Microsoft’s Xbox to release four titles on external platforms

MICROSOFT’S Xbox will release four video-game titles on external platforms, gaming CEO Phil Spencer said on a podcast on Thursday (Feb 15), as it looks to tap into a wider base of gamers following its US$69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Although Spencer did not give more details on the titles the company intends to release, he said they have been available to Xbox players for at least a year.

He also made it clear that the games coming to other platforms does not include Starfield or the upcoming Indiana Jones title.

Spencer said games exclusive to one piece of hardware were going to become a smaller part of the industry over the next five to 10 years.

The Activision acquisition was a step towards boosting Microsoft’s heft in the videogame market to better compete with industry leader Sony, which recently cut its forecast for its PlayStation 5 sales for the year ending March.

Microsoft announced last month that it would lay off 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox, a cut that represents about 8 per cent of the overall Microsoft Gaming division.

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Spencer’s comments on game exclusivity come a day after Sony’s chief financial officer said on a post-earnings call that the company can improve operating profit by bringing first-party games to other platforms.

Diablo IV, the first Activision Blizzard game post-acquisition, will be available to subscribers of Xbox’s Game Pass from Mar 28, according to an Xbox blog.

The growth environment for multi-game subscription services, which include Sony’s PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, is expected to slow this year, according to research firm NewZoo. REUTERS