In the past, the Microsoft Xbox team has been criticized for the perceived lack of proprietary exclusives compared to PlayStation and other competing platforms. But in the future, Xbox boss Phil Spencer doesn’t think that’s a problem. After acquiring studios like Obsidian, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory, and starting a new studio with Red Dead Redemption writer, Microsoft now has 15 teams from Xbox Games Studios, all of which are developing content exclusively for Xbox and PC.
These acquisitions and study formations came at no less cost, of course, and Spencer recently spoke about how this was possible thanks to the leadership of Microsoft superiors who believe in Spencer’s vision.
“First-part content is really important to where we are going,” Spencer said during a recent GameLab event. “It is important to our hardware platforms, it is important to things like Game Pass and our overall game strategy at Microsoft. As we established the new leadership team a few years ago, we began to build our strategy and articulate our strategy internally to the company, it was really encouraging to see the support we got from the board and the company’s senior leadership team to go and grow our first part. “
Spencer said she feels “really good” with her numerous in-house game studios and the projects they are working on. He also teased that “many” of the company’s upcoming games have yet to be announced.
Also during the event, Spencer said he doesn’t want to try to copy a competitor’s approach to first-party game development. Some people have talked about PlayStation titles like Uncharted and God of War and have asked Microsoft where their equivalent games are. Spencer said Microsoft is thinking differently.
“We know it’s important, we know it’s something our fans want,” Spencer said of developing first-party exclusives. “But I will also say that we will create our first party around the things we feel we must do to defend Xbox. Sometimes we get suggestions from ‘Where’s your X game?’ or ‘Where’s your game Y?’ when people look at the other hardware platforms. But I don’t think our goal is to replicate what other people have done. It doesn’t help the industry to have people who are trying to do the exact same thing with their platforms and services or content. “
While Microsoft will not attempt to directly copy the first-party strategies of Sony or Nintendo, Spencer said he is confident his teams are working on titles that will appeal to a wide range of gamers.
“I am truly proud of the diversity of content that our Xbox Games Studios teams are creating: genres, art styles, platforms and gameplay,” he said. “Cooperative work for a player, multiplayer, that is coming. I am really proud of the diversity that I am seeing … and I think that will continue. That will be a pillar for us. It will not. It is about a certain type of genre or certain kind of story. The teams are really guided by their own vision and what they want to build. “
Overall, however, Spencer acknowledged that Microsoft didn’t do enough in the past when it comes to first-party game development. “That is an area where we need to do more, and we have done it [now],” he said.
Microsoft will showcase some of its first games, including Halo Infinite, during an event that is reportedly slated for July 23.
