Xbox head Phil Spencer admitted it has been too long since Xbox released a first-party, console-exclusive game.
Spencer made the comments during a wide-ranging interview on the Same Brain podcast, which covered topics such as Game Pass growth and the looming Activision deal. When asked about the future of Xbox, Spencer said, "One thing we've definitely heard loud and clear is that it's been too long since we've shipped what people would say is a big first-party game. We could have our excuses on Covid and other things, but in the end, I know people invest in our platform and they want to have great games."
Spencer added that Xbox has big plans to release a number of exclusives next year, saying, "We're excited about 2023. We've talked about games that are coming, and those games are tracking well. Getting our first real Xbox first-party games out of Bethesda, having them ship Redfall and Starfield, will be a lot of fun."
The Xbox vs. PlayStation Battle Continues
Xbox players have long lamented the lack of the platform's first-party titles, seeing the company's output as lax compared to PlayStation. The platform's last major exclusive was Halo Infinite, released in November 2021, with Xbox seeing no first-party titles released in 2022. The platform has seen several smaller games released in the past 12 months, including the long-anticipated biopunk horror game Scorn. However, with Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda now complete, more AAA games like Starfield will launch exclusively on the platform from next year.
On the other hand, PlayStation has delivered a consistent output of first-party games since the launch of the PS5 console in November 2020. The company has seen great critical and commercial success with titles like Horizon: Forbidden West, with plans to expand the Horizon series in the future. The rogue-like title Returnal, developed by its Finnish first-party studio Housemarque, has also sold considerably well, alongside Insomniac Games' well-received Marvel's Spider-Man titles. PlayStation has also worked to secure one-year exclusivity deals with third-party partners and will see significant titles like the Silent Hill 2 remake and Final Fantasy XVI launch first on PS5.
One serious point of contention between Xbox and PlayStation is the potential impact on the Call of Duty series should Microsoft complete its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. Sony has been vocal about its opposition to the deal, fearing it will lose one of the biggest-selling franchises on its consoles to a competitor. However, Microsoft has previously stated that if the merger is a success, Call of Duty games will stay on PlayStation for "several more years."
Source: Same Brain, via IGN