Fans of XBox have been sent into something of a tailspin in recent days. With the Activision merger shenanigans forcing Microsoft to be clear and firm in its commitment to continue to publish titles for other platforms post-acquisition, the fan communities online then got another shock.
Things that were always assumed to be Xbox and Windows exclusives such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield, Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, and Gears of War were rumored to be going multi-platform and arriving on PlayStation 5 and, in some cases, Nintendo Switch.
XBox aficionados have always been highly suspicious, and more than a little jealous, of PlayStation and its success. These rumors sent the community into a spiral. The fear spread through the sensitive, like a contagion, that XBox was about to be no more.
The rumors said that the platform was about to have its SEGA moment and simply become a publisher, switching focus from hardware and first-party exclusives to just making games for cross-platform distribution.
A response from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has not calmed them down. Via his Twitter account, Spencer said somewhat cryptically:
“We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.”
The Verge has subsequently reported that Microsoft was originally planning this business update for later this month but has moved up the announcement following these events. Microsoft has been investing more in the Game Pass software recently, and any news of future generations of the console has not been forthcoming, adding fuel to the fire.
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