New Xbox One Exclusive Deals Signed, But Not Ready To Show


Microsoft’s Xbox One was one of the most talked about showpieces at E3 2017, but some of that discussion also involved its seeming lack of major console exclusives. With both Halo and Gears of War on hiatus for 2017, it is up to titles like Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, and State of Decay 2 to carry the AAA load. However, Microsoft says it has other games waiting in the wings to be announced for 2018 and beyond.

Call it the Scalebound effect. The Platinum Games title was announced with a CGI trailer very soon at E3 2014 after a deal was signed. Unfortunately, it suffered from a difficult and troubled development cycle that ultimately saw it canceled in January of this year. The team at Xbox learned their lesson and are holding back any new announcements until it is close to release or development is at a point everyone is confident.

“It’s a fine balance of how much do you show early,” Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg told Gamereactor in an interview published Friday. “I can tell you that there are a lot of other projects happening for Xbox, with a lot of big titles that we’re not talking about today.”

[Image by Rare/Microsoft]

Greenberg’s statement echoes earlier comments by Xbox head Phil Spencer who told Eurogamer the focus of E3 2017 was games Xbox One owners would be able to play in the next year. He also told the outlet he loved the fact he didn’t have to bring out Gears of War and Halo thanks to the 42 other games shown on stage.

Spencer also said the Xbox team has signed recent deals for games that aren’t ready to be shown yet. The Xbox boss did not want to put another trailer up for a game until he had “real sightlines into what they’re going to be able to deliver for our customers.”

So what does that leave for the future of exclusives for the Xbox One? There are Gigantic, Cuphead, Forza Motorsport 7, Crackdown 3, Super Lucky’s Tale as the 2017 exclusives. Then there is a bevy of timed exclusives (or console launch exclusives) like PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, Ashen, Hello Neighbor, Tacomo, and others.

[Image by Xbox]

Meanwhile, the first half of 2018 will see Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 partnered with indie timed exclusives like The Darwin Project and Battlerite.

Beyond that, the next mainline entry in Halo is expected, but not confirmed. There is also a hint of a first-party, open-world action adventure title.

Microsoft Head of Recruitment Sandor Roberts posted a job listing on his LinkedIn profile for a Lead Environment Artist for an “XXX Nextgen Title.” The listing stated the style of the game is similar to Horizon Zero: Dawn.

What do you want to see from Xbox exclusives? Sound off in the comments below.

[Featured Image by Microsoft]

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