Xbox head Phil Spencer and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty moderated a special panel discussion after the Xbox Games Showcase, with the latter outlining a target for a total of four titles per year. Game Rant was able to join this panel focused on what’s next for Xbox gaming.
With the Xbox Games Showcase, fans can get their own glimpse into that future. Several exciting first-party titles were showcased, such as Fable and Avowed, the latter of which received a 2024 release window along with another first-party title, Hellblade 2. Unfortunately, Fable didn’t get any release windows for its demo. New games like Compulsion’s Midnight South and Inxile’s A Clockwork Revolution were also showcased, laying the groundwork for Xbox’s future content pipeline.
According to Booty, the goal is for the channel to add four games a year. Not sure if that number includes Bethesda games, but if it does, it means three : have been released this year Redfall, Starfield on September 6th, and Forza Motorsport on October 10th. As far as 2024 is concerned, Hellblade 2 and Avowed both received release windows today, accounting for half of that goal.
What fans have to remember, however, is that this is a goal and delays will always happen, but Xbox is working on a more frequent release schedule, putting all of its acquisitions to work. Each of the studios under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella is hard at work hoping they can develop some kind of routine in gaming.
Speaking of acquisitions, Phil Spencer also commented on Activision Blizzard’s ongoing acquisitions, fittingly in a Hexen shirt. Developed by Raven Software (now part of Activision Blizzard), Hexen is a classic magical FPS from the 90s. Regardless, Spencer reiterated his belief that Microsoft will find a solution for the Activision Blizzard acquisition, expanding the number of games Microsoft can reliably release each year.
Ultimate, Booty’s goals, and Microsoft’s acquisition are all good for the Xbox ecosystem. The number one complaint of the Xbox One era and early Xbox Series X era was the lack of proper first-party games. Microsoft is clearly working to change that, and while it may still be asking fans to be patient, it’s clear that this goal will be easier to achieve in the coming years if all goes according to plan.