Eyes on Xbox

Good Evening. While last night may have been headlined by Taylor Swift making Grammy history and announcing a new album, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor took home the award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, beating out Hogwarts Legacy and God of War: Ragnarök.

—Derek Neville, Tim Rhyne

MAIN QUEST: Console war ceasefire?

Microsoft is reportedly considering breaking from traditional industry practices by releasing some of its exclusive Xbox games on rival consoles. One of the most anticipated titles, Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle, developed by Microsoft's Bethesda subsidiary, may potentially be released on Sony's PlayStation 5. This move follows persistent rumors that other Xbox exclusives, including Hi-Fi Rush, could also make their way to PS5 and Nintendo Switch. This strategy aligns with Microsoft's previous cross-platform publishing endeavors, exemplified by Minecraft's availability on various platforms. The rumored decision has sparked comparisons to Sega's shift to third-party game publishing after discontinuing the Dreamcast, raising questions about whether this signals a significant shift in Xbox's approach to the gaming market.

In response to the growing speculation, Xbox head Phil Spencer has announced a forthcoming business update event where the company plans to reveal more details about its vision for the future of Xbox. The event was originally scheduled for later in the month, but it has been expedited amid the recent leaks and uncertainties surrounding Xbox's multi-platform plans. Microsoft aims to address the rumors directly, clarify its new Xbox strategy, and outline the trajectory of its gaming initiatives post the Activision Blizzard acquisition.

Step Back: Microsoft’s recent Q2 earnings report was the first to include revenue from the Activision Blizzard acquisition and saw its gaming sector surpass Windows in revenue for the first time. A major holdup of the sale was arguments around exclusivity and Microsft could be making a push to end console-exclusive games, something CEO Satya Nadella testified he was not a fan of when he took the stand in the Microsoft vs. the FTC hearing last year.

HUD

• Roblox added real-time text translation in today’s update for experiences that use its TextChatService. Additionally, they are looking to add AI-voice translation in the future.

• Apex Legends season 20 is bringing major changes to the game aimed at adding variety to legends. All legends have a new upgrade system with 4 options per legend. Other changes include armor is no longer lootable, crafting station changes, and players outside of the safe zone now have a timer that requires them to return, good for anti-boosting.

• Due to pre-scalping, The Pokemon Company International pivoted on their plans to send Van Gogh-inspired “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo cards to local game stores in the Netherlands. TPCi will instead send 10 copies to each major chain store.

MAJOR W

• ⚔️ Granblue Fantasy: Relink broke 100k concurrent players over the weekend. The action RPG is available on PlayStation and PC, while currently being the second-best seller on Steam behind Palworld. 

• ⏭️ Steam Next Fest launches to highlight developers with upcoming titles. This will feature 1000s of free game demos and developer live streams throughout the next week.

F IN THE CHAT

• 💸 Final Fantasy 14 (FFXIV) on Xbox will require a FFXIV game subscription and Xbox Game Pass subscription to play.

• 👎️ Tencent canceled an unannounced NieR mobile game, citing high costs.

CAREER CORNER

• Senior Producer, English — Cloud Chamber (Montréal, CA)

• Senior Systems Designer — Cold Iron (Remote, US)

• Learning and Development Manager — Lighthouse Games (Leamington Spa, UK)

HIVE MIND

Was this email forwarded to you?

Subscribe to Loading Screen today and turn your gaming knowledge up to 11!