EXCLUSIVE | Microsoft plans Starfield launch for PlayStation 5 (rumor)

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Jez's speculation there "Response imo in part to Steam Deck having both PlayStation/Xbox "exclusives" and Steam Deck 2 being more powerful.".

I doubt specific Deck hardware is what MS are worried about. Its that SteamOS allows that Steam storefront to end up in all sorts of devices.
 
To anyone who lived through Sonic appearing on Nintendo console, it's not that brave nor new.
But after Sega almost went bankrupt. We were expecting it after the Dreamcast died and we knew they could never compete in the hardware space. We would have never expecting Sega to bring a Sega game to Nintendo during their co-existence in the console space and it never happened during those times.
Which is what's happening now with MS bringing games to their direct competitor in the console space.
It's almost like Nintendo bringing Mario and Zelda to Playstation while Switch does well
 
In recent weeks, there have been whispers about certain Xbox games releasing on other consoles, like the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. At first, it sounded like it would just be the likes of Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves, opening these games up to a wider player base. It was also claimed that Microsoft would address this strategy shift in the Spring as part of a new set of announcements.

Over the weekend, the scope of this strategy changed significantly. Now, it is being rumoured that even Xbox's biggest franchises will be going multi-platform, with games like Starfield and Indiana Jones to arrive on PS5. As we already know, the biggest Activision Blizzard titles will also remain multi-platform, something that Microsoft announced prior to acquiring the company in late 2023.
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If Microsoft really is throwing in the towel on exclusives and going multiplatform, then Xbox hardware makes little sense unless it is licensed out. Like the Steam Machines of old, perhaps Microsoft will pursue a licensing model in which partners make their own Xbox systems at different performance/price levels and load it with an OS that boots into a gaming-focused UI that works well with a controller.
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Would this be the best move for Microsoft as a whole? Historically, Microsoft has always been a software-focused company and when Satya Nadella took over the company as CEO, he also directed a new focus on services too. This has led to things like Microsoft Azure and Office 365, which have been hugely successful for Microsoft. By dropping hardware from the equation and switching to multi-platform game development and publishing, Microsoft would stand to make a lot of money and would start to reap the rewards pretty swiftly. After all, there are a significant number of customers on PlayStation who have never owned an Xbox and may have never even played Halo or Gears of War.
 
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perhaps yeah, the true winner in this is Steam -like @cheapchips mentioned- and the PC. It's not like consoles will be dying but maybe, when in fact, the console hardware is the closest to a PC ever. Switch is an entirely different thing but it's that, more or less

Horizon Forbidden West and Spiderman 2 on Steamdeck 2 will be fun. People wondering why they buy these other "consoles".
 

More than likely whatever plans or messaging that they had planned before (prior to all the leaks and warriors cries), it will be soften... super soften. I'd imagine over time they'll slowly say games "A" "B" and "K" will be multiplatform, and then later, games "X" "G" and "S" are also coming soon.

IMHO, Sony should and more than likely will need to support XB hardware (with the skyrocketing cost of developing first-party games) with as many exclusives as they can. If not, what other options are out there for Sony to reduce first-party game production costs without affecting jobs (with AI-driven tools and cheap outsourced labor practices) and keeping game exclusivity a thing?
 
Horizon Forbidden West and Spiderman 2 on Steamdeck 2 will be fun. People wondering why they buy these other "consoles".

If those titles were day 1 releases on PC, I would agree. I wouldn't purchase another PlayStation platform.

Since those titles aren't and for the foreseeable future Sony isn't in any rush to decapitate their hardware sales with day 1 releases on PC, I guess I'll be purchasing their next system.

People like my wife and son will purchase consoles regardless of how many exclusives show up on PC. The need to entertain family and friends on a large TV or theater room setup (with zero effort), is very attractive to many people.
 
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I'm not seeing PC gaming necessarily being the winner here, it could in the long run end up being the loser in this as well.

A large reason for MS in entering the console market in the first place was to hedge against Sony/PS building enough momentum to become the defacto standard in not just the home entertainment space but the home computing space. I would think that potential threat still exists in a way. If the Playstation's install space grows in more then it will have even more defacto sway with game developers and preferential treatment than currently exists.

Not sure why the author seems to assume Xbox users will migrate to the PC, seems like if they preferred the PC experience in the first place that's what they would've already done? It's just as likely (if not more so) existing Xbox users migrate over the Playstation. Remember the vocal fans on the internet are not representative, I'd wager most current Xbox users would have no inherent qualms about migrating over the Playstation (or I guess Nintendo) if they still prefer a console experience.

