Microsoft is ready to develop games and release them on all platforms, including PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. The technology company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, opened the door to turning Xbox into a publisher, similar to what SEGA did after failing with the Dreamcast. The statements come a few days after it became known that some of its exclusive games would be launched on other consoles.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Satya Nadella offered his point of view about Microsoft’s strategy in artificial intelligence and other industry segments. The top boss of the company spoke about his association with OpenAI and the effect that forming alliances with other companies has had. While the talk focused on AI, Nadella spent a few seconds talking about what the purchase of Activision Blizzard meant.
“We love games. In fact, Flight Simulator It was created even before Windows. But we were number three, number four,” stated Satya Nadella. “And now, with Activision, I think we have the possibility of being a good publisher for Sony, Nintendo, PC and Xbox. “We are excited to close that acquisition and I am glad we accomplished it.”
Microsoft CEO He mentioned something similar during a meeting with shareholders at the beginning of December. When asked about the future of Xbox, Satya Nadella responded that video games are a core business for the company and they want to do their best work at it.
“We believe that we now have the ability to really do what we always set out to do, which is build great games and deliver them to people on all platforms, of course, which is Xbox and consoles, PCs and now even mobile games and games in the cloud,” said the manager.
Will we see Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch?
The idea of releasing Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch is not far-fetched. To begin with, the purchase of Activision Blizzard implies that Call of Duty It is already part of the Microsoft catalog, so the next game in the series would be published by Xbox. The same goes for games from Bethesda, Rare or any studio first party of the company.
The Loss of exclusives worries Xbox fans. The idea that games like HiFi Rush either Sea of Thieves coming to competing consoles has not been well received by some. At the moment there is no confirmation about the arrival of these or other titles to PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.
Phil Spencer assured that they are committed to their player base and closed the door to Game Pass on other consoles. However, Spencer himself has mentioned on multiple occasions his intentions to expand the Xbox ecosystem and reach as many users as possible. That includes Samsung smart TVs or portable consoles that compete with the Steam Deck.
If we learned anything from Satya Nadella’s management, it is that Microsoft left the concept of exclusivity behind that prevailed during its first decades. One of his first decisions at the head of the company was the launch of Office for iPad. The technology company expanded its services to all possible platforms in order to maximize its income.
The last bastion to adopt this strategy may be Xbox. Microsoft could expand its services business (Game Pass) to rival platforms in the next generation. At the end of the day, the $69 billion they paid for Activision Blizzard is not going to be recovered by selling consoles.