Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Comments on Licensed Games

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 16, 2024 18 Views 6 Min Read
Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Comments on Licensed Games



Key Takeaways

  • Xbox boss Phil Spencer is wary of licensed games due to licensing issues and prioritizes creative reasons.
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an exception to Spencer’s view, as it is developed by a passionate team and not tied to any specific movie.
  • Spencer feels confident about the Indiana Jones license and emphasizes the importance of strong relationships.



Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained why he’s wary of producing licensed video games and outlined why Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the exception to that rule. Bethesda’s upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be released on December 9, launching on the Xbox consoles and PC first, with a PlayStation 5 port coming later in 2025. The Great Circle is the first Indiana Jones licensed game since 2011’s Indiana Jones Adventure World.

Licensed video games are a tricky beast. Historically, video games based on movies weren’t very desirable, due to them mostly being poor quality and only meant to tie into the latest thing that would premiere in theaters. The practice shifted around the mid-to-late 2000s, as developers and publishers dedicated their resources to other ways of producing licensed video games, usually doing their own thing based on the IP. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one such example, as it is not a game based on a specific movie from the franchise, but it takes inspiration from its history to create something new. Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently discussed the challenges of making licensed games.


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Speaking with Game File (courtesy of IGN), Spencer discussed the complex nature of licensed games and how to put them on streaming and subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. The main reason why Spencer is so hesitant about licensed games is specifically racing games that get delisted, due to the company losing the licenses. The most immediate and relevant example regarding Spencer’s statement is how Xbox’s own Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted on December 15, even if the game has seen a lot of success after its original 2018 release. “We’ve seen it in racing games that have to get delisted, because you lose certain licenses,” Spencer said. “So I’m always very careful, if we’re going to take on a license, that we’re doing it for creative reasons, [that] the team has a goal around what they want to do.”



Licensed Games Require Passionate Teams, Says Phil Spencer

The other reason why Spencer is so hesitant about licensed games is that it requires a creative team that is passionate about the license. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is being developed by MachineGames with oversight from Lucasfilm Games, is an example of what Spencer is looking for. Spencer says that the developers at MachineGames really “love” the world of Indiana Jones, praising the story of The Great Circle by saying it is one of its strongest parts, especially with how the game puts the player in Indiana Jones’ shoes through its first-person perspective.

We’ve seen it in racing games that have to get delisted, because you lose certain licenses. So I’m always very careful, if we’re going to take on a license, that we’re doing it for creative reasons, [that] the team has a goal around what they want to do.


When asked if Spencer was worried if the license for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would eventually expire, Spencer says he feels “great” about Xbox‘s partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney. To corroborate the strong relationship between the companies, he mentions how Arkane is still developing Marvel’s Blade and that he recently visited the development team.

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