Top Story
Xbox First-Party titles may not be exclusive going forward
Head of Xbox Matt Booty recently gave an interview to Game Informer where he talked about Microsoft’s newly acquired game studios and whether their games will be available on other platforms.
“Yeah, I think we would. I think that the question is less binary about, ‘should it be on Switch, should it be on PlayStation?’ and more, ‘does it make sense for the franchise?’.”
Booty then went on to say:
“In other words, is it a kind of game where it would benefit from the network effect of being on a bunch of different platforms, or is it a game where we can best support it by putting resources and making sure that our platforms, things like xCloud and Game Pass and Xbox Live, are really leaning in to support the game?.”
Microsoft recently acquired Double Fine, who have already confirmed that Psychonauts 2 will be released on PlayStation 4 and PC as well as Xbox One. Cuphead was also released on other platforms, and The Outer Worlds will be released on PlayStation 4 and PC alongside Xbox One. Booty pointed to Minecraft – which is available on pretty much every platform you can think of – as a good example of a franchise being best served by multiplatform releases.
Microsoft likes the idea of multiplatform release, as long as it makes sense for individual franchises
“With something like Minecraft, I think it was a no-brainer that we were never going to try and take anything from players that existed on those platforms, and certainly we’ve added platforms since that acquisition.”
While Microsoft is encouraging its newly acquired studios to keep other platforms in mind, there will still be a selection of Xbox One and Windows exclusive series: Big, strategically significant franchises like Halo and Forza will most likely remain exclusive. In any case, we’re happy to see that Microsoft support consumer choice – and winding down the console war – by releasing more of their catalogue on rival platforms.
Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?
Before this week’s Ion Fury, what was the most recent game to be made in Duke Nukem 3D’s Build engine?
- Shadow Warrior
- Blood
- NAM
- World War II GI
The answer will be revealed at the end of this issue!
News Bits
Alien: Isolation creeping onto Switch
The ESRB has rated Alien: Isolation for Switch, a pretty strong indicator that the game will be on store shelves very soon. The launch window is simply 2019, so expect a release date announcement soon.
VR fencing slashes into Early Access
VR sword-fighter Until You Fall will enter Early Access on August 27th. Developer Schell Games’ announcement trailer introduces the colorful game’s fast-paced combat, perfectly-timed guard breaks and intimidating enemies. Until You Fall encourages you to fight like a warrior, but also embrace your inevitable fall – then rise to fight again. The game can be wishlisted on Steam, and features both Vive and Oculus support.
Daily Fact
Only 15 games based on Build Engine, with 20 years between the last two
Ion Fury is out this week, and it’s big news for any fans of retro first-person shooters: It’s developed using the Build Engine, which powered classics like Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior and Blood.
But despite its important place in FPS history, the engine never really took off and only 15 games were developed using Build! While these include a collection of classics, the technology was made obsolete almost immediately: id Software’s Quake engine appeared just a few months later and its sophisticated 3D graphics immediately became the future of the FPS – well, until Ion Fury anyway!