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Microsoft is indicating it could revive Xbox-exclusive games after a period of phasing them out.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty mentioned the possibility in a message sent to the company’s gaming staff on Thursday, focused on establishing a “master plan” for Xbox to compete in a new era of gaming.
“Along the way, we will reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windowing, and AI, and share more as we learn and decide,” they wrote.
Microsoft’s 2024 push to shift away from Xbox exclusives has been controversial; the company’s former gaming head, Phil Spencer, defended the change as a way to expand the user base for Xbox games and keep them viable. But chipping away at exclusivity also undermines the incentive to buy an Xbox console, since franchises like Gears of War and Halo are also being released on the PlayStation 5.
Sharma and Booty's memo concedes that “Players are frustrated. New feature drops on console have been less frequent. Our presence on PC isn’t strong enough. Pricing is getting harder for people to keep up with. And core experiences like search, discovery, social, and personalization still feel too fragmented.
“The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward,” they add, noting greater competition and the rise of foreign game studios; "Some of the biggest recent hits are coming from small teams or even single creators," they write.
In a refreshing sign, the executives said their "new north star will be daily active players,” rather than revenue or Xbox Game Pass sign-ups. One priority is also to “fix the fundamentals for players and partners.”
In addition, the company’s message notes, “Xbox will be built to be affordable, personal, and open,” amid concerns the next-generation console could be pricey, especially since the memory shortage is projected to persist until 2030. The next-gen Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, might launch in 2027 or 2028.
The memo adds: “We will offer flexible pricing so it’s easy to get started and keep playing.” Earlier this week, Microsoft also lowered the pricing for Xbox Game Pass, although it nixed access to new Call of Duty games at launch.