The Future is Multi-platform?

We all know where Microsoft wants Xbox to be. They’ve made a mess of the messaging but what we all know is how multi-platform is a thing for them. It’s less about what the Xbox leadership wants and more about what Microsoft wants. The madness of the internet holds no bounds. But to say that they are going entirely multi-platform in the future and underestimating the potential of it just from a business sense wouldn’t make sense.

We’re coming to a point now where consoles are less about the platform and more about the brand experience of using them. There is no question however, consoles are here to stay for some time yet. But what I gathered from the business update from Xbox is that they’re happy to serve players at every opportunity they can get on any device.

The fact that they’re last in sales of consoles and it’s all about the Game Pass to them. This is one way of moving the goalposts of success if you will. But the other side of that, they’re just simply doing what they think is right for them. As a generation, we’re not used to what the future holds for platforms going forward. We all know how digital became a big part of slowly but gradually phasing out physical. In that sense, it’s Microsoft just trying to stay ahead at its own game.

The key point being ‘stay ahead at its own game’ is an important one here. At some point your Sony and Nintendo will follow suit to match the expectations of a new generation of players in the future. We’re seemingly moving away from everything that we’ve come to know consoles by from the 90’s onwards.

Microsoft has always innovated in the sense of what they’ve brought in terms of features. Many rival platforms have benefited from that. Has Microsoft got everything right over the years? No, they’ve failed hard with the Xbox One and it’s their biggest failure but one they’ve learned from. That’s why they’ve been building themselves up as one of the biggest publishers in gaming recently.

You might look at the Xbox portfolio of games right now if you’re a PlayStation fan. There is however, not a question that players from that side want to play Xbox games on their PlayStation. If Microsoft is serious about non-exclusivity and their vision for the future. Then they should consider returning Bethesda games back to PlayStation and gradually making that marriage viable.

Eventually, that might be Microsoft’s ambition. Not only on top of increased revenue streams but putting themselves in a position where they can negotiate for their rivals to listen. Eventually, I can see PlayStation going in the same way. But at this very moment, they don’t need to because the business is healthy. Having said that, we’re half-way through this generation and console sales have peaked.

It’s this kind of reading that brings that question into question. The viability of consoles in the future as we know them. Something in the future is going to have to change to allow for more growth. It’s not just about the platform anymore. It’s about reaching enough players so that those that have worked years on some of the biggest titles get their revenue back and reach the biggest audience for them.