Stories Need Telling Too

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According to Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, possessing Xbox Game Pass enables the Xbox in-house development teams to create compact, solo-player games without fear. Spencer aims to prevent the entire gaming industry from being dominated solely by live service games.

In a recent chat with XboxEra, Spencer discussed several subjects, such as his opinions about solo video games and the significance of publishing fewer titles in Xbox’s broader strategy.

I pointed out some time ago that first-party games play a significant role in our industry, but I faced some criticism. The challenge I saw was in achieving business success, and while there’s no denying the success of large single-player games, one motivation behind our effort to establish a subscription service is to help us produce games with clear start, progression, and conclusion as well.

Spencer mentions that it seems advantageous for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (a game he acknowledges isn’t small) to debut first, followed by Avowed. Moreover, he references the recent Xbox Developer_Direct, highlighting that most of the games shown during the primarily first-party event were single-player titles.

Spencer explains, “I didn’t prefer each match to evolve into a service-focused game because it seemed like that was the direction the business model was heading. It’s challenging to accomplish that. Not all stories are narrated in that manner, and not every game concept supports such a business model.

Phil Spencer praises small development teams

Spencer highlights Double Fine and Compulsion Games, creators of Psychonauts 2 and the future title South of Midnight, as studios that seem to thrive in developing smaller-scale projects.

Spencer expresses, “These aren’t the largest groups of people, and they prefer to stay smaller, around a hundred or so. However, they still aim for exceptional results. So, I plan to develop a system that can accommodate their work style.

I believe our industry is crucial since not all stories need to be lengthy 100-hour epics, nor does every platform require a currency system. Some creators simply wish to share their tale and then move on. Many of my favorite games, like Limbo, are short but impactful, and I want them to thrive in our industry.

Best of both worlds?

It’s important to note that while Microsoft has a strong background in managing live-service franchises, like Sea of Thieves from Rare, which was popular even before the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, it’s now also in control of big earners such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Diablo 4. These titles have significantly boosted Microsoft’s recurring income.

Regardless, Spencer’s reasoning is clear: a thriving subscription service needs a variety of content to maintain user interest. Personally, I know quite a few friends who considered cancelling their Xbox Game Pass membership recently, but ended up renewing due to the constant stream of fresh games to explore.

In the upcoming months, South of Midnight is planned for April release, followed by DOOM: The Dark Ages in May. Additionally, Xbox has tentatively scheduled Ninja Gaiden 4 and Fable for the latter part of the year. There might be another game or two that hasn’t been officially announced yet.

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2025-02-17 19:09