Over the past few days, rumors began to swirl that Microsoft is, once again, exploring bringing first-party Xbox games to competing platforms. For anyone keeping score, it wouldn't be without precedent.
With the Activision-Blizzard deal in the bag, Microsoft is effectively becoming one of the biggest "third-party" publishers on PlayStation and Steam already, with games like Call of Duty, Minecraft, Diablo, etc., distributed wholly under the Microsoft umbrella. This latest rumor mill doesn't pertain to that, though.
Historically, console sales have revolved around the arbitrary gatekeeping of exclusive content. There's no reason why God of War or Super Mario Bros Wonder couldn't run on Xbox, PC, or whatever else — but publishers don't bring it to other systems because they want you in their ecosystem. Even Apple has started exploring exclusive games with traditional console publishers in an attempt to grow its Apple Arcade brand. Times are changing, though, and changing quite rapidly.
So, let's dig into the latest rumors, examine the likelihood of them being true, and see if we can't grab a crystal ball and try to figure out what the future may look like for Xbox's upcoming games line up.
The rumors
A few days ago, Nate the Hate suggested on his podcast that an "acclaimed, game of the year-worthy" Xbox exclusive will become imminently available on a competing console platform. Nate has a good track record for accuracy in the past, which created a groundswell of speculation over what game it could possibly be.
These sorts of rumors started landing in my lap ever since Xbox CFO Tim Stuart mentioned during a Wells Fargo investors meeting that Xbox will be bringing more of its games to competing platforms, in addition to Xbox Game Pass itself. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer later denied that Xbox Game Pass is slated for other platforms. I also confirmed with some sources separately over the holiday period that games like Hellblade 2, Avowed, and The Elder Scrolls VI are still slated to be Xbox console exclusive, after the initial rumor mill around moving towards platform agnosticity swirled. Now I'm wondering if those rumors began due to the game Nate the Hate is potentially talking about above — a game that I hadn't really considered or chased up.
Forum user lolilolailo also backed up the claims recently. In a reply to a commenter saying "Hi-Fi Rush available on [Nintendo Switch], I'll bet," lolilolailo replied "And you'll win." The poster in question also has a strong track record for accurate information, particularly pertaining to Microsoft's collaboration with ATLUS on Persona and Xbox Game Pass.
They say there's no smoke without fire. I will say that it has been suggested to me from very trusted, proven sources that Microsoft has been exploring bringing some of its back catalog to other platforms, although some of the details remain vague and unconfirmed. We've reached out to Microsoft to comment and clarify its position on this stuff.
There's some substance here
Given the track record of lolilolailo, Nate, and my own sourcing on this, I think the rumors will probably pan out into reality — but until things are fully confirmed, remember to take this kind of stuff with a grain of salt.
What is clear is that Microsoft is actively thinking about this stuff, and we know this from public conversations from the likes of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart, and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer.
Speaking during the FTC hearings over the Activision-Blizzard acquisition, Nadella emphasized that the only reason Microsoft produces exclusive Xbox games today is because competitors do so. Spencer also said as much during a WSJ interview back 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."
There's no reason to think that this mentality has changed in recent times either. I know from speaking to sources that Microsoft is still building a large range of Xbox exclusives, announced and unannounced. And indeed, the game in question, Hi-Fi Rush, has been exclusive to Xbox for a year. However, Xbox fans have been voicing their discontent on social media across the weekend. I understand the frustration with Microsoft's potential inconsistencies here, and find it frustrating myself — but it's fair to consider the position Microsoft finds itself in in 2024, stuck in third-place in a shrinking console market.
Inconsistency and discontent vs. business realities
Microsoft has shipped its first-party games onto other platforms previously. Ori and the Blind Forest famously came to Nintendo Switch in yesteryear, which prompted Spencer to remark at the time, that he "doesn't love this idea that for every one of our games, there becomes a rumor of whether or not it'll end up on Switch or not, we should set a better expectation with our fans than that" yet here we are again in 2024 with a similar rumor about Hi-Fi Rush. As Dusk Falls, a solid narrative adventure game Xbox funded, is also rated for PlayStation in the future too. And I want to reiterate, to be fair to Phil Spencer, these are still unconfirmed rumors for now, but given what I've heard, the track record of the leakers, and the comments from Xbox CFO Tim Stuart, it's understandable why this particular one has picked up speed.
