D'Angelo
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Xbox studio leaders reportedly detest Game Pass, arguing it destroyed the value of their $40+ games now available for pennies. 🔗 wccf.tech/1ku37
Matt Booty (CCO) tells fans not to "overly fixate on single-player" games becoming console exclusives because it's not "carved in stone" Booty says fans shouldn't expect all single-player games to be locked down either. Matthew Ball (CSO) says “large live-service titles” will also be multiplatform moving forward as well. Booty explains that's not necessarily the case: “I wouldn't overly fixate on single-player. I think that's a good rule of thumb, but it certainly isn't something that's carved in stone.” When asked about how the company decides what's exclusive and what's not, then, Booty says “there are a lot of different games in our portfolio, and we have to think about how different games serve different purposes within it.” Ball was a little more frank, saying he knows “this approach is not obvious to all of our players," but the company is apparently "committed to making this clearer.” via: GamesRadar+ gamesradar.com/games/xbox-exe…
Do exclusives really matter? "To return our platform to consistent growth, we need a reliable pipeline of exclusive games," says Matthew Ball. "Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are just the first." "There is scant evidence of any platform ever being built, let alone sustained, without having exclusive content," Ball continues. "It doesn't matter whether we're talking about cable networks, streaming video channels, broadcast, terrestrial radio, a Hollywood studio, a music label – you need it." "We should narrow in on the literal role of these titles. We are asking players to make an investment in our consoles. These investments are real; they involve trade-offs in life. Given this, we need to give players a clear reason to pick us. And even after they chose us, we still have an obligation to earn that purchase," says Ball. Gears of War: E-Day creative director Matt Searcy tells me that The Coalition is 'stoked' to lead the line. "We couldn't be more excited to be an Xbox exclusive. Gears and Xbox have been tied so tightly together for 20 years now, so it's an honor and a privilege to be seen as a flagship title in this way." Staff at inXile Entertainment that I have spoken with are divided. There is some trepidation after Xbox's devastating layoffs. "I hope this doesn't put a target on our back," said one senior employee, granted anonymity to speak candidly. A studio lead from elsewhere in the portfolio had this to say: "We know that console exclusives aren't a silver bullet; nobody is saying that. But what we were doing before wasn't working, so clearly something had to change. If this is a way for us to rebuild trust with the Xbox community, and give players a reason to return home, then it has to be worth a shot." via: GamesRadar+ gamesradar.com/games/xbox-ret…
