series X/S and PC, Microsoft has decided that Xbox will be more of a “multiplatform entity” than anything else. You might recall people like Phil Spencer talking about this quite a bit, and he’s not alone. The head of Xbox Game Studios, Craig Duncan, recently talked about it on the official Xbox Podcast, and he mimicked the words of Spencer and others.
Specifically, the Xbox Game Studios leader noted that this multiplatform approach would be “good for gamers and developers” overall.
“Yeah, I think it’s good for gamers, I think it’s good for our studios. Our studios make amazing games, and we want to give those games the chance to reach the broadest audience possible.”
He reiterated those same thoughts later on in the podcast, noting:
“I just think it’s good for gamers, it’s good to have our games reach more places. Everyone that makes a game wants it to reach as many players as possible, so I love that we can give that opportunity,”
So, if you’re thinking that he’s REALLY harping on the “It’s good for everyone!” approach, you’re not alone, and it’s rather telling the way he’s trying to phrase it. First of all, objectively, yes, a game developer does want their title to be played by as many people as possible. However, when it comes to companies like Microsoft, they want those people to play it ON THEIR SYSTEMS primarily! That’s the whole point of the console wars, and it has been going on for a long time.
The fact that Xbox is going multiplatform isn’t because of “a desire to present their games to more players,” it’s because the Xbox Series X/S system is failing sales-wise and its games aren’t doing much better. Its biggest hit as a brand in 2024 was a certain first-person shooter that was multiplatform, and most of that title was bought on PS5!
Plus, it should be noted that the more consoles a gaming team has to develop a title for, the more work they have to do to make it work and keep it running long-term. It’s fine for Xbox’s heads to try and convince people that this is a “good move for all,” but they shouldn’t try and paint themselves as “Samaritans” versus people who are trying to “right the ship.”
