Engadget- Indiana Jones games to the PS5 after all.

Microsoft's gaming division appears to be considering a significant shift in its strategy when it comes to major exclusives. Rumors have been swirling for a while that the company is bringing Hi-Fi Rush, a well-received game from last year, and Sea of Thieves to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. But the company is said to be bringing some of its blockbuster Xbox exclusives to PS5 as well, which would mark a monumental change in policy.

Over the weekend, XboxEra reported that Microsoft will bring Bethesda's Starfield (its tentpole game for 2023) to PS5 later this year, sometime after the release of the Shattered Space expansion. The report suggests that Microsoft has acquired more PS5 dev kits to help port its games to Sony's console.

MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could be bound for PlayStation 5 as well. According to The Verge, the action-adventure game is slated to hit Sony's platform just a few months after it debuts on PC, Xbox and Game Pass later this year.

Amid the Federal Trade Commission's failed attempt to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, then-Bethesda vice president Pete Hines confirmed in court last year that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was initially going to be released on multiple consoles. However, after Microsoft purchased Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media, it changed the agreement to make the game an Xbox console exclusive. The FTC was also under the belief that fellow Bethesda titles Starfield and Redfall were at one point bound for PS5 before those versions of the games were canned.

There's really only one reason why Microsoft would even begin to consider bringing more of its exclusives to PlayStation: money. It may be the case that the Game Pass model can't really sustain multiple games with nine-figure budgets and Microsoft could feel as though it's leaving money on the table by not having certain titles on PS5, as XboxEra put it.

It's clear that Microsoft is looking to make its gaming division more profitable. It recently laid off around 1,900 workers in that unit, just a few months after closing the $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard takeover.

When Microsoft bought ZeniMax, Microsoft Gaming CEO Spencer said his team would decide platform availability on a case-by-case basis. However, he said that Starfield would only be available on Xbox, PC and Game Pass.

Some Xbox games are already available on PlayStation and Switch, such as Minecraft Dungeons. As part of its 10-year deal to release Call of Duty titles on Nintendo consoles, Microsoft suggested it would bring other Xbox games to Switch and/or its successor.

The change in strategy could call into question Xbox's place in the games industry. While console wars are by and large nonsense, some players may feel aggrieved that Starfield and the Indy game are seemingly bound for PS5, especially if they decided to make Xbox Series X/S their sole console. Certain gamers who might only be able to afford one of the flagship consoles and tend to trade in games may feel that they're missing out if they plumped for an Xbox but Microsoft's titles are hitting PS5 alongside the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok.

It might not be too long until we learn more details about Microsoft's shift in multi-platform strategy. Hi-Fi Rush is reportedly coming to Switch and PlayStation this quarter, while the company is said to be preparing a public announcement about the new lay of the land for later this month.

https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-may-bring-bethesdas-starfield-and-indiana-jones-games-to-the-ps5-after-all-154823503.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAHzOR_S3s5nnGlKzjghPQFmsqn2sHL2buV2FjiRVMCT9t8JmzdyITN151640av4_u1PBuFWXqxfP1VAcRH-eb3h5wkZBHL7oer55b83AH0p8DXp4_C6yR24A0YGeOvIx1TxrW8yfUP_NBA-SYVPQrgfG1qgaPJMRvVmfemuq3Ai

As much as I love Machine games, I feel this game should stay on the Xbox. only because Xbox needs a game that makes us gamers want to buy an xbox. This is dark times for the Xbox brand :(

It's not "dark times" for Xbox, it's the END of XBOX.

If this is true, F___ them. I hope every Xbox owner cancels game pass and pulls an "Atari ET" with their consoles.

Oh no!

Anyway...

😎

What's wrong with playing Xbox or PS games on a PC instead of dedicated hardware?

If it was tit-for-tat, I wouldn't care. But, it's not. It's MS "going and not going" 3rd party, while Sony has 1st party exclusives.

So the Xbox now is completely redundant. As anyone with common sense has told the poor lems " gamepass" wasn't sustainable.

This time, yeah, absolutely. Crazy, but here we are. The war is over.

And we know how Microsoft feels about redundant things...

The problem is Xbox kept feeding this beast. And now it’s their own loyal, vocal, enthusiastic fanbase that’s gonna eat them alive. Phil and all his exec buddies played nice with all the YouTubers. They played games with them and appeared on their little podcasts and everything. They knew what they were doing. But Xbox let these influencers go a little too crazy with perverting the message and WAAAAAAY too many Xbox fans bought in.

