Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, has stated that the company has no intention of attempting to out-console Sony or Nintendo. Even if the highly-anticipated game, Starfield, became the best game in the history of the world, Spencer claimed that wouldn’t be enough to help Xbox overtake PlayStation. The goal is for everyone on console to have a great experience, and feel like a first-class citizen, said Spencer. The era of new console generations marking a clear line in the sand has ended because people’s gaming libraries now mainly comprise of digital games. Moving from platform to platform, even within the same family of consoles, has become more seamless, making it difficult for Sony, Nintendo or Xbox to convince people to switch.
Spencer said making great games isn’t the solution, “If you just build great games, everything will turn around,” and that significant change is highly unlikely unless it is tied to a massive catalyst event. Microsoft is taking a different direction. Instead of focusing exclusively on a console platform, the company aims to make games available on as many platforms as possible to help them reach the widest possible audience. The vision is for an infrastructure that supports games across devices, including phones and tablets through streaming. It’s not about out-consoling the competition, but about creating a unique gaming experience across multiple devices.
It was noted that the company lost the sales race against Sony and Nintendo in the Xbox One/PS4 generation. Spencer explained that Xbox is “third place in a console marketplace and the top two players are as strong as they are and in certain cases have a discrete focus on doing deals.” Xbox cannot make a comeback solely based on sales alone, Spencer reiterated, “There isn’t really a great solution or win for us.”
Redfall, another highly anticipated game under Microsoft’s ownership, recently received poor reviews. Spencer told Bloomberg that the delays in production, which made it hard to respond to feedback from players, were responsible for Redfall’s lack of success.
In summary, Microsoft will not be focusing on out-consoling Sony or Nintendo or making Starfield the best game to gain market share. Instead, the company is aiming for an infrastructure that delivers a unique gaming experience across multiple devices to reach the widest possible audience.
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The material in this article is written on the basis of another article.
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