Microsoft, You’ve Lost Me

The most depressing part about Microsoft’s decision to close down the legendary Lionhead Studios and the promising Press Play Studios? This quote from Microsoft Europe’s Hanno Lemke:

“These changes are taking effect as Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play.”

Meaning more Gears, more Halo, more Forza and I guess that’s it. After Quantum Break fails to be the megahit that Microsoft apparently requires it to be Remedy will no doubt be cut loose. Where does this leave Rare with Sea of Thieves and their legacy of middling performance under Microsoft’s banner? What of the Phantom Dust sequel that was almost immediately put out of active development and the already delayed Scalebound?

Abandoning their in-house focus on creative and original games must also mean that they think the ID@Xbox program isn’t the loathsome cavalcade of totally overlooked or subpar releases that it is. This stuff is not picking up the slack for original, unique or inventive Xbox exclusives, guys.

Nearly from the beginning Microsoft has been pulling back on its promises for Xbox One and those cuts have finally made it to the software lineup. With these changes in mind there is almost nothing left that’s exclusive to Xbox for me. Quantum Break, Below and Crackdown are all that hold an inkling of excitement but once those are released (or cancelled) what will be left?

I really did want to love the Xbox like I did last generation but they’ve lost me.