A recent communication from Xbox has given us some insight into the company’s future. For instance, we learned that increasing component prices could mean big changes for Project Helix. Additionally, we learned a bit about the types of games that Xbox wants to focus on making, or more specifically, the release strategy for the company’s original titles.
In the “Next 100 Days: XBOX Reset” communication to employees, CEO Asha Sharma made special mention of Xbox’s recent exclusive titles. Sharma also made it clear that the company would be refocusing on exclusives going forward. At one point in time, namely during the PS4 and Xbox One console wars, this would have been seen as an exciting prospect. After all, console exclusives were often the reason for choosing one system over another, and the titles themselves were often very exciting, like Bloodborne.
However, in recent years, we have been seeing companies move away from exclusives, at least in their original form. Now, even when a game initially comes out on just one platform, you can usually expect it to eventually make its way to other consoles and PC. More often, we’re seeing simultaneous launches across all platforms. In fact, one major PlayStation series just changed their strategy from releasing exclusively to Sony systems at first to a simultaneous launch for a very good reason that shows why exclusives may not be the way to go.
A PlayStation Exclusive Release Hurt Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Sales
Back when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was initially released, it was exclusive to the PlayStation 5. Now, it’s hard to blame Square Enix for going this route based on the information available at the time. After all, Final Fantasy 7 Remake was the fastest selling PlayStation exclusive at the time of its release, even outperforming major titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man. However, when it came out, it was quickly apparent that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was not seeing the same level of immediate success.
Not only did FF7 Rebirth not smash records the way FF7 Remake had, the game was reportedly underperforming based on Square’s expectations for it. While there may have been multiple factors that led to the game underselling Square’s predicted numbers, I’m not alone in thinking that console exclusivity was one of the factors at play.
The recent Reveal Trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation confirmed that the third game in the trilogy will be released simultaneously on all platforms. Clearly, Square Enix also believes that a PS5 exclusive launch for FF7 Rebirth could have negatively impacted its sales, and they believe that it’s a smarter strategy to release a game on all platforms at once. This is something Xbox should take into consideration when deciding how heavily to focus on exclusive games.
Console Exclusivity Isn’t The Same As It Was
The PlayStation 4 was released in 2013 with an MSRP of $399. Adjusted for inflation, that was about $580 in today’s money. Contrast that to rumors that the PS6 will cost around $900 and that Xbox’s Project Helix could cost over $1000, and it’s clear that gaming has become a much more expensive hobby. This means that players are far less likely to purchase a system just to play one or two games, since buying a console is becoming a much bigger commitment.
If an exclusive game isn’t enough to sell a console, it would seem to make more sense to make any internally developed games more widely available. After all, having a bigger potential audience means more potential sales, and a bigger chance any given game will make a positive return. I think Xbox should consider the case of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and limit the number of exclusives they develop if they want to sell more games.
- Founded
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November 15, 2001
- Owner
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Microsoft
- Known For
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Halo, Forza, Gears of War