XBOX Studios Driving Exclusives, Says Brand’s CSO

XBOX Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball comments on the brand’s approach to exclusivity.

XBOX’s approach to exclusives has been under the microscope ever since Asha Sharma became CEO of the brand. It appeared as though XBOX was pivoting to a mainly third-party approach, with several of its top IPs beginning to appear on other consoles. Now, there are newly announced games that will be console exclusives to Microsoft’s gaming wing, such as Gears of War: E-Day.

Still, many of the games at the recent showcase presented by gaming’s green brand revealed titles coming to multiple platforms.

XBOX Executive Explains Why Exclusives Still Matter

During a recent interview with Christopher Dring of The Game Business, Matthew Ball explained the mindset behind which games become exclusives and noted that the studios within Xbox largely drive decisions about which games to make exclusive to Xbox consoles.

“We are trying to build a healthier business overall. In the short term, yes, there are going to be titles that are probably going to sell fewer units. That’s an investment we are making. That’s a decision that our studios are behind because they all believe this puts us on a path to your question, which is: Can we take market share? Can we grow? Can we be stronger? I believe the answer to all three of those questions is ‘yes’, and that will hold none of our franchises back over time.”

Ball also recently revealed that XBOX is rethinking its approach to console exclusives. Learn more about that here. Also, XBOX is preparing for mass layoffs in July. Insider Gaming will continue to monitor the story and report any updates as more information becomes available.

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