This week’s newsletter highlights Xbox’s chance to halt manufactured rivalries.
Last week’s much-anticipated Xbox announcement from Microsoft ended up being somewhat underwhelming: only four games, none of which are particularly groundbreaking, are set to arrive on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch in the foreseeable future. Despite the frustration of Microsoft’s executives refusing to disclose the titles initially, subsequent reports from Famitsu and the Verge revealed them to be Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment, and Hi-Fi Rush, aligning with information from other sources.
Contrary to rampant speculation, Microsoft isn’t bowing out of the console market or making all its games available on multiple platforms. Additionally, the highly praised Xbox Game Pass subscription service, known for its exceptional value, will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC.
Essentially, this announcement amounts to little more than non-news. Microsoft was already a major presence on PlayStation, particularly since acquiring Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard, meaning titles like Skyrim, Call of Duty, and Minecraft are technically Microsoft games. Had Microsoft’s gaming chief Phil Spencer announced, for instance, that last year’s Starfield would be available on PlayStation 5, or if Xbox head Sarah Bond had declared an end to Xbox-exclusive games, that would have marked a significant shift worth noting (or in my case, worth discussing with you). Instead, this announcement merely extends a strategy Microsoft has been pursuing for years. Whenever I’ve spoken to Microsoft executives over the years, they’ve consistently reiterated the mantra of “play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want,” a sentiment echoed several times in last week’s Xbox broadcast.
Rather than signaling a groundbreaking change, this announcement underscores the outdated and toxic nature of the console wars. It’s striking how deeply entrenched some adults are in viewing a console as an identity, to the extent that the mere idea of Microsoft releasing its products on other, more popular gaming platforms sparked tantrums and emotional responses.
The console wars have always been a marketing ploy, albeit one that occasionally provided entertainment value. Remember the heyday of Sega versus Nintendo in the 1990s, with slogans like “Sega does what Nintendon’t”? Or the amusing missteps of Microsoft during the Xbox One announcement in 2013, which gave Sony ample material for playful mockery.
However, as the culture wars have infiltrated every aspect of modern life, from politics to leisure activities like parkrun, the once-amusing rivalry has lost its charm. It’s absurd to witness people vehemently arguing over video game consoles as if it were a life-or-death matter.
Yet, even if the subject of our arguments seems trivial, the manner in which we engage in these debates is significant. Toxic fandom is pervasive, whether it’s in sports, video games, or franchises like Star Wars, and its aggressive, irrational, and mean-spirited nature mirrors the broader tone of public discourse since 2016. Malicious actors have attempted to exploit video game fandom in the past, directing its fury toward targets that serve their agendas, and they will undoubtedly try again.
Regarding Xbox, my concern with Microsoft’s presence in the gaming industry lies in its status as a mega-corporation solely focused on relentless expansion. Unlike Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft possesses almost boundless resources, as evidenced by its recent spree of acquisitions. It’s still grappling with a track record of acquiring promising studios only to stifle their creativity through excessive corporate interference. I remain wary of any company with the capability to eliminate competition in a creative field where diversity, innovation, and artistic value thrive on healthy competition.
The news that Microsoft is beginning to make Xbox games available on rival consoles suggests that perhaps it’s not solely fixated on monopolizing the market. Instead, it hints that more players might benefit from the creative endeavors of its numerous studios. This is a somewhat reassuring development.
What to play
Pacific Drive clearly draws inspiration from Jeff VanderMeer’s weird fiction, immersing players in an experience reminiscent of entering the exclusion zone from Annihilation in a rundown vehicle. Within this eerie landscape, filled with strangely colored skies and ominous sounds, lurk bizarre and unsettling entities, with only your dilapidated car serving as a barrier between you and them. Venturing repeatedly into the Zone, you’re never certain of what you’ll encounter, continuously repairing and upgrading your vehicle with salvaged parts while delving deeper into the mysteries surrounding you.
The tranquility of the journey is abruptly shattered when unexpected dangers emerge, forcing you to navigate through storms while grappling with manually activating your lights and wipers.
- Available platforms: PC, PS5
- Estimated gameplay duration: Yet to be determined…
What to read
If you’ve ever casually browsed through the PlayStation Store, you might have come across the Stroke the Animals games – notably simplistic titles where the primary objective is to repeatedly press a button to pet an animal (typically represented by a JPEG image) for a brief period, earning an easy trophy in the process. When Ellie Gibson delved into the backstory of these games, she stumbled upon an unexpected narrative.
Peripheral manufacturer PDP is set to release a new guitar-shaped controller designed for use with Fortnite’s Festival music game feature (and Rock Band 4, for those still engaged with it). Interestingly, Fortnite Festival was developed by Harmonix, the studio responsible for the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises.
For those able to visit Asda, there’s a chance to purchase a copy of last year’s ill-fated wizard-themed FPS, Immortals of Aveum, for just one pound on PS5. Despite being a decent game, it unfortunately launched amidst the busiest gaming year on record and subsequently failed to gain traction.
Embracer Group, which embarked on an aggressive acquisition spree fueled by speculative Saudi investments that abruptly disappeared last year, has initiated layoffs affecting 1,400 employees, cancelled 29 games, and shuttered several of the studios it acquired. The CEO’s subsequent statement regarding layoffs being a necessary ordeal is likely to provoke mixed reactions.
