A few weeks ago, rumors started circulating that Microsoft will be getting out of the console manufacturing business. There was a lot of whispers in the gaming community that the Xbox platform was shuttering down and the Xbox Series X/S was going to be the last generation of consoles Microsoft was going to make and they were going to focus on becoming a third party developer. Xbox owners felt betrayed and even went so far as to sell their Xbox systems for a PlayStation 5. It got so bad that Xbox’s head honcho Phil Spencer had to conduct a town hall so he can tell the people the rumors weren’t true and that they were, instead, going to be diversifying their games division.

Well, to reaffirm their commitment and reassure Xbox console adopter they were in it for the long haul, Phil Spencer and the other higher ups from Microsoft’s Xbox division had to release a “podcast” where they essentially said what they did during the town hall. They weren’t getting out of the console business but they were indeed developing a handful of Xbox titles, four to be exact, to other consoles.

A few days have passed since that “podcast” and it seems pretty much confirmed that the formerly Xbox exclusive games that will be going to Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch are Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment and Grounded. I personally couldn’t be happier because these games, especially, Sea of Thieves and Grounded, could benefit from cross-platform online gameplay. Oh, I’m never going to play them but I’m glad some non-Xbox gamers will get to on their PlayStation and Nintendo Switch systems.

However, what does this mean for Xbox and the future of Microsoft’s gaming division in the long run? How will this affect them as a company as well as how the gaming community at large view them? Well, I’m no expert but I do see a few pros and cons for Xbox down the line if they do plan to continue becoming a partial third-party game publisher.

On the plus side, it does promote a lot of good will for Microsoft, both in the public eye as well as within the industry. All gamers know the feeling of looking wistfully at a game that we can’t play because a company deemed it to be a “console exclusive.” I may be a Sony fanboy but even I was upset when Capcom announced Street Fighter V was going to be a PlayStation 4 exclusive way back when. Why? Because I want more people to be able to play games on whatever system them have.

With Microsoft allowing some of their games to be ported over to other consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Switch, this may build some feelings of reciprocity between them and Sony and Nintendo. This could lead Sony and Nintendo to allow some of their exclusive games to be ported over to an Xbox near you! I mean, wouldn’t it be insane to see something like God of War II or Metroid Dread on the Series X/S? I know a lot of gamers would be all for it!

Of course, there’s also the financial incentive of it all. It’s always going to be much harder for a console exclusive game to sell more copies than one that was published on multiple platforms. If a game is an Xbox console exclusive, you’re going to be limited to the gamers who own an Xbox. This isn’t so if the same game could be played on a PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch as you also get those user bases. It may cost a little more money as each console is different but your potential sales numbers goes up. So do your potential profits.

This is probably something Microsoft is looking at for a couple of reasons. Even though there are some Xbox diehards out there, even they can’t deny there are more PlayStation 5s and Nintendo Switch gamers. By allowing games like Hi-Fi Rush to be playable on other systems like the PlayStation 5, Microsoft can make a little more money from this game that has already been out for year.

That last part is a little bit troubling but understandable. You see, the games Phil Spencer and his team selected to be ported over to other consoles aren’t exactly the freshest games out there. Hi-Fi Rush is a year old. Pentiment just over a year. Grounded has been out for around a year and a half now. Sea of Thieves is practically an ancient game by now since it was released over five years ago now! It does make sense as I’m betting Microsoft wants, at the very least, the games they funded to be an Xbox console exclusive for a year or so. They want to be able to tout that they do have a game on the Xbox that you can’t play anywhere else so they can move more consoles for a short while.

Then again, it’s kind of hard for me to say that most, if not all, Xbox games were actually “console exclusive” as they were always released on PC on the same day. This always miffed me as it never made the Xbox the must have gaming console it needed to be. I know building a super powerful gaming PC is super expensive. But you can still build a decent gaming PC with a little knowhow at the same price as an Xbox Series X. So, if Microsoft is porting over some games to the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, it just gives gamers less of a reason to get an Xbox since you can already get their games on PC.

I also don’t think becoming a partial third party publisher will alleviate the anxiety a lot of Xbox owners are having right now. For them, this could just be the first salvo to Microsoft just abandoning the console market altogether and follow the likes of Atari and SEGA. While I did mention it’s sound business strategy for them to spread out, Xbox users will still feel betrayed as their loyalty isn’t going to be rewarded, so to speak.

Ultimately, I do think this is a good move for Microsoft in general. Allowing some games to reach Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch users will make them more money, even if the games they’re porting are rather old. I also like the idea of seeing an Xbox owner playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in the future. Sure, it does hurt Microsoft a bit as it lessens the appeal of getting an Xbox Series X/S but, in the long run, it’s a sound business decision.

What do you think of Microsoft becoming a partial third party game developer? Let me know in the comments section below!