Xbox's chief strategy officer has confirmed that more “permanent” exclusives are coming to the platform, while offering an explanation that doesn't make things too clear.
Ever since Asha Sharma became CEO of Xbox and made it clear that she's been listening to fans (for better and for worse), it seems inevitable that the company will try to get back to exclusives soon. Given Xbox's undeniably profitable move into third-party releases that began two years ago, it was anyone's guess how this would turn out.
Instead of saving for a huge release like The Elder Scrolls 6 or another Halo, Xbox's exclusive strategy is confirmed to start with Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution. It's been a little unclear what the long-term future of Exclusive looks like, and some recent comments haven't helped much.
More “permanent” exclusives are coming to Xbox, but don't “fixate” on single-player
At least Xbox knows the strategy isn't clear
Yesterday, GamesRadar+ published an interview with Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty and Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball about the company's return to exclusives. The ball begins with new CEO Asha Sharma noting that the decision was made “too early”, refuting claims that even Xbox employees were surprised by the move.
Booty confirms that exclusives are here to stay, as people need a reason to buy an Xbox, and that they act as “rewards” for supporters. It was also reaffirmed that E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not timed exclusives and are instead “permanent ones” that will be joined by other titles in the future. As Ball puts it, “these two aren't going to be the only titles”.
As for which games might be exclusive, this is where things get confusing. Gears and Clockwork suggest that it will feature single-player games, but Booty says not to “fixate too much” on it, as it's not guaranteed. Booty claims that the team needs to think about how “different games serve different purposes,” which doesn't really say anything.
If you're getting a bit of a headache, you're not alone. At the very least, Ball acknowledged that “the framework for these choices” isn't clear to the players, and the team is “committed to making it clear”. For now, though, we're just going to have to wait and see what Xbox has planned for its future releases.
From the sound of it, though, Xbox might hesitate to say all single-player games are exclusive when The Elder Scrolls can reach such a large audience on all consoles, while some Xbox ones like Gears and the next Halo are more exclusive. That's just a guess, but the best we've got for now.
