It’s been a rather busy two months for Microsoft’s gaming division, especially yesterday when it was renamed to Xbox. One of the more notable talking points, especially after rumors, is how the company would tackle exclusivity. CEO Asha Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty said they would “reevaluate our approach” as time goes on.
Sharma echoed this sentiment in an interview with Game File’s Stephen Totilo and added that nothing has been decided. Referring to the same as “long-swinging decisions that have decade-long impact,” she said the company will take “a data-driven approach and a strategic-driven approach, and then we’ll look at our principles, and we’ll make some calls. So we’ll share more when we’re ready.”
Regarding a time frame, Sharma replied, “Nothing we’re ready to commit to.” “I want to make the right decision, not the fastest decision.” Which is understandable. It has been two months after all. But you have to wonder if the decision may hinge on how heavy-hitters like Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fable and Forza Horizon 6 will perform on PS5.
And while Project Helix is clearly a priority, especially with the goal being to “lead in performance,” the Xbox Series X/S is also getting some love. “I think that the Gen 9 is a great piece of hardware, and we want to make sure that gameplay and the platform experience is excellent. We know we just haven’t invested as much there, and so we’re getting back to that.” The recent changes to Achievements and toggles to Quick Resume are a few standout examples.
Of course, there’s also the price drop to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, coinciding with the announcement that new Call of Duty titles would no longer be available on day one. They’ll still arrive roughly a year later, though, and there are rumors of older titles eventually being added to the service.
