Phil Spencer is angry now that Sony is using the same tactics to get exclusive deals. These were the same tactics Microsoft employed against Sony. The difference is purchasing an outside exclusive because you have no talented studios. And funding a game in return for exclusivity because you have the install base. Plus the developers of the game have guaranteed sales from us consumers.
Phil Spencer either has short-term memory loss or is a hypocrite
EA never pushed MS for anything. Microsoft threw money at EA like they did at Ubisoft, Activision, Rockstar to get all of Sony’s third party support that were going to be exclusive. Remember the Def Jam series that was supposed to be exclusive to GameCube and PS2? Microsoft paid 25 million dollars to get it. Remember the Assassins Creed franchise that was going to be a PS3 exclusive? That suddenly went multiplatform. Microsoft paid 75 million to make it multiplatform.
Remember GTA IV. We all know that was going to be exclusive to PS3 at first. Microsoft also paid 75 million for that. COD was supposed to be a PS and PC shooter. They paid 117 million for a 4 game exclusive rights deals.
Microsoft has never had a true AAA first party game besides Halo and Fable. RARE doesn’t count because it was dead when they purchased it. They rented Gears from Epic Games. They buy useless stuff and then leave them for dead. Look at every exclusive deal they’ve had whether it was just content or the game was exclusive. Look at Ryse, TitanFall 1, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive, The Division, Fallout 4, COD AW, Assassins Creed Unity.
All of those had exclusivity content or were exclusive and they failed in sales because of install base. These exclusivity deals do help grow the industry when all the players are on PlayStation and PC. And Devs get the sales they want. You didn’t see Nintendo or SEGA crying when Sony got all the third party support.
Microsoft are only angry because they have no first party talent. And depend on third party support like last gen to get over. Phil Spencer needs to acknowledge that.
Source: Cinema Blend