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Microsoft recently announced that four Xbox games are coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, with Phil Spencer specifically stating that the company has no plans to bring Starfield or Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to rival systems. But could that change in the future? Spencer told The Verge that Microsoft is not ruling anything out as it relates to Xbox games releasing on competing platforms.
“I don’t think we should as an industry ever rule out a game going to any other platform,” Spencer said. “We’re focused on these four games and learning from the experience. We don’t have work going on, on other franchises. But for anybody to stand up and say something’s never going to happen, I think it feels like creating more certainty in a world of gaming where you really want to respond to what customers want and what our players and creators are looking for.”
Microsoft did not name the four games during its event this week, but they are reported to be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves. The Verge said Microsoft Flight Simulator and Doom were also under consideration.
Spencer said Microsoft is releasing the four games on rival platforms for “specific reasons” that he did not fully elaborate on. But he did say Microsoft’s ambition is to help its games reach “as many players” as possible.
Spencer also mentioned how Microsoft’s goal is to create shareholder value and grow the Xbox business. “Growth in our Xbox business is critical to the long-term health of Xbox. Many people know I’ve been on Xbox for over 20 years, and I want to make sure Xbox is in the best position for the next 20 years,” Spencer said.
Even before all of this, Microsoft was already one of the largest publishers on PlayStation and Nintendo devices thanks to Minecraft. Going forward, Microsoft’s Call of Duty franchise will continued to be released on PlayStation for the next decade, and potentially expand to Nintendo.
As such, Spencer described this week’s announcements as an extension of what Microsoft is already doing and “not a change to our kind of fundamental exclusive strategy.”
Microsoft also confirmed that Game Pass subscribers have risen to 34 million and that Diablo IV is headed to Game Pass in March.
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