Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has weighed in on the console exclusives debate, claiming he'd "love to get rid of console exclusives entirely," including from Xbox. There's no doubt that there have been some incredible Xbox exclusives over the years, and both Microsoft and Sony have reaped plenty of benefits from having titles be released only on their platforms.
Microsoft's recent attempt to push through its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been heating up lately, with multiple executives from the company appearing in front of the United States Federal Trade Commission in order to seal the deal. The hearing has been fascinating to follow, with many Xbox secrets being exposed during Microsoft's attempts to convince the FTC to allow the acquisition to go ahead. It was even revealed that Microsoft considered buying Square Enix at one point in a move to strengthen the Xbox division.
The quotes from the Xbox FTC hearing were reported by Video Games Chronicle, with Nadella claiming that he has "no love" for the world of exclusives. While he states that console exclusives would be a thing of the past if it were up to him, he does acknowledge that "that's not for me to define." He also claimed that Sony has "defined market competition using exclusives," meaning that Xbox simply can't afford to stop the practice right now. Microsoft says that Xbox lost the console wars, which could explain why it has continued to release exclusives in recent years.
Right now, it seems as though the exclusives argument could be a tough battle to take on for Microsoft. As part of the FTC hearing, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan commented on Starfield's Xbox exclusivity, describing it as "anti-competitive." While both sides of the argument certainly have plenty of merit, there's no denying that Starfield is set to be one of the biggest releases of 2023, and there will be plenty of gamers who aren't able to play Bethesda's first new IP in almost three decades. With no sign of a conclusion in sight, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months.
Many of the lingering questions about the Activision acquisition are centered around one franchise: Call of Duty. Making such a powerhouse franchise exclusive to Xbox would be a game-changer in the industry. Several times throughout the acquisition process, Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation, with Xbox Head Phil Spencer even swearing under oath that the franchise would remain non-exclusive going forward. It's unclear exactly how this ends, but no matter what, Call of Duty is going to play a huge part.
Source: Video Games Chronicle