After a period of development and experimentation, both Sony and Microsoft have recently begun gradually scaling back their “multi-platform release strategies” and refocusing on console exclusives. For example, while Sony has often brought its exclusive games to PC over the past few years, and Microsoft has tried releasing Xbox first-party games on PS5, these plans now appear to have run into complications. Even so, Xbox executives remain fully confident in their partnership with PlayStation.
Not long ago, Sony confirmed that it would abandon its plan to collaborate with Hideo Kojima on Physint, a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, and the game was subsequently taken over by Microsoft Xbox. Even though the two major console camps seem to be gradually drawing clear lines between themselves once again, according to new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Microsoft will still continue to work with PlayStation in the future.
Although future first-party Xbox titles such as Gears of War: E-Day will be Xbox console exclusives, games like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, whose porting plans were already set before the major personnel changes within Xbox, will still release on PS5. In addition, titles such as Call of Duty and Minecraft will continue their multiplatform release strategy.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Asha Sharma was half-jokingly asked whether she would apologize to Sony for the series of controversies sparked by Physint. In response, the new Xbox executive first laughed it off, but then stressed that Xbox and PlayStation still maintain a fairly healthy competitive relationship, even emphasizing that such competition can coexist with cooperation.
On the other hand, many subsequent media reports also pointed out that the amount Xbox and Hideo Kojima agreed on for their Physint collaboration was actually “far below” the development cost of a AAA game. Not only that, the agreement even included film and television adaptation rights for the IP.
Before this, many rumors had suggested that Hideo Kojima’s development budget for Physint could be as high as about $400 million, but in its latest report, The Game Business pointed out that the amount Xbox actually paid was “far below that figure,” and might even be less than $200 million.
For years, Xbox has actively pursued a multiplatform release strategy, ultimately bringing many of its first-party blockbusters to PS5 one after another. However, after Asha Sharma succeeded Phil Spencer in overseeing Microsoft’s Xbox gaming division, this strategy became part of a major internal personnel shake-up. Even so, quite a few games bearing the Xbox brand are still expected to come to PS5.
As for PlayStation, although Sony hasn’t embraced multiplatform releases on the same scale as Xbox, like Xbox it will bring multiplayer-focused live-service titles such as Marathon and Helldivers 2 to rival platforms; however, its PC porting initiative, which has been actively developed in recent years, has likely now officially ended.
As Asha Sharma said, competition and cooperation between Sony and Microsoft can indeed coexist. However, in the current console war reignited by changes in release strategy, competition and cooperation still seem difficult to truly balance. At least as things stand now, Microsoft still seems to be at a disadvantage in this situation where cooperation and competition go hand in hand.
Source: KOCPC Chinese