Xbox Exec Responds To Claims That Microsoft Has Too Few Exclusives In 2017

Xbox Studios general manager Shannon Loftis is "a little bit confused" over the claims that the Xbox One's holiday 2017 lineup of exclusive is on the weak side. Speaking to Game Informer, Loftis said Microsoft has "really good lineup" of exclusives this year. She mentioned titles like PUBG, which will launch on Xbox One before any other console, as well as titles like Forza Motorsport 7, Super Lucky's Tale, and Cuphead. You need to have an Xbox One (or a PC) to play any of those games this year.

"In terms of exclusives, I've heard that rumor and I'm a little bit confused because we have a really good lineup this holiday," Loftis said. "We've got the most popular game on the planet in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds--the Xbox console is going to be the only place where you can play that. We also have Forza Motorsport 7, which every single year reinvents the racing genre and basically owns racing in the video games industry."

Loftis went on to point out that already released Xbox One exclusives are getting updates for the Xbox One X, including Halo 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo Wars 2, Dead Rising 4, Forza Horizon 3, and Gears of War 4, among others.

Looking to 2018, some of Microsoft's big-name Xbox One exclusives include Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3, and State of Decay 2. "I think it's pretty good--there's a huge amount of experiences for people to have," Loftis said. Crackdown 3 was originally scheduled to launch this year before being delayed to 2018.

Asked if the lineup of Xbox One X-enhanced titles is strong enough to launch a new system with, Loftis again pointed out that the lineup is "incredibly strong," when you consider that more than 100 titles are getting updated for the new console.

"I think it's an incredibly strong lineup, especially when you take into account the fact that all of the 100 plus enhancements that we've already seen are free to gamers that already own the games, and the backward compatibility program, the continuing exclusives, and the fact that all the blockbusters, like Destiny [2] and Star Wars Battlefront II, are just going to run way better on Xbox One."

The full interview is fascinating and in-depth. You can read it here. The Xbox One X launches on November 7, priced at $500 in the US. Keep checking back with GameSpot to learn more about the mega-powerful system in the weeks ahead.