Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty hosted a special panel after the conclusion of the Xbox Games Showcase, with the latter outlining the output goal as a total of four per year. Game ZXC was able to attend this panel which was focused on what's next for gaming at Xbox.
Fans themselves got a glimpse at that future with the Xbox Games Showcase. Several exciting first-party titles were shown off like Fable and Avowed, with the latter receiving a 2024 release window alongside another first-party title: Hellblade 2. Unfortunately, Fable did not get any release window with its presentation. New games like Compulsion's South of Midnight and Inxile's Clockwork Revolution were also shown, setting the stage for Xbox's future content pipeline.
According to Booty, the goal is to get that pipeline up to four games per year. It's not certain if this number includes Bethesda games, but if it does, that means there are three this year: the already-released Redfall, Starfield on September 6, and Forza Motorsport on October 10. As far as 2024 goes, Hellblade 2 and Avowed both received release windows today, making up half that goal.
However, what fans have to keep in mind is that this is a goal, delays are always going to happen, but that Xbox is building up to a more frequent release schedule, putting all of its acquisitions to use. Every studio that's part of Xbox Game Studios is hard at work on something, and hopefully, they'll be able to get a routine of sorts in play.
Speaking of acquisitions, Phil Spencer would also comment on the ongoing Activision Blizzard acquisition, fittingly clad in a Hexen shirt. Developed by Raven Software (which is now under the Activision Blizzard umbrella), Hexen was a classic magic FPS from the 90s. Regardless, Spencer repeated his confidence that Microsoft would find solutions for the Activision Blizzard acquisition, expanding the number of games Microsoft can reliably put out every year.
Ultimate, Booty's goal and Microsoft's acquisitions are good for the Xbox ecosystem. The number one complaint of the Xbox One era and the early Xbox Series X era is a lack of proper first-party titles. Microsoft is clearly hard at work to change that, and while it may still be asking fans for patience, it's clear that this goal will be more easily obtainable in the coming years if everything goes according to plan.