After a string of recent high-profile acquisitions of video game publishers byXbox, it appears Microsoft isn’t intending to slow down on the spending any time soon. Recent activity by the company suggests it may be actively on the hunt for even more purchases as it looks to drive the development ofXboxcontent.
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This sort of purchasing of publishers and developers represents big money in the gaming industry. Microsoft’s recent big deals alone have been worth tens of billions of dollars each. If this activity is only going to grow, which it appears may be the case, then it stands to reason companies like Microsoft are looking for a significant return on investing this sort of money.
The return Microsoft seems to be after is growing its catalog ofexclusive titles for Xbox and Game Pass. With Game Pass only currently available on Xbox consoles, PC, and mobile devices, this is a roundabout way of Microsoft saying it’s looking to grow its library of Xbox exclusives. With such well-established developers producing content only for Microsoft’s platform, this could be enticing enough to swing consumers away from purchasing competitor consoles and towards Xbox.
Console exclusivity has been a polarizing topic for years. While some gamers like to support their chosen brand within the console marketplace, many push back against the idea of creative gaming output being out of their reach unless they purchase multiple pieces of expensive hardware. Microsoft seems aware of these viewpoints as it was quick to announce thatexisting contracts for Bethesdaand Activision with other console companies would be honored, but if it continues this pattern of acquiring developers it’s unclear whether the outcome will be as beneficial to gamers as it may be forXbox.
