When a recent game is announced in 2024, you can usually count on it being released on PC, PlayStation and possibly Switch. However, the guarantee that recent games or ports will land on Xbox consoles has become slightly less, and it seems that Microsoft is aware of this and is asking developers why.
Last month Enotria: The last song released on PS5 and PC…but not Xbox. The creators explained that this is because Xbox he stopped contacting them. Xbox boss Phil Spencer later contacted the i team Enotria it’s now set to come to Xbox in the future, but it’s only the latest version an example of games that bypass the Microsoft console. Xbox wants to find out why and what it can do to fix the situation.
September 30 Microsoft has published a blog dedicated to developers about how the company is reaching out directly to developers and studios to support “improve the experience” of Xbox game development. Interestingly, Xbox wants to hear from all developers, even those who don’t work on Xbox games.
“If you make video games, we’re interested in your opinion,” said Dr. Deborah Hendersen, Xbox’s chief user researcher. “If you’re not on Xbox, we’d love to hear why. And honestly, if you use our competitors’ products, you probably have a great perspective that we can learn a lot from!”
Xbox says this strategy will allow it to “gain fresh perspectives and avoid becoming an ‘echo chamber.’
“It’s a bit like testing players who play games like yours – they are your target audience and you want to hear a fresh perspective because their expectations may be different from those of people deeply connected to your community,” Dr. Hendersen said.
Xbox shouldn’t have asked at all
While I think many developers and creators would applaud Microsoft for openly asking for feedback from everyone, even those who only make games for PS5, it seems odd that Xbox would openly ask developers, “Hey, why aren’t you making games for our consoles?” ” Although the reasons are quite obvious.
Between the lack of communication, Game Pass potentially training Xbox players not to buy games, and low hardware sales, there are plenty of reasons to avoid Xbox and focus on the Switch and PS4 or PS5. It also doesn’t support that the developers have signaled that the weaker Xbox Series S may pause some games, something we saw Baldur’s Gate 3. This is a problem because Xbox requires games to be released on both the Series S and the more powerful Series X. We even have reports that some publishers question why they should keep releasing games for the Xbox console due to needy sales.
So I’m sure some people are happy that Xbox is asking developers for feedback, but I feel like this is a bad situation that Xbox should have avoided in the first place.
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