Will MS inevitably backtrack and keep acquired multiplat IPs, multiplat?

I could see them releasing them on PS down the line once Xbox sales have dried up. No sense in not doing it.

It is my understanding that Sony fannies would prefer games be exclusive and would be the most happy if MS also makes their games exclusives because it is all about dem excoosives. After all, they are happy with Sony's numerous acquisitions which would remain exclusives and their active paying of multi-platform games being exclusives.😎

But all of Microsoft’s games are multi platform. They’re on Xbox and PC at the very least. Some are on various platforms natively and some on various platforms via xCloud. Microsoft indeed wants to put games on all platforms via Game Pass/xCloud. It’s up to these companies ie. Sony and Nintendo to allow for that by having GP/xCloud on their systems. Make it happen Sony and Nintendo. For the gamers!

This is correct. There are no exclusives for the Xbox. All MS games would support Xbox, PC and IOS/Android with streaming.

I honestly don't see them making any single player focused games multiplatform. They're better off keeping those for themselves and then making their GAAS games multiplatform depending on the scale of the game.

Would be nice to have the option. One of the many downsides of the loss leader/vertically integrated walled garden approach to the console business.....kill and crush all competition :(.

I suspect this latest from Ms is more to keep regulators off their back though. they don't want to get into an Nvida/ARM situation where their Activision acquisition starts getting analysed under a microscope.

From Nintendos and Sonys perspective, Allowing gamepass would be a big loss for them. Ms would essentially be a parasite on their platforms. People buy a PS or Switch (which is sold at a small profit at best), sub to gamepass and barely buy any PS/Switch games. If you are MS, how do you sell this idea to Nintendo/Sony?

This would only work if console hardware was sold at a healthy profit.

@SolidGame_basic: Listen. If ms wanted to, they could finish Sony off within 5 years. Unlimited budget, huge studio buying spree making COD, FIFA, gta you name it Xbox exclusive. It would attract 10s of millions from ps and cows would be left with paying 70 bucks for 2-3 Sony exclusives per year. Ms would lose billions during that time but it would be doable.

That’s fantasy land talk though. Reality is by releasing games on ps, Xbox wants ps to be successful in order to make more money from software. Xbox will get these games day one on gp, ps owners will pay full price for them. By making some titles exclusive (Bethesda, halo etc) and keeping others like cod and Minecraft multiplat, ms are doing the right thing.

I am actually considering it's their plan to publish multiplatform because the games still make them money, it subsidizes Game Pass, and it goes to show everyone that does buy their games on other platforms that hey but it's all in included on Game Pass, and that's something for consumers to consider. Not sure if this was ever their original intention but I actually think it's the hardware production shortages driving this direction, not any antitrust investigation. As far as FTC scrutiny goes I actually think MS welcomes a fight there since they can drag Sony into the spotlight by deposing them about the full scope of their exusivity arrangements.

I agree with you that I think it would benefit MS more if they kept the games multiplat. They've been saying for a while that they care more about software than hardware. If Sony and Nintendo are selling systems that reach 100 million units sold for each company, that's a lucrative opportunity.

I have a feeling MS will make these games timed exclusives. Like 1 year exclusive on the xbox before porting to the ps5 and maybe switch as well. No point in leaving money on the table. But who knows

Actually, the switch already has access to gamepass. You just need to install android on it. After installing android, gamepass is an easy step to take. Heck you can even stream your steam library too. I did a bit of research on it, and it seems you need an original switch before the nintendo patch of 2018, or to install a modchip. The mod route is hard and expensive, since nintendo sued them into the ground. I dont disagree with them either. Alot of these bums were using the mod to illegally pirate games.

Theres so many benefits to with just a normal homebrew, you could just install android and i doubt nintendo would have cared. Theres always a dark side to these things unfortunately.

I hear the android is a bit clunky and not as decent as a true native gamepass app, but functional either way.

Why is TC concerned? He wasn't interested in any Bethesda or Activision IPs, I though he considered all to be overrated.

@osan0: Oh yeah, for sure. Don’t know all the in’s and out’s that these companies would want for this to happen. Just saying that given what Microsoft has currently done and what they seem to want to do moving forward this seems to be it.

@pc_rocks: He us concerned that PS isn't going to get games because MS may pull games only from PS5 😲

New paradigm coming basically, MS was first out of the gate with GP, Sony is going to re-orient with a similar service of its' own the value represented by gamepass is simply too much to ignore, the famine and feast model of big releases providing revenue injections is great until you get a flop or an underperforming release, but lets say you allow GP on PS systems and Sony's service on Xbox platforms, each company will take a little slice from each others respective service and it's far easier for the average consumer to shell out another 7.99-9.99 every month than it is to justify a 500 plus expenditure for a separate machine they might only play sporadically. In a world of $70 games provided you get more than 2 games a year out of each sub then most consumers will feel they are getting value for money.

I foresee them keeping CoD fully multiplat. There is no benefit in making that exclusive.

