Halo: Campaign Evolved has just been announced for all consoles, and oh boy, there is a lot to look forward to. Not only is it an amazing game brought back to life with current-gen graphics and new chapters, but it also represents Microsoft officially conceding and shaking hands with Sony.
Halo was, and still is, Xbox’s most beloved exclusive franchise, and the fact that it’s reaching a wider audience has me rubbing my hands together for the future of gaming. Of course, I’m no fortune-teller, but from the news itself and the recent moves that Microsoft has made, we can make a few informed guesses.
United Front
We’re finally uniting as a single, united front that prioritizes video games over console representation! As soon as I found out Halo: CE was heading over to Sony and Steam consoles, I immediately started looking up franchises previously tied to Microsoft that could be revived. One of the games that came to mind was Starfield, Xbox’s supposed next big exclusive that flopped immensely.
Sure, the game left a lot to be desired, but I’d like to think that this expansion into the PlayStation world would be enough to evaluate the market and see if they could revive the series. Uniting with Sony could open up all kinds of revenue streams for previously unattainable Xbox games, and that excites me.
Another thing to consider is the rumor that Sony exclusives are coming over to the Xbox. Rumors that are very likely to be true, considering Sony has been loosening up on their hold of exclusives, as seen in their expansion to the Steam store with recent games. I believe moving forward, it would be good for Microsoft to take the same approach as Sony when it comes to branching out.
I would love to see Microsoft maintain exclusives for their consoles, but slowly rolling out PS5 versions months down the line. This is exactly what they did with STALKER 2, and I cannot wait to see how sales change after the PS5 release.
Hardware
Speaking of Hardware support, I firmly believe that Xbox should try harder when it comes to rolling out new consoles. The recent release of the ROG XBOX ALLY is proof that they are trying, but this console was a partnership with ROG instead of something purely Microsoft, so it doesn’t count.
I could imagine Microsoft someday rolling out a handheld console that uses its own unique OS and could stand toe-to-toe with the Steam Deck, ROG, and other handhelds. Because lord knows that the PlayStation handheld isn’t in the race at all, in fact, it should be a constant reminder to developers of what not to do with your handheld.
Publishing
I remember years back when I was watching The Game Awards, and I distinctly remember Xbox Game Studios opening its doors to smaller developers for publishing games. At the time, I didn’t really understand how that was going to help the console wars, but today, I can say they made the right decision.
This not only gained more exclusives for their company but also empowered the industry by giving smaller developers the chance to shine in the light. As it stands, PlayStation has had more successful exclusives come out of its studio, but Xbox Games Studios has supported a ton of smaller games that have made some booms in the market.
I know that we always get complaints online that games are starting to look the same. Everyone is using Unreal Engine 5, and most of them are trying to go for photorealistic graphics instead of stylized games. Xbox Game Studios’ inclination to collaborate and take smaller developers under their wings means that more games can come out that break that mold. Games like Grounded, Towerborne, and Hi-Fi Rush are all breaths of fresh air that the industry so badly needs right now.
But then again, surprise surprise, Microsoft is still a corporation that axed Tango Gameworks just because Hi-Fi Rush had all the critical acclaim, but none of the monetary feedback. It seems hard to trust a publisher that axes studios as soon as they don’t meet the bottom line, but I’m trying to stay hopeful and focus on the positives here. Of course, again, I’m no fortune teller; these are just my hopes for where Xbox is going, but I really hope I’m right.
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