Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, on the official Xbox podcast, revealed their new strategy that would involve bringing over games like the upcoming Doom Eternal sequel to other consoles.
After Microsoft acquired Bethesda and ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Doom, we fully expected Microsoft to keep these games as Xbox and Game Pass exclusives, as has been the console war tradition. However, in a change in strategy, Microsoft has decided against going down this route.
After many weeks of speculation and anticipation, Microsoft delivered a business update on Thursday where they addressed their new policy, which sees them bring their games to other consoles.
“To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve,” says the spokesman for Xbox. “Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms."
While the specific games were not confirmed, Phil Spencer announced that they would be bringing multiple titles over to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. We've already heard rumours about Starfield, Hi-fi Rush, Gears of War, and Indiana Jones, coming to the PlayStation 5, and now this policy might extend to Microsoft's future titles, which include the Doom Eternal sequel.
Many fans continue to complain that Xbox is giving fans no reason to support the console. While all this remains true, many fans have begun questioning if Microsoft will even continue supporting the Xbox.
However, the Xbox executives made sure to clarify the implications of this policy, “By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity.”.
Xbox will continue to create exclusive titles, and that part of its strategy remains unchanged. However, they will have a larger emphasis on bringing their established and older IPs to other platforms.