Back in 2019, Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty said Microsoft wanted to release a new first-party game every three months, something the company doubled down on in 2021 and then again earlier this year. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is now talking about this again, telling IGN that releasing four first-party games per year was previously considered an "aspiration" but now it's the actual plan.

In 2023, Microsoft will deliver more than four. First-party releases so far in 2023 have included Hi-Fi Rush, Minecraft Legends, and Redfall, though Spencer said he understands if people don't want to give Xbox credit for that game given how it turned out. Microsoft's first-party output in 2023 also includes Age of Empires 4, which was just released on console, as well as Starfield and Forza Motorsport coming up soon.

For 2024, Spencer said releasing at least four first-party games will "absolutely" happen. "We have talked about it as an aspiration, now we talk about it as our plan," Spencer said.

Earlier this year, Microsoft stated that its "ambition is to release at least four first-party games a year," though the company left itself some wiggle room and said, "We'll also balance that out with careful consideration for each project's needs."

Microsoft has said it may cancel some games that are currently in development but the overall aim is to release more first-party games on a regular basis going forward. Microsoft has more than two-dozen internal game development studios that contribute to Microsoft's overall portfolio.

In other news, Spencer recently talked about how Microsoft probably won't release a new Xbox anytime soon and how he believes Starfield can have a Skyrim-like long lifespan.