Speaking from the the ChinaJoy event this week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer outlined Microsoft’s vision for exclusive content on Xbox One. In an interview with Gamecore translated by Dualshockers, Spencer said fans should expect fewer third-party deals for exclusive content going forward; instead, Microsoft wants to focus on first-party.
“My strategy is more around our own first-party franchises, and investing in franchises that we own, and probably fewer exclusive deals for third-party content,” he said. “I want to have strong third-party relations, but paying for many third-party exclusives isn’t our long-term strategy.”
One of Microsoft’s most high-profile third-party content deals is for Rise of the Tomb Raider, which will launch this November first on Xbox One and Xbox 360, before coming to PC and PlayStation 4 in 2016.
Spencer went on to say having Rise of the Tomb Raider in Microsoft’s lineup this year is “great.” But he also said you’ll see Microsoft focus more on first-party content going forward. This will be evident at Microsoft’s Gamescom briefing next week.
“This year, the fact that we’re shipping Halo 5, Gears of War, Forza 6, Fable, we can only do that and build that best lineup we’ve ever seen really on the back of franchises that we own,” he said. “It’s great to have Tomb Raider as part of our lineup, but investing in first-party, you’ll see more of that at Gamescom next week, is really core to our strategy.”
Spencer’s comments could be interpreted as a dig at Sony. Earlier this year, PlayStation executive Andrew House said third-party content deals, such as the ones the company has in place for Destiny, Street Fighter V, and Call of Duty: Black Ops III, are integral to the company’s business plan. This is an especially important area for Sony this year, House said, because the PS4 first-party lineup is “a little sparse.”
What do you make of Spencer’s comments? Share your thoughts below.
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