Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox and Microsoft Gaming, sat down for an interview with Polygon at GDC 2024 to discuss the future of Xbox. Various topics were covered, such as the portable version of Xbox that he envisions or the decision not to make exclusive games due to studying Gen Z behaviors.
In the latest interview, Phil expressed his desire to see other digital stores opening up on the Xbox console besides the Microsoft Store. He referenced Windows as a platform where users are not confined to purchasing games from a single store, citing Epic Games Store and itch.io as good examples of digital stores offering more choices to players and game developers.
Explaining further, Phil pointed out that the current console sales model of loss leaders and recouping revenue from game sales is becoming less efficient. With component prices not decreasing significantly over the lifespan of the console and the console market not growing substantially, he raised questions about the obstacles and complexities faced by game developers and players today.
Phil believes that one way to address these issues is to have more diverse stores available on the Xbox console, providing players with more options and potentially sparking new competition in the market. He sees playing games on PC as part of a larger ecosystem, emphasizing continuity, while consoles feel segregated by closed systems on different platforms.
Source: Polygon via VGC
TLDR: Phil Spencer discusses the future of Xbox and Microsoft Gaming, highlighting the importance of diversity in digital stores on the Xbox console to offer players more choices and potentially drive market growth.
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