Xbox would stop making consoles if they had the choice says former VP

Former Xbox executive Peter Moore was interviewed on Gamer Tag Radio yesterday and had a lot to say about the infamous console wars, a trend that was perhaps at its peak during Moore’s time at Microsoft. Moore oversaw the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 consoles but has long-since left the company. The fires of the console wars have long fizzled, with Moore saying it has lost its “feistiness that the industry… fed and grew upon…” during his time.

The console wars have lost their “feistiness” that allowed them to grow in their early years

Long-time fans of Microsoft consoles have had a lot to worry about in recent months and years. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has openly talked about how Xbox lost the most important console generation, which was when users settled into their digital library, which is now carried through to new consoles. Xbox has a long list of great games that have been launched over the last few months and are gearing up to launch in the coming months, but many of those are not exclusive to the Xbox consoles, a strategy typically used to push fans to certain hardware so they can play the best games. The highly praised Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be coming to PlayStation 5, Forza Horizon 5 will also make the jump, and during the recent Xbox Developer Direct, fans couldn’t help but notice that only one of the featured five games will be exclusive.

Console sales are generally on the decline, but one area that Xbox has been able to increase its players is on PC. Game Pass continues to be a driving force for the company, and with some great AAA games set to arrive on the service in the coming months, supplemented by some great smaller indie titles, it could keep growing. Spencer has talked about Xbox’s intent to continue to push games to other platforms, such as their intent to support the Nintendo Switch 2 when that launches later this year.

In the interview with Moore, the former executive also talked about why it would make sense for the console maker to get out of the hardware business, if they could. “If they had the choice, would they make hardware? No. Would they be delighted if they could be a multi-hundred-billion dollar entity delivering content directly to your television, to whatever monitor you choose to play on? You bet.” Xbox has long been an investor in cloud gaming. While Moore is no longer working with the company, from his experience, it sounds like this is the kind of thing that Xbox would continue to pursue. Give people the opportunity to connect a controller directly to the TV and access their library of games or their Game Pass subscription. As Moore puts it: “…jump in right now, no latency, no lag, you’re in… there doesn’t need to be a box between you and your controller and your TV set.” Although in the same moment of the interview, Moore still admits that “people love their hardware.”

In recent months, Xbox has become the largest video game publisher in the world. They are still finding success with games, just not in the same ways they did years ago. Xbox could be putting themselves in a great position for the next generation, releasing a wave of exciting games and encouraging players to sign up for their services. I still think if Xbox plays their cards right over the next five years, they could put themselves in a dominant position. Video games are becoming less and less centered around the console. The success of handheld devices like the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck shows that there is a huge audience for people who prefer mobility and flexibility with their gaming. If Xbox is able to deliver not only with the ease of access, but also the library of incredible games, all at a low monthly cost through Game Pass, they could find themselves one step ahead of the competition.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

December 9, 2024

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• Xbox
• hardware
• Indiana Jones (franchise)
• Console wars