No Sony Exclusives For Xbox

We all know the ambitions that Microsoft has with Xbox’s next console. It’s going to be a PC-hybrid. We’ve known about this for some time now. We’ve also discussed how I believe Sony would climb down on their support of first-party single-player games on the PC due to that very reason. And it happened, there are rumours being backed up by ‘industry insiders’ with a pedigree in credibility and reliability that is stating this is the case. But what does it all really mean for the industry? Well, Sony might be looking at how Xbox’s hardware has plummeted in terms of hardware sales.

Gaming fans know that Xbox doesn’t really have exclusives anymore. They’re now very much on competing platforms like PlayStation. I do not think it’s the software success of going multi-platform that has spooked Sony. It’s the incredible decline in the Xbox hardware.

Another thing that’s certain as well, Nintendo is starting to gather steam and as a competing platform that is very much akin to ‘sticking to the ways of exclusivity’. It now paves the way for Microsoft to have the whole show floor regarding whatever policy they want to proceed with regarding their own games. I’ve spoken that ‘timed exclusivity’ is very much a thing that’s in the picture just because of how Microsoft is intent on that multi-purpose approach. Having said that, they’re going to need to bring back ‘the hype’ for the next hardware. One of the ways they do that is through Game Pass but other ways are appeasing the fans and bringing back the excitement to gaming again.

So who really wins out of all of this? Well, in terms of the PlayStation fanbase and that old school approach that has served the platform so well over the years. I would say, it’s them. That’s not to take away anything from the fact that Sony has been doing pretty dire on PC anyway.

But with all due respect, were they ever that serious about it to begin with? Poor optimization and everything else aside. It’s clear, that PlayStation is protecting what they see as games that you need to own their console for. That’s not to say that it will always stay like that.

It depends on how ‘successful’ Sony can continue to be. If we’ve seen anything this generation, they’ve amassed record revenues but the fan opinion of this generation hasn’t been the best. They still have a long way to ‘winning people over’ in the next generation. For that to happen, they’re going to need to reinvest and bring back some classics that fans love.

Do I see that happening under the current management at Sony? That’s an interesting question. With the closing of Bluepoint and how they handled that. That hurt the majority who wanted a Bloodborne Remake. So they’re going to need to have a big win for the next generation with returning franchises. Sony knows why people are zoned in on their platform. They have every right to protect their space in the gaming industry. That’s also coming from someone who is pretty much all in on Xbox these days.

Bringing Microsoft back into the picture here as well. The next generation will be a defining one for Xbox. They need to get so much right and that means bringing the gaming industry into an era that gets people talking again and that means real competition. It’s always going to be there as well. No matter what any of the big three do. These platforms have loyal fans, but where Xbox is concerned their focus needs to be getting back to what made them so effective in the 360 era. That’s why you have Asha looking into all the platform specifics and is taking stock in what to proceed with or what might need to change.

The future is inevitable and we’re going to see less and less exclusives. But what clearly is apparent is that Sony is not ready to take the kind of gamble that has brought the Xbox hardware to its knees. Until the industry can actually move forward from these hardware metrics. We’re always going to see that fight and that competition with exclusivity remaining a key part of the console platform and that’s especially for Sony and Nintendo.

Does that fit into what Microsoft’s plans are and does Asha have the power to really define the platform in the way she wishes? Only time will tell, what I do foresee is that it’s going to be ‘game on’ very much regarding Xbox trying to stay as competitive as they can through the vision they have for the industry, and that’s with PC playing a major part in that. Will other gaming fans become more attuned to Microsoft’s line of messaging in line with what is now our reality?

We all know what a new generation can do for anybody. We also know that if you get it right you can have the kind of success you’d like. For that to happen though, Microsoft is going to need to play their best ever chess match because they’re really running out of moves to make.

They’re going to need the fans to get onboard with whatever the next generation has in store for us. If that means invoking the spirit of the 360 era. Who’s going to actually say no to that?