Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has publicly addressed the on-going decision-making process regarding exclusives. Speaking with Bloomberg, Sharma stated that Xbox is attempting to balance being a successful video game publisher while also constructing its own platform, two business models that could possibly be at odds with one another.
“Look, we’re the number two publisher on this planet and to be able to be an awesome publisher, you could have your games reach large audiences to play,” said Sharma. “At the identical time, we’re increasingly becoming a platform, and to be able to turn into a platform, you could have exclusive content and services. And so we’re taking a look at that very closely. I feel that now we have to be very thoughtful about each title, on how we wish to give it some thought, and learn from some similar cases within the industry, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Ultimately, it feels like, although decisions are still being made with how Xbox approaches exclusivity, it could proceed to judge games on a case by case basis. For years, it seemed clear that, while something like Call of Duty will exist on all platforms, something like Halo would remain exclusive to Xbox. That’s, until Xbox announced it was bringing Halo: Campaign Evolved to PS5
This has created lots of confusion over where Xbox stands with exclusives. To many, Halo coming to other platforms felt like the tip of exclusivity, because it was Xbox’s most defining franchise. Xbox also confirmed Fable can be coming to PS5 at launch, signaling a serious strategy change. It has also been speculated that Gears of War: E-Day will come to PS5, but nothing has been confirmed.
Nevertheless, all of this was before Asha Sharma took over as head of Xbox. Since then, she has indicated that Xbox shall be making big changes to try to get the corporate back on the right track. Although lots of the things being shown at Xbox’s upcoming showcase have probably been within the works long before Sharma was even in consideration for the job, it is going to be her first moment to properly outline her vision for the corporate’s future, and that likely includes defining some exclusive titles.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You could find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.