Microsoft has $1 billion for exclusive Xbox One titles
Don Mattrick: "I think, candidly, people are way, way under-indexing how hard we're punching"
Microsoft is ready to invest around $1 billion in the development of exclusive games for the Xbox One.
That's according to a report from Official Xbox Magazine, in which Don Mattrick and Phil Spencer discuss Microsoft's strategy for first-party development. The entertainment focus of the Xbox One reveal event led to widespread accusations that the company had neglected the gamers on which its business is built. However, Mattrick believes that the breadth of the Xbox One offering has been under-estimated.
"We just ran through our [release slate] and counted the number of exclusives, and looked at the amount of money that we're spending and the deals that we have, exclusive windows and [things to create differentiation]," he said.
"I think, candidly, people are way, way under-indexing how hard we're punching."
Even before the event, Microsoft pressed the idea that its E3 presentation would be focused on games, but it did reveal that it has 15 exclusive games ready for the Xbox One's first year, including 8 new IPs.
"There are great hits, there's innovation, and there are world class creators plugged in," Mattrick continued. "You know, I keep track of it all, and I hope everyone here does - we kind of look back at all the different years and at what we shipped, how many units have sold. There's a lot of hyperbole about things, but I think we're going to deliver."
The doubt surrounding Microsoft's core game strategy is just one of many pressing issues to be addressed at E3. So far, the company's messaging around controversial topics like the Xbox One's online requirements and its approach to used games has been confusing, with senior executives occasionally contradicting one another when speaking to the press.
Microsoft's E3 press conference will be take place on June 10, 2013.
But just so long as it isn't wasted on over-budgeted titles, over-marketing or expensive 3rd party publisher deals (especially for exclusive DLC). If one was economical with this amount of money, the number of great games that could be created is phenomenal.
What this Xbone reveal is (was) all about was making the FIRST impression. And like we all know, first impressions last.
its mindboggling in a way that big companies with communication specialists working for them are not able to create a positive buzz around, especially after, their products annoucements. People should be positively having questions, "wow, how does that work? How is that even possible?" and so on.
I think much of the negative buzz is the result of the product not making sense to many people. Microsoft claimed the XBO will replace your cable provider's box (for those who are forced to use them), yet the device doesn't have a Smart Card slot. And without a Smart Card, the XBO can't function as a cable box or as a DVR. You'll still need a cable box to decode the incoming signal, you'll still need a DVR with Smart Card tech to record shows. So the XBO doesn't contain the one feature which would have made the "all in one" concept make sense.
I see Microsoft being very upset at losing in the mobile space to Apple/Google and fighting to do anything it takes to gain control of 'smart-home' market which will be exploding in the near future.
Oh, that's right. E3. E3. E3. E3... Well, it better be a great E3, as it'll be the last straw for some formerly hardcore fans otherwise...
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Axel Cushing on 29th May 2013 11:47pm
Surely, SURELY nobody can be this oblivious to how the industry has changed in the last decade?
Throwing money and clout at trying to keep a technologically outmoded model alive can only end badly.
According to Mattrick this $1 billion covers both but I hope the ratio of exclusives to timed-exclusives is heavily in the favor of non-timed exclusives.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Paul Jace on 30th May 2013 2:08am
In short, those 8 Xbox One exclusives had better be the best games ever made for a new-gen console, is all I'm saying...
I don't know about you but if giving the choice of getting timed-exclusive content for my platform of choice first or getting that same time-exclusive content a year(or more) later with additional bonus content I will choose the latter everytime.
Like I said before, I really hope they didn't spend a significant amount of that $1 billion on timed-exclusives.
Once again, Don Mattrick comes off as a smug, arrogant prick who's basic attitude is :"screw you, you'll buy it anyway". Take it easy, champ. Why don't you stop talking for a little while.
As for MS... Well, they're down to 7 "big" new IP exclusives to grab people, as Disney's announcement of Fantasia: Music Evolved just made my head spin in the wrong direction. OK, it will sell like hotcakes to Harmonix' fan base who buy in, but this being a 360 and XBO game means one SKU will do better than the other, I bet...