In a recent interview Vice President for games at Microsoft, Sarah Bond, described the different directions that Xbox are willing to take to promote a change of pace.
Several possibilities would see Xbox branch out from Game Pass to “experiment with different models” such as advertisements in games or even “timed slices of games”, Bond said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
While Xbox is committed to supporting the widely successful subscription service Bond seems to think it’s time to branch out. “It’s about the depth and breadth of the portfolio all up, from big triple-A [games], to indie titles to hidden gems”, Bond said.
Whatever may happen, it seems there is one coherent goal for Xbox moving forward. This is to provide “creators with options, and choice enables them to experiment and do what they like, and actually create more immersive and creative experiences without having to fit into a mould”, Bond said.
Try and try again
Despite Game Pass being a widely successful subscription service, with numerous titles that make their way onto our best Game Pass games list, it hasn’t been enough to lift Xbox above the likes of PlayStation or even Nintendo.
Even with the prospect of Xbox’s highly-anticipated sci-fi RPG Starfield on the horizon, it seems as if Microsoft has taken some big hits this year, with the likes of Redfall receiving a seriously poor reception. Couple this with the numerous roadblocks in Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, largely thanks to the CMA blocking the transaction; it’s fair to say that Microsoft needs a refresh of ideas.
Xbox needs more viable exclusives and original IPs to make a dent in PlayStation’s shiny record. So if this can be achieved by experimenting with more games via timed slices of titles, then I’m all for it.
