Given the current significant changes at Xbox, fans are likely wondering what other changes could be around the corner. If new CEO Asha Sharma is to be believed, that could include a return to Xbox-exclusive games.
“Right now, I need to learn, candidly. About the ‘why’ of these decisions, what we were optimizing for, and what the data says about the Xbox strategy today,” said Sharma in an interview with Windows Central.
“That’s the honest answer. I’m looking at lifetime value, not just what happened in a previous moment, or in short-term efficiencies and things like that. The plan’s the plan until it’s not the plan.”
This would be a significant change from Xbox’ current strategy of multi-platform releases. Even longstanding series like Halo and Forza are not immune as Microsoft announced PlayStation 5 versions of Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6.
That’s not to say the multi-platform strategy hasn’t worked on some level. Xbox games on PlayStation 5, for example, have sold relatively well and usually top sales charts.
However, it has also brought some confusion as to why people should buy an Xbox console. When even heavyweights like Halo and Gears make the jump to PlayStation, this could dilute the value proposition of an Xbox console.
This could be why Sony adopted a slightly different strategy and has only released some of its larger titles on other consoles. Even then, the company has primarily focused on PC instead of the Xbox or Switch.
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