Roman GłogulskiMicrosoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, is thrilled about the company’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the maker of Call of Duty. He believes that this deal gives Microsoft the opportunity to become a “good publisher” not just on Xbox, but also on rival consoles such as Sony and Nintendo. Nadella’s remarks align with Microsoft’s goal of releasing games across all platforms.
With this acquisition, Microsoft may consider releasing some of its exclusive titles, like Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks and Sea of Thieves from Rare, on Nintendo and Sony consoles after a period of exclusivity on Xbox and PC. While Microsoft has not confirmed these reports yet, they are consistent with the company’s strategy to expand cross-platform publishing.
Last year, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart hinted at Microsoft’s plans to bring its Game Pass subscription service to rival consoles. Stuart emphasized Microsoft’s mission to make its first-party experiences and subscription services available on every screen capable of playing games, including smart TVs and mobile devices. This includes platforms that were once considered competitors, such as PlayStation and Nintendo.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has already committed to releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles as part of a long-term deal, and they have also expressed intentions to bring the shooter to Nintendo consoles. However, the future of other Activision Blizzard games on different platforms remains uncertain.
As Microsoft continues to expand its presence in the gaming industry, the company will be hosting the Xbox Developer_Direct event in January 2024. Expectations are high for the unveiling of MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game and Obsidian’s Avowed, among other exciting announcements. Additionally, the recently announced Marvel’s Blade is currently in development at Microsoft and Bethesda-owned Arkane Lyon, but the platforms for its release have not yet been confirmed.
