Xbox President Says the Idea of Console Exclusives Is ‘Antiquated’

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Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, has stated that the trend of limiting games to only one console is fading. While Microsoft has had popular exclusive titles like Halo, Forza, and Gears of War in the past, the company has recently begun releasing these games on platforms that compete with Xbox. Bond has now confirmed that Microsoft is moving away from relying on exclusives.

Xbox has been going through a period of significant change, with some successes and some setbacks. Mike Ybarra, formerly of Blizzard, publicly disagreed with Microsoft’s approach of releasing Xbox games without exclusive titles, while Microsoft has also benefited financially from putting those same games on PlayStation. Recent decisions like price increases, job cuts, and the use of AI have caused friction with fans, but Microsoft insists it remains dedicated to making gaming accessible to everyone.

Xbox President Sarah Bond Says Platform Exclusives Are an Outdated Concept

Speaking with Mashable, Xbox’s Sarah Bond explained that gamers are moving away from exclusive games. She pointed to massive hits like Minecraft and Fortnite, which are available on almost every platform, as examples of how accessibility builds a strong community. Bond believes limiting games to a single store or device is an outdated approach for most players. She also noted the financial benefits of wider releases, with Microsoft earning $465 million from game publishing in December 2024 alone.

Microsoft’s recent release of the ROG Xbox Ally and comments from a company representative suggest a move away from games that are only available on Xbox. They’ve emphasized giving players more freedom to play how and with whom they choose, leading some to believe Xbox might stop making exclusive games altogether. While it’s not yet certain if Microsoft will go that far, most of their major game franchises are already available on other platforms. If the ongoing rumors about Halo coming to PlayStation 5 are true, it would confirm this change in strategy.

Okay, so it’s not just Microsoft sharing games with other platforms! PlayStation’s doing it too. They dropped Helldivers 2 on Xbox the same day we got Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5. And they’ve even been bringing some of their huge franchises, like The Last of Us, over to PC. It’s cool to see games becoming more accessible, honestly.

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2025-10-23 17:35