Exciting Times for Cross-Platform Gaming

Since the debut of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation 5 and PC, the gaming world has been abuzz with enthusiasm. Sony has emphasized that this dual release strategy is key to success for console exclusives that function as services, as it fosters community growth. However, Phil Spencer has expressed his wish for the game to also come out on Xbox Series X/S.

In a recent interview with Game File, Phil Spencer stated, “When I look at a game like Helldivers 2 – and it’s a fantastic game, congratulations to the team for releasing it on PC and PlayStation – I’m not sure who in the industry benefits from excluding Xbox. I can’t see how it brings any advantages to anyone. But I understand there is a tradition in the console gaming world that we will stick to, releasing games only on our hardware. We’re doing the same.”

These words echo Hiroki Totoki, CEO of PlayStation, who talked about expanding Sony studio games to more platforms, such as PC and mobile phones, although he did not mention competing consoles. “In general, releasing games on various platforms and making them more accessible to a larger audience is a good business strategy in the video game industry,” said Totoki.

Unfortunately, these statements have been misunderstood in recent days. When the head of PlayStation spoke about “cross-platform,” many people interpreted it as referring to Xbox and even Nintendo Switch. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As Totoki clarified, “If you have strong first-party games, it benefits not only our console but also other platforms like computers. We can develop our cross-platform exclusivity, which can help improve our operating profits. That is also the direction we want to pursue.” This suggests that, similar to Helldivers 2, service-based games will likely have simultaneous releases, although this may not be the case for single-player games.

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The source of the article is from the blog papodemusica.com