Hi-Fi Rush is a remarkable game, and personally, I would love to see it achieve some broader recognition. In our Hi-Fi Rush review, we remarked on the game's uniqueness, vibrancy, and humor. The strategic placement of Hi-Fi Rush on Nintendo Switch could raise the profile of the game and its characters, and potentially feed a Hi-Fi Rush 2 sequel, exclusive to Xbox, in the future. The downside is, of course, the lack of consistency with Xbox fan's expectations, and the discussions that will emerge as a result.
Phil Spencer, 2020: “I don't really love this idea that for every one of our games, there becomes this little rumor on it ‘is it going to end up on the Switch or not.’ I feel we should set a better expectation with our fans than that."Fans will judge Xbox on words & actions. https://t.co/WMU98Mnwp6January 6, 2024
Spencer himself remarked upon this, and if Hi-Fi Rush, wholly owned and developed internally at Microsoft subsidiary Tango Gameworks, ends up on a competing platform that would in no universe bring content to Xbox — why stop at Hi-Fi Rush? Why not bring Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Forza Motorsport, Halo Infinite itself to other platforms? If it's really about increasing visibility for exclusive games, or selling software, why are we stopping at Hi-Fi Rush specifically? What's the rationale there?
And let's remember, this isn't confirmed yet, we're just assuming that it eventually could be confirmed. Hi-Fi Rush and other games moving to other platforms seemingly arbitrarily creates a cloud of confusion over the long term identity for the Xbox brand.
It's true that probably >90% or more Xbox users don't know nor care about things like this, but Microsoft actively curates fandom via merchandising, the Xbox FanFest events, and other programs. Xbox fans who invest to make Xbox what it is, locked-in with digital content that cannot be resold or transferred, are probably right to be concerned about the health of the console footprint. We're told that exclusive games create visibility for your platform, games like Starfield, The Elder Scrolls VI, Halo, and so on — but we could be moving to a world where every single Xbox "exclusive" announced comes with questions of platform agnosticity. We've seen the same with Marvel's Blade from Microsoft subsidiary Arkane Games, who has yet to announced console platforms either.
I would love to live in a world where I can choose the ecosystem I prefer, and know that of my content will be available everywhere. We don't yet live in that world. We do, however, live in a world where mobile gaming, and PC gaming is becoming increasingly dominant. The total console footprint isn't growing — it's a world where console margins are shrinking, and porting games to other platforms is probably an absolutely easy win. PlayStation is by far the dominant console platform, but during the big Insomniac leak, we learned just how much Sony itself is struggling to extract growth in a tough economic climate, in a world where costs are spiralling, and consumers are squeezed. I appreciate the notion that Hi-Fi Rush ports could help bring Tango Gameworks up to profitability (assuming that's the play), but Microsoft should be more considerate for how the outwardly arbitrary decisions can impact fans' faith in Xbox, particularly among those who invest a lot in the platform.
I think Microsoft could solve some of the backlash with transparency for why certain games get ported but others won't, and then stick to it, perhaps even with some form of branding like "Xbox Original" for tentpole iconic permanent exclusives like Halo, Gears, or Forza — although that probably comes with some of its own problems. You don't see Amazon's The Boys moving over to Netflix, any more than you'd see Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on PlayStation 5. Xbox fans deserve the same consistency, and I suspect most would be on board with the idea of Hi-Fi Rush or potentially other "smaller" titles like Grounded or Pentiment going to other platforms if Microsoft laid out a roadmap upfront for what games will and won't be exclusive — and offer the exact reasons why.
What do you think? Hit the comments, share your thoughts, let us know.