The author in the article also seems to hand wave away optimization concerns while just heralding that games would be multiplatform. But we know game developers already are willing to back seat PC optimizations, and especially view the PC platform as different than enthusiasts view it (eg. think of PC gaming as high end GPUs, developers might think of it has low end IGPs). Let's say without any competition, what's the incentive on say Sony first party titles being made better on the PC (less margin per unit) vs preserving the best experience on the Playstation? Even for MS's own first party titles in the future if they do negotiate a lower cut on the PS then it's possible they would actually make more on the Playstation then via Game Pass and or PC market spaces (eg. if it's predominantly Steam), so even they would be incentivized to make sure you buy the game day 1 on the Playstation and not the PC.

All in all I just don't see how things would change to benefit the PC unless Microsoft's plan is to inject massive resources into PC/Windows as a platform instead going forward. Otherwise it just seems status quo at best, with rolling inertia swinging the industry further towards the Playstation as a more likely worst case.
 
F_twUILX0AAgh0H


I'm starting to wonder about this post, and if he was (is) the original leak(er) for all these rumors after exiting Microsoft. Supposedly, certain employees were upset with the direction that Microsoft was headed with XB back in November-December timeframe.
 
F_twUILX0AAgh0H


I'm starting to wonder about this post, and if he was (is) the original leak(er) for all these rumors after exiting Microsoft. Supposedly, certain employees were upset with the direction that Microsoft was headed with XB back in November-December timeframe.
oh well, I could never stand this guy -which I mentioned when he left-. You just look at him and I couldn't imagine anyone getting excited about an Xbox. He must be angry, he is stung. A smoke salesman and I don't know, I didn't see him as the ideal guy with whom associate the Xbox brand with. But maybe that's just me.

Has he ever done anything outstanding to save the Xbox brand?

Not sure why the author seems to assume Xbox users will migrate to the PC
People like my wife and son will purchase consoles regardless of how many exclusives show up on PC. The need to entertain family and friends on a large TV or theater room setup (with zero effort), is very attractive to many people

it's all about preferences. Those who want a console are going to buy one regardless of the fact that PC gaming also has its benefits, and the people who want a PC aren't going to care about consoles or, at most, will buy the console to play those games. I.e. years ago I bought a second hand Gamecube from a friend and second hand games, F-Zero GX and RE4, cos F-Zero games are some of my favourite, but Nintendo never got an actual dime from me even if I had their actual hardware.
 
Major Nelson had negative charisma.

I'm interested in hearing more about the new direction at Xbox.

The way I understand it right now is this:

PS titles are getting delayed PC release and that's not hurting Sony, so why can't some Xbox titles get delayed PS release?

MS believe they can't get PS users to jump ship so they may as well sell millions of games to them. They also believe that hardcore Xbox fans won't abandon the Xbox ecosystem, especially GP users. They may be right.

They aren't worried about devs abandoning Xbox since anyone releasing on PC can easily support Xbox versions.
 
PS titles are getting delayed PC release and that's not hurting Sony, so why can't some Xbox titles get delayed PS release?

It's a more complex for Microsoft because it would muddy their Game Pass messaging if they themselves start delaying releases on the PC.
MS believe they can't get PS users to jump ship so they may as well sell millions of games to them. They also believe that hardcore Xbox fans won't abandon the Xbox ecosystem, especially GP users. They may be right.

A risk here is finding out if there is actually a significantly amount of buyers not interested in the Xbox brand platform per say but actually some of the current exclusives but in on a console platform instead of PC.

They aren't worried about devs abandoning Xbox since anyone releasing on PC can easily support Xbox versions.

The Xbox itself doesn't have the same leeway hardware wise or likely user expectation wise to pave over optimization issues to the same extent as the PC.

This isn't to say devs will of course immediately completely abandon the Xbox in droves but you can definitely see a potential snowballing here if platform adoption dips leading to quality dip leading to further platform dip over the longer term.

I do overall think Microsoft should be cognizant of their original reason for even going into the console space in the first place in that hedging against Sony/The Playstation could be just as important in the long run even if they never outright win. I also do think gamers in general, including Playstation users (but not necessarily "fans") should be wary of the potential long run negative implications as well if the competition does withdraw.
 
I do overall think Microsoft should be cognizant of their original reason for even going into the console space in the first place in that hedging against Sony/The Playstation could be just as important in the long run even if they never outright win.

MS were worried about Sony using gaming as a gateway to dominate general TV computing and Internet access (Web TV etc). Smartphones killed living room dominance as a threat to MS's businesses.

It's somewhat ironic that gaming itself is now a core pillar of Microsoft's business. It's pretty much the only reason for MS to be interested in TV computing, other than backend Azure stuff.
 
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