Microsoft has announced that four formerly exclusive Xbox titles will be made available on the PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. It was also speculated that the corporation would reveal details about the next edition of its Xbox system before the end of 2024.
This step constitutes an important change in the plan of action, rather than focusing on selling hardware such as the Xbox and towards increasing sales of first-party games. Microsoft has found it difficult to compete with the PlayStation since its first console, the XBox, came in 2001. The Xbox 360, which debuted in 2005, originally outsold the PlayStation 3 before falling behind again. With the release of the Xbox One in 2013, the firm changed direction and attempted to sell the machine as a digital-first entertainment device, alienating core gaming enthusiasts while giving the PlayStation 4 a significant boost. By the conclusion of that generation, PS4 consoles had sold over 117 million copies, whereas the Xbox One sold 58.6m.
Which are the four games that will be available on more popular consoles?
Reports have revealed Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Pentiment.
Let’s dive deep into these four games.
1. Hi-Fi Rush: Tango Gameworks and Bethesda Softworks are the developers and publishers of Hi-Fi Rush, a 2023 rhythm-based action game. It follows Chai, a self-described “future rock star” who is turned into a “defect” by a business. He uses environmental synesthesia to combat the corporation’s leaders and their ambitions. Critics praise the game’s visual style, art direction, humor, characters, and combat, while also critiquing its repetition, level design, and restricted music. The game was made available for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on January 25, 2023.
2. Sea of Thieves: 2018 saw the release of Rare’s action-adventure game Sea of Thieves by Microsoft Studios. For Xbox Game Pass customers, it was among the first-party titles available at launch. As pirates, players own and drive a pirate ship and explore an entire map from the first-person point of view. The game has a growth structure that caters to both casual and expert players, and it was influenced by PC games like Eve Online and Rust. Sea of Thieves has been a commercial success despite receiving mixed reviews; by June 2022, over 30 million players had registered. November 2020 saw the introduction of an improved version of the Xbox Series X/S.
3. Grounded: Xbox Game Studios released the survival action-adventure game Grounded, which was created by Obsidian Entertainment. July 2020 saw the release of the game on Windows and Xbox One, and on September 27, 2022, it was officially launched. The game revolves around Max, a little lead character who has to eke out an existence in an insect- and bug-filled garden. To survive, the main character must eat enough food and drink enough water, as well as make their way across a variety of scenarios.
4. Pentiment: Xbox Game Studios publishes Pentiment, an adventure role-playing game created by Obsidian Entertainment. It is a narrative game that was released on November 15, 2022, and takes place in the sixteenth century in the fictitious Alpine village of Tassing and the Benedictine Kiersau Abbey. Over 25 years, the player assumes control of Nuremberg-born journeyman artist Andreas Maler, who gets entangled in several murder mysteries in Upper Bavaria.
Conclusion
Microsoft is focusing on the next generation of Xbox, hoping to provide the greatest technological jump in hardware generation. The next Xbox is set to launch in 2028 and will allow cloud-hybrid gaming. Microsoft’s gaming sector has gone through considerable changes, including the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and layoffs. To increase the gaming division’s profitability, Microsoft is exploring decreasing personnel and selling games to new audiences on other platforms.