This is why you don’t let goofballs on social media control the messaging.

You and I had our fun being fanboys , just having fun. But I feel your pain amigo.
I started as a PC gamer as main and Console as 2nd. My first game for my PC was Shogo, then UT and Quake 3. The first MMO was EQ, then Dark Age of Camelot then wow. But once the Xbox was released, I bought that console real quick. The first two games i got for it were Jet Set Radio Future, and Mortal Kombat. Anyway what I'm trying to say is, that I am glad that XBOX came out because online gaming wouldn't be what it is today. So thank you XBOX , we need you to stay in the game. Because without you, I don't think innovation can be pushed forward with just Sony alone, and Nintendo sure isn't the company that helps in that department.

Nice! WWs a little jelly after it's reveal that it wasn't coming to PS5.

I mean so fare it’s still just unconfirmed rumors, but if this is indeed the end of Xbox as we know it, I really fail to see how even the most diluted fanboy thinking Sony being the only player on the market is a good thing??

@dabear:

What difference does it make to your enjoyment of Xbox studios games if 6 months/year/several years later after being part of game pass they land on other systems for 70 big ones?

If you gotta fanboy then think of the money ps and switch will have to pay to get them and the profit of selling millions more 👍

All rumors and leaks are facts. Keep up with the times.😌

Pray that all these leaks are indeed rumors. Or else, Xbox identity dies and we go back to Playstation Versus Nintendo.

@AgentA-Mi6: That is great news. Gaming needs less competition after all.

Looks like it could be announced as 3rd party this week. Interesting.

@ghostofgolden: And?

The timeline moved up by quite a bit lol. Maybe they should do the announcement during the Super Bowl. That way a few folks won’t notice.

Era was convinced that Xbox appointed Sarah Bond to take the fall, and started calling them sexist and even racist for throwing her under the bus during black history month. Era takes the fiction to a whole new level.

Phil felt these “leaks and rumors” were important enough to move their original timeline up by months. And Phil denied nothing…

But please, keep deflecting. I told you 2024 was gonna be rough for you and the Xbox deflectors and apologists. That post count might even triple at this rate

Because it's a horrible solution without a reciprocal arrangement with Sony and Nintendo. This policy will essentially say "You can spend $500 on an Xbox console and $15/mo to get 6 months early access to Xbox games. Or, you can just wait 6 months and buy what games you want on your PS5."

It derails the value of the Xbox console; it's essentially a worthless device. Once it's market share completely collapses, MS will just be a 3rd party studio.

Let him keep his denial. It will serve him well when the official announcement confirms everything that these ex employees leaked. I am really enjoying Pedro's meltdown.

@ghostofgolden: Deflecting what exactly? I am intrigued.😎

Every time a thread critical of an Xbox game or an Xbox strategy or Xbox performance is made, here comes 😎 with some defense and deflection. Open any thread about Xbox and count the 😎’s

In fact, System Wars I have an idea for a drinking game. Open a Xbox thread from a year ago to the day you‘re playing this drinking game. Every 😎 you see you have to take a shot. I’ll see you all in the ICU

@ghostofgolden: Another cool story, now point to the deflection 😎

Wrong perspective/camera, probably woke, overused voice actor; wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

@dabear:

But how does other systems down the line being able to play spoil your enjoyment of an Xbox studios game?.

The elder scrolls 6 is the same game regardless if it's on playstation and switch 1 year later

@ghostofgolden: I'm in on the drinking game. Do bong rips count?

I wonder how long until they start doing day 1 releases on PS.

@fedor: If they are making the move for more revenue, then day 1 makes the most sense.

First person perspective is fine. They've been making first person games for years, why should 200+ people stop what they are doing because you want yet another boring third person Indiana Jones game, of which there are already boatloads?

For sure. They'd probably be preferable to shots after a while. I don't think anyone has ever OD'd on weed before, but this game would push the limits

Lack of competition stifles growth. This will kill the Xbox console, leaving Sony to do whatever they want. And, that is not a good situation for the industry.

thing is both xbox and sony can become lazy with no competition.

this proves day one 70 bucks = more profit.

Phil should of thought of that before.

SOmeone is mad and I'm sure IP will be p*ssed too.

