Microsoft Insists It Won’t Flip Flop on Exclusives as Fans Say They're Finding It Hard to Trust Xbox

Microsoft has insisted it volition not “reverse course” connected its precocious announced program to instrumentality to exclusive Xbox games, but fans accidental they are uncovering it hard to spot what the institution says.

The spot issues stem from Microsoft’s announcement of Senua, the adjacent crippled successful the Hellblade series, conscionable days earlier reports emerged that its developer, Ninja Theory, was successful information of being unopen down. But fans person besides pointed retired that Xbox executives precocious praised games released by Compulsion and Double Fine, 2 Xbox studios reportedly besides astatine hazard of closure.

So, questions person been asked astir Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution’s Xbox exclusivity, which was lone confirmed during Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month. If Microsoft tin denote a crippled 1 week past unopen the workplace down it down the next, could it besides alteration its caput connected exclusives and yet merchandise Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution connected PlaySation 5?

Responding to a tweet by Windows Central’s Jez Corden, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball doubled down connected the exclusivity, insisting neither crippled volition ever travel to PlayStation. Not lone that, Ball said Microsoft remains committed to releasing "signature" Xbox exclusives each twelvemonth going forward.

“Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution volition enactment exclusive,” Ball said. “There are nary conversations and person been nary conversations to ‘reverse course.’ And arsenic we said past week, players tin proceed to expect signature exclusives from america each year.”

That sounds definitive, but the occupation is Xbox fans are uncovering it hard to spot thing Microsoft says close now, not that it's saying much. It has yet to remark connected this week’s reports astir studios nether threat, nor the allegation that it announced Senua astatine Xbox Games Showcase knowing afloat good it planned to unopen down the workplace — with adjacent Ninja Theory unit allegedly successful the dark. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.

“The contented with Microsoft / Xbox is arsenic a user you person nary crushed to spot what they say,” 1 instrumentality said. “(Not that you should spot immoderate corporation.) Just instrumentality a look astatine the past 2 weeks. With Microsoft's seemingly past infinitesimal determination to marque E-Day an exclusive. Or however they're connected the verge of cancelling Hellbade 3 if they haven't already, little than 2 weeks aft they announced it.”

“Meh, they alteration their tune each six months, the strategy could alteration immoderate second,” different said. “They virtually showed Senua 9 days agone and unopen them down and I'm expected to judge they wouldn't flip flop already connected exclusives,” different instrumentality said. “The plan's the program until it's not the plan,” commented different fan, referencing Xbox brag Asha Sharma's ain words connected Microsoft's strategy soon aft she took the apical job.

Officially, Senua is inactive a crippled that’s coming retired from Microsoft, but determination is important interest astir the destiny of the crippled and the workplace down it, and that has led to thing of an appraisal of each Microsoft’s announced video games, ample and small. As 1 expert told IGN recently, "the studios astir exposed are superb for prestige and rotten for the spreadsheet."

Xbox nether Sharma seems much funny successful a fistful of blockbuster franchises than smaller standard games. Microsoft is reportedly speeding up improvement connected caller The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo games, and considered restructuring oregon adjacent spinning disconnected its gaming branch. Meanwhile, what does Microsoft’s exclusivity strategy really mean? Which games are close for exclusivity? Could The Elder Scrolls 6 skip PS5? Could aboriginal Halo games spell backmost to Xbox only?

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].