Microsoft is planning to make more of its own Xbox One games, just as sales of the Xbox One X go live.
Loyal Xbox gamers are likely asking what took Microsoft so long to decide this, as the lack of exclusives for the platform has been one of its major weaknesses against the industry-leading PlayStation 4 and the currently dominating Nintendo Switch.
Microsoft To Focus On Making Xbox One Games
In an interview with Bloomberg, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that Microsoft is planning to increase its investment in the development of video games in-house. This includes creating studios that will focus on making Xbox One exclusives, as well as buying studios for them to do so.
"Our ability to go create content has to be one of our strengths," Spencer said, as Microsoft looks to turn around its approach on the matter over the past few years. This includes the shutdown of studios such as Lionhead Studios, which owned the Fable franchise, and the cancellation of games such as Fable Legends, which Lionhead was working on, and supposed Xbox One exclusive Scalebound.
Some of the biggest sellers among games for the Xbox platform were from the Halo and Gears of War series, which Microsoft published itself. However, these franchises have fallen to the sidelines as Microsoft viewed its Xbox business as important, but not core to the company.
The renewed focus on Xbox One exclusives, however, could represent a significant change in the importance of gaming to Microsoft, which is good news for loyal Xbox customers.
Xbox One vs PlayStation 4 vs Nintendo Switch
More Xbox One exclusives would certainly help sell more units of the console, as well as the Xbox One X, as the lack of games that are only available on the platform has been one of its biggest criticisms.
When the Xbox One X was announced as "the world's most powerful console," the biggest knock against it was the lack of exclusives. While exclusive titles such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5, Nier: Automata, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy have been released for the PlayStation 4 just this year, Microsoft was banking on Forza Motorsport 7 to help drive Xbox One X sales as Crackdown 3 was delayed to 2018.
The Nintendo Switch, meanwhile, was released with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and recently received Super Mario Odyssey ahead of the lucrative holiday shopping season. These two titles currently hold the highest scores among all video game reviews over the past three years.
If Microsoft wants to fight back against the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch, the Xbox One needs more exclusive titles. Thankfully, the company is headed into the right direction.