Overwatch too.

Some stuff for Nintendo.

I think all future Blizzard games are Xbox exclusive.

I think any ressurected Activision ips are Xbox exclusive. Say Crash, Spyro, Tony Hawks, Blur...

And every other game game on this list:

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/list-heres-every-activision-blizzard-ip-xbox-now-owns-including-crash-bandicoot-and-guitar-hero/

Hopefully. Open gaming up so more people can have fun, rather than clamping it down

I'm quite excited about the idea of a load of past Activision/Blizzard games showing up on Gamepass.

I think the chip shortages have a bigger hand in this direction than threats of antitrust issues. I think as far as MS is concerned they just want to add more value to Game Pass and make money on sale outside of the service. I think Sony too focused on PS/PC releases is also to grow the accessibility of its catalog to help the generational transition by keeping software sales up, and since MS trailblazed that first they aren't as expected to lock games down on their console hardware at their own expense.

Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Starfield, Redfall, etc. will all eventually be on Xbox/PS5/PC

Just like how Ghostwire Tokyo and Deathloop will come to Xbox later this year or 2023

MSof hasn’t said anything about keeping COD multiplat. LOL

The ultimate goal is to make gamepass enticing enough that Sony allows gamepass on playstation. I don't see how you do that without making them gamepass exclusive.

Sadly we are just morphing from exclusives based upon proprietary hardware ecosystems to exclusives based upon subscription services. The transition will simply allow games to be played on any display device, which is good for consumers; however, it just shifts the macro battle to content via subscription versus content via hardware ecosystem.

If Microsoft does backtrack its promise, I can expect alot of fanboy activity for days on this forum.

It depends on how big the game is and the genre. I think they'll keep COD multiplat because it's too big to not be. Though a single player game, they might keep exclusive.

I expect at some point that Microsoft will only allow those games on their competing platforms if said platforms will also have xbox gamepass on them. These franchises are way too big of a bargaining chip to pass that move up. Maybe in the early years they will behave, hell I could see them saying the right thing if only to avoid any of the anti-trust stuff they still gotta get by to get that activision merger done. Maybe it's an olive branch with Sony to make a deal, but the point is Microsoft is dealing.

One way or another the gameplan is to expand their gamepass audience. And one good way to do that besides expanding devices, is to create exclusive content for your subscription that nothing else is offering.

Also expect gamepass prices to go up as well once they are the more dominant force with it.

It's really hard to say. You have to weigh the pros and cons of keeping them on the platform you're trying to promote in hopes it'll encourage more people to adopt that platform, but at the same time you're missing out on the sales revenue of selling them elsewhere too. I can see Microsoft go either way on the matter. But, I think they'll keep them multiplat. Xbox just doesn't have the popularity outside the US it would need to go full exclusive with them.

Microsoft is only loosely saying that Activision games will remain multiplat beyond contracts so the deal can safely go through. Once they officially own Activision, you best believe the 'Only on Gamepass' logos will start popping up under these titles.

They released a whole statement walking back their promise of "existing agreements" only, stating that CoD will release indefinitely on Playstation. This was following the Bungie acquisition announcement that explicity mentions that games will remain multiplatform.

@X_CAPCOM_X: You should probably read what they said because that is not what they said.

Yeah...this is pretty much what I'm thinking. Say what they need to now in order to appease the regulators and allow the ABK deal to slide through and possibly change their tune a little down the line. Call of Duty is a massive seller though, so they have financial incentive to keep it on as many platforms as possible and just rake in the profits (like they've done with Minecraft) but I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't concerned with making a ton of money with this acquisition and it could just be used to bolster their ranks down the line.

They have, and they should. It should help the deal go through, but imo they don't need that exclusive. It makes a lot of money like Minecraft.

And unlike Sony, MS has a ton of quality fps ips.

Even if Sony made Destiny exclusive, that's just one fps. MS has Halo, Perfect Dark (The Initiative sounds pretty good), Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake, RAGE, Deathloop...

So I think CoD should stay multiplat for the foreseeable future. Although I think any Sony exclusive deals for CoD content are out of the question now.

@HalcyonScarlet: The deal is not going to be in jeopardy even if they made all their games exclusive to the Xbox.

@SolidGame_basic: They have always said "case by case basis".

I really don't care if future Activision or Bethesda games of existing franchises show up on PS5, as long as they are on Game Pass; and Game Pass subscribers get DLC first.

So, Starfield, Avowed, Redfall, etc. should not go to PlayStation (at least, at launch); but ES 6, Fallout 5, CoD, etc. on PlayStation is fine with me day one.

Honestly, IMO, putting new releases of existing franchises on PlayStation could entice people to jump on Game Pass: "Hey, I paid $140 for two games this year, and I could have paid $120 and had access to the entire Game Pass library!"

Can Phony afford to keep their games off of GamePass?

I mean, think about all the profits they're leaving on the table. :P

Remember when he said he bought an XSX and was manticore?