Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The announcement of the PlayStation 5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle ahead of its release on Xbox Series X/S and PC has sparked a wave of opposing opinions and excitement from the Sony fan camp. They are looking forward to the next game from Microsoft, while green console fans are writing about the Xbox becoming useless.
Phil Spencer’s Vision for Xbox’s Future
As head of Microsoft’s gaming division, Phil Spencer is the one to praise gamer interest in the Xbox brand in a new Gamescom interview with the official Xbox channel, revealing that the number of gamers on consoles is growing and the franchises are stronger than ever. He also talks about the changes in the gaming industry. Some traditional ways of making and distributing games are changing. He says that at the end of these changes, the result needs to be better games that more people worldwide can play.
Learning from Past Releases
Regarding confirming the PS5 version of the action-adventure game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Spencer recalled his statement when they announced four games for other platforms. At the time, he said he would evaluate the impact of that decision and learn lessons. As we’ve heard from others and seen in the best-selling games charts, the biggest interest has been in Studio Rare’s pirate adventure Sea of Thieves, which arrived on PS5 in April this year.
A High Bar Set by Microsoft
“So I look at it this way: how can we make our games as strong as possible, make sure that our platform continues to grow across consoles, PC and cloud, and I think that’s just a strategy that works for us,” Spencer says. He makes no secret that he’s simply running the company, and the bar is set very high when it comes to Xbox. By that, he means CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood expect a lot from Xbox.
The $75 Billion Power Play
“Inside Microsoft, the bar is set high regarding what we must give back to the company. We’re getting support [from Microsoft] that is just amazing in terms of what it allows us to do,” he said. He was surely alluding to Activision’s $75.4 billion funding of its acquisition of Blizzard King. It is by far the largest acquisition in the video game industry’s history. Xbox joined the company behind Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and mobile hit Candy Crush Saga.
Expanding Horizons: Xbox Titles on Rival Consoles
Recall that Microsoft has released Sea of Thieves (PS5), Hi-Fi Rush (PS5), Pentiment (PS5, PS4, and Switch), and Grounded (PS5, PS4, and Switch) on competing consoles. Next will be the Indiana Jones title during Spring 2025. It’s also worth mentioning the earlier rumors that more and more Xbox games will be coming out on other consoles, as Satya Nadella and Amy Hood want a quicker return on their big investment. Allegedly, no franchise is protected, not even Halo and Forza, which are intrinsically linked to Xbox.
