It’s a new year for Xbox, and that means new games.
Earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled that their upcoming Developer_Direct stream will spotlight DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and an as-yet unnamed fourth game. On January 23rd, we’ll get a sneak peek at the games Microsoft is preparing to release for its Xbox platform in the coming year, which could potentially include Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Fable (assuming there are no delays).
2021 is expected to be quite a blockbuster for Microsoft, with more game releases in a single year than they’ve ever had before. Not only that, but there’s also rumor of a new Call of Duty towards the end of the year, along with other exciting announcements from both first and third-party publishers on Xbox and PC platforms.
It’s common knowledge that Microsoft is working to bring Xbox games to other systems. Recently, a trusted source named NateTheHate shared some rumors on his podcast (via Knoebel) about games potentially coming to the PlayStation 5 and the yet-to-be-announced Nintendo Switch 2 this year. For Xbox enthusiasts, NateTheHate speculates that Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be available on Xbox in 2025, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth scheduled for 2026. According to him, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection are also planned for multiplatform releases, set to debut on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve confirmed this information independently with our own sources, and it seems accurate. It appears that Microsoft isn’t planning to stop there, though.
According to Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, Microsoft doesn’t draw any strict boundaries when choosing games to release on other platforms. In a review I wrote last year, I mentioned that any Xbox game with potential for profit through multiplatform release will indeed be released there. It’s been rumored that Hellblade 2, Age of Mythology, and possibly even the Ultimate Edition of Gears of War 1 might appear on PlayStation 5 this year. As for the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s speculative, but if I had to take a guess, I’d say those games are likely to be released there as well.
From my perspective as an observer, if these rumors hold true, it seems Microsoft is poised for a record-breaking year in terms of earnings from content. With a towering pile of first-party content in the pipeline, and more unannounced titles scheduled for the Xbox Showcase in June, their mountain of games appears to be steadily growing. Most, if not all, of these upcoming games are likely to be timed exclusives for Xbox and Windows initially, with PlayStation and Nintendo Switch versions potentially ready at launch or a few months later. The studios involved stand to reap substantial financial benefits and investments that could propel them towards greater success.
The question now is: Can Xbox hardware continue to thrive without the advantage of exclusive games as a key selling factor? So far, unique offerings like Xbox Game Pass haven’t been as effective in driving sales as Microsoft may have anticipated. It could be debated that free-to-play games and other non-gaming activities have diminished the desire for many to amass “hundreds” of games, which is a significant aspect of such services.
Microsoft has attempted to add value for players of free-to-play games by offering benefits like universal access to characters in games such as Valorant and League of Legends. However, I would contend that these efforts may not be sufficient to attract the target audience.
It can be challenging to justify purchasing an Xbox console without its exclusive games, but Xbox Cloud Gaming might offer a solution. Our sources indicate that the service has achieved significant milestones recently. Notably, Xbox Cloud Gaming shares a development environment with Xbox consoles, which means more developers will be able to provide content directly on devices like TVs and low-power laptops as it expands. The potential for “buy-to-own” cloud games could help keep Xbox competitive, even if retail console sales remain sluggish.
As Microsoft continues developing their next-generation gaming consoles, the potential of Xbox as a content provider is more robust than ever before. However, there are significant unanswered questions concerning its long-term success as a platform owner, queries that Xbox has yet to address.
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2025-01-10 20:39