Could Xbox be rethinking its policy on exclusives when it comes to its first-party games?
Since taking over as Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma has been reportedly working on ways to rebuild the Xbox brand in the eyes of gamers. From some of her responses on social media to even a recent memo where she admitted that Xbox Game Pass was “too expensive” for gamers, it appears that she knows there’s a lot of work to do to improve Xbox’s fortunes and reputation.
One such way to improve their fortune could involve a possible return to having some exclusive games on the platform.
During the latest episode of the Xbox Two Podcast, Windows Central’s Jez Corden spoke about some of the talks happening behind the scenes at Xbox. That’s when he brought up exclusivity.
“You know how I said they were thinking about adjusting Game Pass?” Corden said. “There are very, very, very big discussions about the exclusivity stuff going on.
“I think they do recognize the value. It’s just about what kind of company you want to be at the end of the day. Do you want to be an ecosystem company first, or do you want to be a publishing company first?”
Corden didn’t have more on what those discussions entail, and how many could be on board with a shift. Still, the idea of Xbox returning to having some sort of exclusive games policy would be seen as a true change of leadership move at the company.
It would also put them back in line with Nintendo and PlayStation. Obviously, Nintendo is the sternest when it comes to exclusives, as its games don’t appear on any other platform. PlayStation, for certain titles like Helldivers 2 and Marathon, has released first-party games on Xbox and PC. But it maintains a strong exclusive portfolio that may be getting stronger soon.
Whether Xbox makes any sort of change remains to be seen, as it could leave quite a bit of money on the table for Microsoft for the sake of brand rehabilitation.
Do you think Xbox should go back to having exclusive games? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and in this official Insider Gaming Discord.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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