MrStark

Look forward to the Xbox Showcase.

I believe in Asha Sharma.

I don't want to get anyone's expectations too high but will Asha Sharma take to the stage and shock the gaming industry by announcing that Xbox Game Studios' titles will be exclusive from here on out. My opinion is that she will announce her plans for exclusivity closer to the full reveal of Project Helix.

One can believe.

@Titntin

What I find more amusing is people who don't understand that strategies don't always work out and, in that circumstance, it's best to go back to how things were (similar to a safety net).

Square that circle? There is no circle to square. Exclusives are a must. No ifs or buts. As for profitability or revenue, if the games are any good then they'll be worth buying otherwise they'll be consequences for studios. That's how cut-throat and cold it is. Xbox hasn't made great games (outside of Forza Horizon) for a long time. They only have themselves to blame for giving very little reason to buy their games.

Sony are scared of Microsoft: they should be considering just how much money and resources Microsoft have under their disposal.

On the plus side, exclusives will be a much needed selling point of PS6 considering its price will likely be pretty hefty.

I have always maintained that Sony WILL NOT allow Xbox to get their single player games.

Amusing to read Pushsquare's article that Sony's pivot to leaving PC was because of lower revenue and profits from their PC venture.

I was like: "Guys, really? You're going to write an article with a straight face and try to deflect and make it about something else when the answer is so painfully obvious." It was too coincidental that they left PC literally a day or two before Microsoft announced Project Helix which begs another question: how did Sony catch wind of Helix's impending announcement?

@Questionable_Duck

Good point. Gears: Reloaded sold really poorly on PS5.

https://alineaanalytics.substack.com/p/which-xbox-games-have-sold-over-100k

@Fiendish-Beaver

Thanks for the lengthy, deep and analytical reply which I don't have time to read.

Interesting use of Ellipsis at the end particularly how it is contradictory to the statement "that about sums it up".

I mean if something is summed up then there's no need to have a trailing thought after it right?

Questionable grammar aside, we all agree that Nadella has not been good for Xbox. Hopefully, he has gotten on board with the program that Xbox needs exclusives. That's my end thought on this matter.

@Fiendish-Beaver

Conjecture aside, what we know for certainty is that the matter of exclusives is being evaluated as we speak and there will be an announcement down the road on what the plan is.

My personal opinion is (putting aside the conjecture that Sharma is doing Nadella's bidding) that exclusives have to make a return and Microsoft have to back Xbox in a big way. The games are there: Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Gears E-Day, Halo and others. We just need more of them and people will slowly but surely come back into the Xbox fold. The way I would handle it is to stop bringing them to PlayStation or Nintendo consoles. PC is fine because it plays into Project Helix.

@Fiendish-Beaver

You raise some valid points but I don't buy the whole "Nadella is busy with AI and has taken his eye of Xbox".

He would've overseen the change of management from Spencer to Sharma. I'm pretty sure she made her points clear on what she wants to do and where she wants to take Xbox.

The fact that her team are even discussing the topic of exclusives says it all. It was under Spencer that games began going to other platforms starting with the whole "Play on Xbox and PC".

Having said all that, I don't expect there to be wholesale changes but I do believe Sharma will make changes with regards to exclusivity. She isn't stupid. She knows what we all know: no exclusives = no reason to buy Xbox hardware.

I voted for Exclusives, BC, Free Online Multiplayer, Achievements (DLC list is separate from main list) among others.

However, the no. 1 request "Exclusives" is WITHOUT A DOUBT the pivotal point of contention for all those concerned. Is Xbox for or against Exclusives?

I'm of the opinion that exclusives are a must. Sure, putting first party software on other platforms helps gain more revenue and profits but the Xbox hardware suffers as a result.

As an Xbox gamer, I want to have exclusives to bring excitement back to the brand I love.

This particular point is, in my honest opinion, the turning point of the Xbox brand. If Xbox is all for exclusives then we have a potential comeback on our hands, but if Xbox is against exclusives then I'm afraid it's just a matter of time before the brand just dies out.

@abe_hikura

Let's be honest, we already have the majority of the BC games that we wanted. I have no doubt that we will get more BC games down the road but realistically I wouldn't hold out hope of getting a ridiculous amount of them.

The main thing that will define Asha Sharma's reign (and the future of Xbox for that matter) is how she deals with exclusives. Will she continue what Spencer started and put Xbox first party games on PlayStation after they're exclusive for a short time on Xbox or will she make Xbox exclusives full console exclusives forever like the Xbox 360 and One days? If she does the former, Xbox will almost surely die out since the hardware will simply become a third party storefront. If she does the latter, it will be interesting times ahead.

Forza Horizon 6 is the highest rated game of the year. It SHOULD NOT be going to PlayStation down the road. It's a system seller and shining light for the Xbox brand.

Interesting to see the negative vibe in the comments section so far. I honestly don't think this is some PR move. Let's be honest, Phil Spencer COULD HAVE made these moves but he didn't. Give Asha some credit. Everyone and anyone reading this "who is a fan of Xbox" please go to the Xbox Player Voice portal and upvote "Exclusives", "Free Online Multiplayer" and "Backwards Compatibility". We need the message to be loud and clear.

@KezelPaso If you go to the XBOX Player Voice portal you will see "Exclusives", "Free Online Multiplayer" and "Backwards Compatibility" dominating the feedback. Can we get an article highlighting this please. Thank you.

@Balaam_

Dude, being critical is fine but you're taking it too far with your daily swipes. Give it a rest pls.