Microsoft is reportedly surveying a subset of Xbox users about changing its plans for exclusive games going forward--possibly in a big way--and that's no surprise given Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has alluded to changes to the exclusivity strategy in the future.
At the same time, a survey like this is not necessarily indicative of anything beyond Microsoft conducting research. After all, there is an entire team at Xbox called Xbox Research that ... researches all manner of things, and the results of that research doesn't always lead to changes in the marketplace.
Windows Central reports that a new survey was issued to some Xbox Insiders this week, and the site confirmed the survey to be real.
The survey asks how members might feel about the totally nuclear option of making all Xbox-developed games except Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox on console.
"Imagine it was announced that all future title releases from every Xbox-developed gaming franchise except Call of Duty will be console-exclusive to Xbox," the survey asks.
It goes on: "For Minecraft only, existing titles would no longer be available for purchase on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles and would not receive any new content updates. However, there is no impact to any of the existing titles or content you already own. Nothing changes on PC with this announcement."
The survey asks respondents to say in this scenario, where they would be most likely to play any of the exclusive content. The choices are:
- On an existing Xbox I own
- On a new Xbox Series X|S I would decide to purchase
- On a PC
- I would skip playing because it would now be unavailable on my preferred console
- Something else
- Not interested in playing the exclusive content
Another page of the survey specifically asks about Fallout, polling users about how they would feel if future Fallout games would be console-exclusive to Xbox, and with nothing changing at all on PC.
Windows Central reported that the survey also asked these same questions about The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Physint, Diablo, and Minecraft.
In a memo to staff, Sharma and Xbox boss Matt Booty said they will “re-evaluate” the approach to exclusivity, which could mean a lot of things. Surveying fans is likely connected to this endeavor.
Fans have called on Microsoft to return to exclusive games, but it remains to be seen if that will happen. Sharma and Booty also said they will consider changing things up in regards to “windowing,” which followed on from a report that said some other games beyond Call of Duty titles could be kept out of Game Pass at launch and for a period of time, similar to how movies are only available in theaters at first before coming to digital and streaming.
The so-called nuclear option of making all non-Call of Duty first-party games exclusive to Xbox on console would indeed be a bonafide return to exclusivity, but it also seems quite unlikely given how much money Microsoft could miss out on. At the same time, Sharma has pledged to fans that that Xbox needs exclusives to return to growth as part of the big Xbox "reset."
A survey like this offers an inherently hypothetical scenario, and it could simply be part of Microsoft's fact-finding mission to get a pulse of the fanbase. It would be an entirely different thing for Microsoft to commit to exclusives in this way and invest meaningfully to do so.
Sharma's other efforts so far as the new Xbox CEO have included mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. She has also said Microsoft's big bet on Game Pass did not work.