Every major publishing decision Microsoft has taken in the last three years, since the launch of its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, indicates it no longer sees much value in exclusivity — or even in selling full-price games, for that matter. One of the biggest franchises in gaming, Halo, isn’t even exclusive to the Xbox platform anymore. Thanks to xCloud, you can play Halo on an Android phone if you like. The next major release in the series, Halo: Infinite, will be free on Game Pass for console and PC when it launches next year.
Microsoft is no longer playing the same game as Sony, and the Bethesda purchase may well make that point clearer than ever before. Sony has followed a tried-and-true strategy of acquiring promising developers and nurturing them over many years to produce large sequel-friendly franchises like Spider-Man and Horizon Zero Dawn. It also maintains strong relationships with independent Japanese partners, like From Software and Square Enix, to help maintain its edge so that the new Final Fantasy game or a Demon’s Souls remake comes to PlayStation first.
Microsoft may not necessarily care about exclusivity anymore, but it still needs studios. First-party developers are the lifeblood of game publishers because they allow them to control the cadence of major releases and better manage budgets and cross-franchise resources like game engines and creative talent. Most important to Microsoft right now, however, is having the final say on distribution. By owning a studio, Microsoft gets to decide where and for how much the game is sold, including giving it away for free as part of a subscription service.
If all goes according to Microsoft’s plan, consumers won’t be talking so much about which company has the better exclusive lineup or which brand “won” the next-gen race. Instead, chances are you may own both consoles and maybe even a PC. Microsoft may not really care — so long as you keep giving it $10 a month for Game Pass.