MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Microsoft has confirmed that its Xbox Play Anywhere program will apply to all future titles it publishes.
Xbox Play Anywhere was unveiled at E3. Although the exact terms vary by title, in general XPA games will be available on both Xbox and PC and boast cloud-based achievements and game saves that are consistent across both versions. A digital purchase on either platform also includes access to both releases.
The platform holder has now for the first time confirmed that all future Microsoft Game Studios titles will support XPA – which, of course, will mean a PC release for Halo 6, whenever that game should eventually emerge.
This is quite significant. We’ve already seen big tent pole Xbox brands such as Gears of War and Forza make the leap to PC, but for Halo – which has always been THE biggest Xbox exclusive – to do the same really is a signifier that Microsoft now prioritises software sales over promoting its Xbox hardware brand.
As Xbox operations boss Dave McCarthy told MCV last month: We’re committed to making sure we are offering the experiences gamers want on the devices they want.”
Microsoft has also said that it is unifying the Windows and Xbox stores, with quicker access to full games, DLC, add-ons, pre-orders and Xbox Live subscriptions. Cortana support will also be central to the offer.
Xbox One is also getting ‘Language Region Independence’, which basically means that its home region and language can be set independently. His update will come pre-installed on the Xbox One S.
