Summary Microsoft drops cross-platform push; Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are Xbox console exclusives.
The company says these are not timed exclusives; multiplatform games announced will remain multiplatform.
If you missed the stream, it's a good way to catch up on all the titles Microsoft showed off during the event.
However, Microsoft's two biggest bargaining chips, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, are marketed as exclusives.
These are not timed exclusives.
Summary Microsoft drops cross-platform push; Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are Xbox console exclusives.
The company says these are not timed exclusives; multiplatform games announced will remain multiplatform.
Microsoft returns to console-focused exclusives, signaling a shift back to closed-platform competition.
It hasn't even been a full year since Microsoft dominated PS5's charts with its cross-platform strategy, and the company has already done a 180. During Sunday's Xbox Game Showcase, the company announced that some of its biggest hitters will be Xbox exclusives, which begged the question: will Microsoft stick to its cross-platform plan and release the games for other platforms after a few years?
Now, Microsoft has confirmed that, no, it's actually dead serious about its return to exclusivity deals. The company has explicitly confirmed that its hottest titles announced during the showcase, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, are never coming to other consoles, even after the former was rumored to be coming to PS5.
Microsoft's new flagship titles "are not timed exclusives," says the company
The Redmond giant is returning to the classic formula for consoles
Credit: Xbox Game Studios
As spotted by Push Square, Microsoft published a blog post recapping everything it announced during the Showcase. If you missed the stream, it's a good way to catch up on all the titles Microsoft showed off during the event.
The majority of the games revealed were still rooted in Microsoft's old cross-platform mentality, and the trailers confirmed they would arrive on Steam and/or the PS5. However, Microsoft's two biggest bargaining chips, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, are marketed as exclusives.
Sometimes a title can be a "timed exclusive," meaning it stays on one platform for a set period before going cross-platform. Given how Microsoft expressed interest in bringing its games to as many devices as possible, the company might have been using this strategy here. However, within the blog post is this nugget of information:
As part of our focus on the return of Xbox we also announced that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will be Xbox console exclusives. These are not timed exclusives. Games already announced for multiplatform releases will stick to that plan – we’re committed to investing in and growing XBOX both on console and beyond.
So, there you have it. Microsoft's original plan to "make everything an Xbox" has since retreated to relying on exclusives to shift consoles. And with Sony also deciding to make some titles PlayStation only, ditching PC ports, it seems we're back to the world of walled gardens.
