Summary
- Xbox’s shift in business model has caused concern among long-time fans of the platform.
- Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer wants to assuage concerns about digital libraries and Xbox’s future plans.
- He cites the company’s previous “respect” for digital libraries, and says they have no plans to change this approach.
It’s been an unusual time for long-time fans of Xbox. The so-called “console wars” appear to be coming to an end as Xbox has committed to porting its first-party titles to PlayStation, something that would have been unimaginable in the company’s Xbox 360 heyday.
In an interview with Xbox Era, Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer was transparent about Xbox’s new business model, saying that “gatekeeping” games doesn’t “really benefit people.” We’ve already seen Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves arrive on the opposition platform, with Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Age of Mythology Retold all confirmed to eventually release on PlayStation 5.
No Need To Worry
This apparent shift in priorities has worried long-time Xbox fans who fear that the brand is shifting away from first-party hardware and towards game publishing. An oft-expressed concern among these worried fans is that they’ll lose their accumulated digital library of games if Xbox stops releasing consoles in subsequent generations.
While this concern is certainly valid, Xbox is unlikely to stop releasing consoles. Throughout this interview, Spencer stresses multiple times how important the company’s native platform is. He also directly addresses the safety of digital libraries, saying “I want to show respect to the people who voice their concerns. And I would never disrespect anybody who comes to me, concerned. I’ve got a library of games on the Xbox console. I want to make sure I’ll continue to be able to play those games. Are we still going to do hardware? Are we still going to get to play the games the way we’ve always played? Am I going to have to rent all my games? Can I still buy games? All that. I get it.”
Spencer goes on to cite Xbox’s history of “showing respect for people’s libraries” with features like backwards compatibility and Play Anywhere. He concludes by saying that Xbox wants to continue to facilitate users “playing games the way you want to play them.”
Xbox’s latest first-party title Avowed releases later today, with Fable, The Outer Worlds 2, Age of Mythology: Retold, South of Midnight, Forza Horizon 5 and more set to release later in 2025.
- Released
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December 9, 2024
- ESRB
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N/A