Xbox President: TikTok, Movies Now Compete with Halo on PS5

Key Takeaways

1. Xbox is shifting focus to multiplatform gaming, aiming to connect with players across various platforms beyond consoles.
2. Recent layoffs affecting over 9,000 employees are acknowledged as part of business management challenges.
3. Former Xbox exclusives, including Grounded and Sea of Thieves, are now available on PlayStation, highlighting the multiplatform strategy.
4. Upcoming releases include Microsoft Flight Simulator 2025 and Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved.
5. Xbox’s shift to multiplatform gaming is linked to ambitious revenue targets, leading to layoffs, project cancellations, and increased Game Pass prices.

Xbox’s president of Game Content and Studios, Matt Booty, recently had a chat with The New York Times, discussing Microsoft’s growing push into multiplatform gaming. This comes right after the announcement that the Halo Studio’s remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, now titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, will be available on PlayStation 5.

Shifting Focus in Gaming

During the interview, Booty noted how players today are less tied to specific consoles or platforms compared to past generations, when gamers typically identified with Xbox, PlayStation, or PC. He emphasized, “We are all trying to connect with people where they are. Our main competition isn’t just other consoles… We are increasingly competing with everything from TikTok to movies.”

Challenges and Changes

When the subject of recent layoffs, which have affected over 9,000 employees, came up, Booty offered a concise reply, saying, “Layoffs are tough. It’s a part of managing our business.”

As Xbox continues its multiplatform strategy, former exclusives like Grounded and Sea of Thieves are now playable on PlayStation. In addition, other Xbox exclusives such as Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, Forza Horizon 5, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle have made their way to PlayStation 5 after previously launching on Xbox and PC.

What’s Next for Xbox?

Looking ahead, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2025 is set to release on December 8, 2025, along with the highly anticipated Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remake of the classic Halo game from 2001 using Unreal Engine.

The Halo franchise has been a significant driver for Xbox sales across four console generations, reportedly bringing in over $10 billion in revenue and selling more than 81 million units worldwide. Halo 3 remains the best-selling game in the series, with nearly 14.5 million copies sold on Xbox 360.

However, there are whispers that Xbox’s aggressive shift to multiplatform gaming is aimed at meeting its ambitious revenue targets. A prior Bloomberg report indicated that Microsoft asked its Xbox division for “30% accountability margins,” exceeding the industry average of 17% to 22%. These elevated revenue goals have reportedly contributed to the laying off of thousands of workers, the cancellation of many major projects across various studios, and increased prices for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Source:
Link