If there was ever a better argument against exclusivity from a consumer standpoint, I haven't seen it. The irony here is you are arguing in favor of exclusivity, it seems 🤣

Nah! Sony would keep competition alive and well. 😏

All Phil needed was a calculator... Or to look at PlayStations fully reported profit margins...

Phil thought he was on to something with this "Netflix of gaming" bullshit. Phil probably should have talked to somebody from Netflix first. Netflix is over $14 Billion in debt, has content problems and is raising prices. They've increased prices almost annually. With 260 million subscribers. And now pulling in ad revenue. How Phil thought he could replicate that in gaming seems bonkers to me. But he convinced the right people. Well they might not be so convinced anymore lol

6 month/1 year timed exclusivity then raking in millions from switch and Ps won't harm Xbox in any way or hand any advantage to Sony in this fanboy driven console war.

Its about making money,the company you fear Sony are now going multiplat...for money copying xbox to boot!

Pick ya controller up and Jump in.

why wouldn't I? whats the point of owning a console if their isn't exclusives. I don't want to spend 500 for a glorified paper weight 🤣

@dabear: bro, nobody cares about Playstation 1st party games...they're literal trash. Xbox is simply far better console and platform, with or without exclusive games. The ecosystem is just that much better. Playstation is selling from word of mouth and hype, nothing more nothing less. Regardless if it's trash or not, people will buy it.

Also, the whole console value thing went down the drain when they decided 5 years ago to make every game available day 1 on pc. Nobody should want an Xbox console at this point, and even I feel scammed by buying one. I could have just played it on my pc. Now the only real reason to own an Xbox console is maybe gta games and some older Xbox games, so for that reason I don't regret my series X purchase all that much.

You buy it because of the hardware. That's what the point is, or should be, rather.

The games should be available on ALL hardware (provided there is demand and the specs to run it); the competition should be over who has the best hardware for the best price, or the best UI for that hardware, and so on and so forth.

Maybe coming from a PC user's perspective put's me on a biased stance, but I don't favor AMD or Nvidia because of what games are bundled with it. I favor one or the other because they have certain hardware-based features; I disfavor one brand because maybe they do some shady practices (like make exclusive features despite the fact they could easily make it available to both manufacturers).

I favor Windows over Mac because it's affordable and what I've used my whole life and Mac doesn't focus on gaming. If Mac changed their tune, I might consider it.

You should have substantial, tangible reasons to favor a brand or manufacturer. When they start doing forced/marketed exclusives as a regular practice to herd people into favoring their brand, that's a really shitty practice. They sell video game hardware, it should be focused on hardware.

You're being herded into a walled garden, and then held hostage by your own emotions by being supportive of forced/marketed exclusivity. I will never understand why so many folks champion this practice. It is by its very nature anti-consumer and anti-competitive.

I want the conversation on SW to shift to "this game looks better on console A because console B has inferior hardware" instead of "console A is better than console B because they paid Studio X for exclusivity rights". I mean jesus christ that latter argument is so ridiculous in its most basic form.

I get your point, but if we all lived happy under one umbrella , then their wouldn't be companies pushing each other to be better. its like saying. comic book heroes shouldn't have a villain to go up against, or sports teams shouldn't be competing against each other. to say all exclusives should be avail for all consoles, then their wouldn't be a reason for 3 different consoles.

See, we got one rumor, true or not, maybe. But this snowballing effect gives me pause to wait and hear what's really going on. Thankfully, the supposed months away announcement this recent media circus stemmed from, supposedly Phil Spencer will be addressing the elephant in the room in a few days, so, should set this straight soon before the rumor mill gets out of hand.

So you mean cherry picking the worst case scenario and pretending it's representative of the whole game. I guess that can be fun sometimes but it just results in endless copy/paste.

Exactly. We used to have more of that here.

Make System Wars Boring Again!

@mrbojangles25: 😄

First-person perspective sucks ass because it's like controlling a walking tripod on tank treads with weapon always rigidly up and forward. Can only run forward, sideways running disabled in almost every first-person game, so can't see shit but what's ahead when running, whereas in third-person the character can run and you can look in any direction. No awareness of where your feet are in first-person, and although third-person does not have a sense of touch and real peripheral vision either, it makes up for that by letting you see around your character, including where their feet are. If Machinegames are too incompetent to do third-person, they should not have taken this IP. Screw them. We haven't had a big Indiana Jones game for many years; what are you talking about? New Tomb Raider sucks and Uncharted went for something different and is in the wrong time period for discovery of ancient cities.