‘Everyone deserves to play’: Xbox Boss’s comments on ‘Doom’ are heartbreaking

Have you ever said something and then realized it would come back to haunt you over and over again? Xbox head Phil Spencer may be spending his free time with his head in his hands after his latest statement about what’s coming next Death: The Dark Ages.

Taking this new statement in the context of other things Spencer has said and other business decisions has Microsoft calling into question the future direction of the entire Xbox platform.

“Doom is definitely one of those franchises that has a history on multiple platforms,” Spencer said. IGN After the Xbox presentation. “It’s a franchise that I think everyone deserves to play in.”

A franchise “everyone deserves to play”? What do you mean by that?

If you haven’t been up to speed on what’s happening in the gaming space, Microsoft has begun publishing some of its smaller games, like Hi-Fi Rush and Grounded, on non-Microsoft platforms like the Nintendo Switch and Sony’s PlayStation 5.

Common wisdom among video game industry executives, as well as gamers who have dedicated themselves to one platform, is that exclusives are good. It’s a necessity to explain to players why they should buy your game.

If Microsoft sells games on PlayStation and Switch, what’s the point of owning an Xbox in the first place? This is the question that many have asked in response to this decision made by Microsoft.

The first batch of games to make the jump were relatively small games, and those that achieved major success or benefited from cross-platform play. However, Doom: The Dark Ages will be one of Microsoft’s biggest games of 2025, and the company has announced, along with the bloody trailer, that the game will also be coming to the PlayStation 5.

“It’s a franchise that I think everyone deserves to play in.”

Microsoft has several franchises under its control, thanks to a series of high-profile acquisitions in recent years. Doom, Wolfenstein, Halo, Forza, Gears of War, Call of dutyBoth the Fallout series and the Elder Scrolls series are massive successes that Microsoft now controls. We do not think it is difficult to see the next logical step suggested by Spencer’s words.

What franchises don’t everyone deserve to play? Yes Manuscripts of the Sixth Sheikh It’s not coming to PlayStation 5 (or PlayStation 6?), is it because it’s a franchise not everyone deserves to play?

Spencer’s words were meant to make Microsoft look like the generous good guy while avoiding — hopefully — upsetting Xbox fans. However, what truly It is a value judgement. Worse still, players could apply it to every game Microsoft releases in the future, at least as long as Spencer is in charge of the Xbox brand (if not longer).

Or maybe it’s not a value judgement. Maybe it’s an early step. Xbox doesn’t want to position any of its franchises above others, at least not in an obvious way that suggests some aren’t worth playing.

Spencer’s motto with Xbox gaming in recent years has been that “when everyone plays, we all win.” They even have it Complete web page Dedicated to that idea.

So, if Microsoft doesn’t want to diminish its privileges and you like the idea of ​​it everyone Play your games, what does this mean for the Xbox brand? Although we don’t know what Microsoft’s plans are for the future, this seems to indicate that the Xbox brand will eventually become a common platform for all of its major titles.

Spencer has been a positive figure for Xbox fans since taking office, working hard for years to regain the trust Microsoft lost with the ill-conceived Xbox One and its TV-centric features. He usually offers realistic and balanced thoughts about the industry, indicating that he is more interested in getting as many people playing as many games as possible.

This is one of the few times that Spencer appears to have stepped into a puddle. Players don’t forget, not if they can use your words against you later. Now, as Microsoft attempts to bring about a potentially transformative change in how it views Xbox, we await news of which games everyone deserves to play… and which ones don’t.

Edited by Andrew Hayward