What you need to know
- Matt Booty, president of gaming content and studios at Microsoft Gaming, spoke to Variety in a new interview.
- Booty discussed a number of topics, including reactions to the recent Xbox Games Showcase, the closure of Tango Gameworks, and bringing Sea of Thieves to PlayStation 5.
- On this last point, Booty says, “We’re very pleased,” while noting that games are still judged on a case-by-case basis.
A new interview provides some more insight into the Xbox business.
Matt Booty, president of gaming content and studios at Microsoft Gaming, spoke with Variety on Thursday for the “Strictly Business” podcast. Booty covered a wide range of topics, including reactions to the recent Xbox Games Showcase, bringing some Xbox games to PlayStation 5, and the closure of some studios.
“We’re starting to get to the rhythm that we’ve always strived for, and that’s really our commitment to our players, to be able to deliver a much more stable cadence of games at a more predictable rhythm,” Booty said, noting that The Comments from fans and press at the showcase were extremely positive, with praise for the number and variety of first-party games being shown and planned for the coming years.
During the showcase, first-party titles DOOM: The Dark Ages, Fable and South of Midnight were all scheduled for 2025, while Gears of War: E-Day, Perfect Dark and State of Decay 3 were not given a release year at all. . According to Booty, this is because we want to find the exact right time to launch a game, while making sure it doesn’t conflict with another first or third party title, called Grand Theft Auto 6 as a game that the entire industry wants. to avoid.
“We certainly want to make sure that every game is given space and a chance to shine and that we don’t end up overshadowing one game by launching it too close to another,” Booty explains, adding that portfolio planning revolves around guaranteeing the teams don’t conflict with other companies’ titles, but also “so we don’t get in our way.”
Booty also notes that there is interest among teams at various studios in sharing ideas and technology, and some early discussions are taking place as Microsoft figures out what facilitating that looks like.
Will Microsoft pursue games and TV or movie synergy, like with Fallout?
When asked about gaming synergy with other media like TV and movies, such as the recent Fallout revival that is largely due to the success of the Fallout Prime show, Booty praises the series but notes that Microsoft is not explicitly trying to kind of games to make. success happens by forcing it.
Booty points out the vastly different production schedules of games, movies, and TV shows, noting that syncing those years in advance can be extremely difficult and risky, and that it’s better to simply produce that kind of “linear media” and let it benefit an existing franchise.
Why did Microsoft close Bethesda studios like Tango Gameworks?
Earlier this year, the shocking news broke that Microsoft would be closing Bethesda’s Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks. The latter in particular came as a shock, as now-shuttered Japanese developer Hi-Fi Rush had released in 2023 to critical acclaim.
“These decisions are never made lightly, they are never made quickly, and there are a lot of people, processes and oversight in place to ensure that we make a good decision,” Booty said when asked about the closures, adding that he didn’t. won’t share “important” details, but mentions that Microsoft looks at studio leadership and whether teams are set up for success in the future, not just whether they have been successful in the past.
Booty also points out that Microsoft has in the past been open to allowing teams to go independent when it’s clear things aren’t a good fit, including most recently with former Activision subsidiary Toys for Bob , which is now an independent studio, although the team’s first studio game is a project published by Xbox.
Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5 and future Xbox exclusives
In 2024, Microsoft brought four Xbox console exclusives to other consoles. As for all games, Booty notes that Microsoft’s main focus and success is Sea of Thieves, a shared world pirate adventure developed by Rare.
“We’re very pleased,” said Booty, noting that when Sea of Thieves launched on PlayStation 5, the teams also saw an increase in Xbox and PC player engagement, while also sharing that a large number of PlayStation players enjoyed the game in cross play. This success continues to grow the franchise overall per Booty, allowing the Rare and Xbox teams to continue investing in the game.
When asked what this means for future Xbox exclusives, Booty reiterates that the teams are evaluating games released on other consoles “on a case-by-case basis,” adding that Xbox players can absolutely continue to expect many games to release as exclusives, and that the “Xbox promise” of all Xbox first-party games coming to Xbox Game Pass will remain true.
Analysis: An interesting insight
This was a very good interview to listen to, and I think Booty’s answers generally make a lot of sense. I’m especially glad that Microsoft doesn’t see the success of the Fallout TV series (which has been renewed for a second season) and immediately chase that success elsewhere or try to force some kind of synergy.
I’m also happy to hear that teams at Xbox are interested in sharing technology and ideas. While that’s already happening within individual publishers, sharing it across divisions can lead to wild things. If an Xbox Game Studios or Activision team wants to use id Tech or Creation Kit, what would that look like?
While I know hearing “case by case” doesn’t make hardcore Xbox fans happy, I continue to see the logic behind carefully evaluating each title. The next DOOM will be multiplatform at launch, and I certainly think that makes a lot of sense, just like Sea of Thieves. On the other hand, it also makes sense that games like Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark are aimed at Xbox hardware and PC.
However, the continued non-answers regarding Tango Gameworks’ closure continue to leave a sour taste in my mouth. I’m fully aware that teams change over time, but with a ridiculously successful parent company and a profitable business, Microsoft could have easily afforded to take a minuscule hit by having those teams built or rebuilt , so they would be positioned for success in the future. future.