The console wars have been around since the ’90s and the big ones today are definitely Microsoft and Sony with their Xbox and PlayStation brands respectively. They typically stay pretty quiet about their competitor for the most part, while instead focusing on their own console, but Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has made bold statement at Gamescom about Sony.
GameSpot spoke with Phil Spencer at Gamescom, where Microsoft showed a strong push towards first-party exclusives. They have been putting out very strong first-party titles and that is the focus, but Spencer called out Sony in the process when talking about third-party exclusives.
Spencer was asked about how Sony is continuing to lock down third-party deals and how difficult that makes his job. His response was definitely an interesting one.
“So, they don’t “gobble” the deals up. They buy them. You know, I read the same things you do, and I know some people think it’s somehow less expensive to sign third-party exclusives if you have a bigger market-share. I can tell you, it has nothing to do with market share.”
While Xbox had the timed exclusive DLC for Call of Duty games for years, that has changed to Sony this year, coming at very likely a giant payday to Activision from Sony. The belief by many has been that many companies are jumping ship to having exclusive content or games period for Sony platforms because it is selling better, but Spencer has dismissed that thought completely.
Instead, he believes that they are buying these deals by spending lots of money, which can be seen with exclusive deals like with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Destiny, Batman: Arkham Knight, and especially Street Fighter V.
It’s not like Microsoft hasn’t gone out and spent a ton of money, as they did to secure the first year console rights for the multi-platform Rise of the Tomb Raider, so it is interesting to see Spencer make a comment like this. However, at the same time, Sony is doing it at a much more rapid rate than Microsoft.
