To say that Xbox fans have had a lackluster console generation would be apt. That’s not to say that there haven’t been some fantastic games from the company, but it’s been a noticeably weak generation compared to other platform holders. Nintendo and PlayStation have both delivered some of the greatest games of all time on their consoles, and sales of each respective platform have rivaled that critical acclaim so far. But despite Xbox One lagging behind, 2020 is building to be the year gamers have been waiting for from Xbox.
This may sound like a bait-laden headline or a piece that was designed to snap up views, but the reality is that this article exists because of the incredibly unique way Microsoft has been viewing gaming as a medium in recent months. Gone are fears of the console wars, although sales are still incredibly important to the immediate success of the business, as Microsoft eyes up a much broader plan of expansion through services. Not unlike what the company draws the bulk of its profits from already. Of course, that doesn’t mean some fantastic games aren’t en route to the newly-revealed Xbox Series X or even the existing Xbox One, but 2020 is set to be a big turning point for the tech giant’s gaming side.
We know of a handful of next-gen games that Microsoft has been working on. Titles like Halo Infinite, Everwild (a new game from Sea of Thieves developer Rare), and the more recently unveiled Hellblade 2. The romp featuring a returning Master Chief is the only confirmed release in 2020, but there are sure to be many other great launch additions for the next-gen Xbox console shown off ahead of its release in Holiday of next year. Of course, existing players won’t be left in the dust either, as Battletoads and Bleeding Edge from the newly-acquired Ninja Theory should make some waves on Xbox One.
These are just a handful of games, but the real excitement stems from what we don’t know. Rumors of a new Perfect Dark and the return of Fable are chief among rumored games in the works from Xbox Game Studios, and both would be welcomed with opened arms from gamers. Meanwhile, acquisitions of studios like Obsidian, Double Fine, and the aforementioned Ninja Theory should prove to be massive in creating a steady stream of exclusives for Xbox fans. And it should be noted that these won’t just be exclusives, but head-turning, must-haves in the same vein as Obisidian’s The Outer Worlds which was nominated for Game of the Year at 2019’s The Game Awards.
More than this, however, is Microsoft’s willingness to go beyond its own platform to secure an audience. Microsoft’s games streaming service known as xCloud is set to pair with Xbox Game Pass and presumably annihilate the cloud gaming competition with a killer trifecta of exclusivity, accessibility, and affordability. But before cloud gaming makes its expected waves, Microsoft is already expanding its horizons by drawing support from rival platform holders like Nintendo and Sony. For example, Minecraft just got cross-platform play through its Bedrock update on PS4 (which requires an Xbox login) and Microsoft has released several games on Switch like Ori and the Blind Forest and Cuphead. Hell, they even allowed Banjo and Kazooie to join Nintendo’s own Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
These sorts of collaborations are paramount in building an ecosystem that players can invest in beyond Microsoft-made hardware. More new players, more success. It’s a simple formula, but it’s one that only seems simple when players remove themselves from the anti-consumer stance of platform exclusives as they currently stand. 2020 is going to be a very interesting year for Xbox, and those willing to bet on the current underdog are unlikely to be disappointed by what awaits them.
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