Xbox's Phil Spencer Says Console Wars 'Don't Help The Industry Grow'

Aslong as both sony and Microsoft are buying third party devs and timed exclusives then there will always be console wars, especially with those that can't afford all three major consoles so they stay loyal to one whilst abusing the rest.

But I will say something about this comment he made "I’d say for us, it’s not about somebody else getting smaller so that we get bigger"

I'm sorry but buying third party developers especially the size and well diverse like Bethesda is definitely making other consoles offerings smaller and yours bigger.

I don't care what anyone says, Microsoft, Sony and nintendo buy devs and timed exclusives to hurt the competition and make themselves bigger, anyone who believes otherwise are in denial

@UltimateOtaku91 If they didnt, then Sony would have. Making Xbox smaller. Making the availability of the games shrink. It doesn't take an expert to understand his point on this, and unless you're looking at it with a bias pair of goggles, you should be able to fully comprehend the notion of business.
You'd be fine with Sony having times exclusives but as result it would shrink Xbox ecosystem which in turn would limit the work Xbox is trying to do, and that is making more games.more accessible. Like PC, and cloud. This is whining considered you tedious

God has spoken!
Love this dude!

@FriendlyOctopus I don't care if sony have timed exclusives, or if xbox buy devs or Nintendo buys devs as I game across all 3 now, I'm just saying Phil is a bit hypocritical as the whole reason Microsoft bought Bethesda was to weaken the competition whilst making xbox stronger yet he keeps banging on about not caring about consoles wars and doesn't like locking people out of games they like. At the end of the day he's a businessman who's task is to bring as much money to xbox as possible, he doesn't care about the players who only game on nintendo or the ones who only play on playstation, but always makes out like he does.

In general I don't mind the guy, he's the best thing that's ever happened to xbox and has made xbox into the force it is today and turned them around massively after last gen, but just wish he would stop with all this good guy lies to make the competition look bad

@UltimateOtaku91 You are correct. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.

@UltimateOtaku91 He brought bethesda but someone else was always going to. When developers stop letting themselves get brought then console wars will stop. He can't very well just hope that happens.

@Alduin it will happen one day when all three make individual gamepass style services thats available via cloud on Phones, PC's, Tablets and TV's, infact you wouldn't even need a console anymore, just a smart TV with all three cloud apps installed

Well this comment section is off to a roaring start.

@UltimateOtaku91 Phil wants to bring gamepass to Sony Playstation, he said it on more then one occasion. Sony doesn't want it.

Phil wants to compete by who offers the better service; Xbox Live, PSPlus, or Nintendo online. He has said this on more then one occasion.

Phil even said he would love to see Nintendo pass and Sony pass on xbox, and game pass on others

I have yet to see where Phil has lied.

Why aren't you guys complaining about Sony buying studios?

Nintendo is/was the closest at playing together.

Wanna get mad, get mad at Sony

@FriendlyOctopus
Your username should be HostileOctopus. Enjoy the ban hammer.

@Deshalu I'm not complaining about Microsoft buying studios they can buy who they want I still get to play them, my main comment was aimed about Phil, I've never read about him saying he wants ps now on xbox, how would they benefit from that and how would playstation benefit from having gamepass

@UltimateOtaku91 more subscribers equals more money

@Deshalu
Because Sony doesn't buy any big name studios just to ***** up the competition. Most of Sony acquisitions consists of small or medium studios, last "big" one was Insomniac.

All in all, Phil is just being the hypocrite he always was, nothing new here.

@UltimateOtaku91 Bethesda games help make microsoft subscription more appealing

@Deshalu but if ps now is on xbox then it would be playstation that gets more subscribers. As you would need a playstation account to use ps now and the money would still go to sony.

@UltimateOtaku91 The amount of strawmans being created against you here is amusing.

@UltimateOtaku91 Yeah and Sony people would need an Xbox account. Thats why Phil said who the better service.

How do you guys not see the money in this?

Console warriors are the worst thing about the industry, they are a minority but very vocal. Phil's comments are about making more games to reach more people. Buying studios to make more games ain't wrong, and he's willing to put the service everywhere. It's driving Sony to up their offerings which "should" benefit Sony gamers. What doesn't help the industry is spending a lot of money on keeping games away from others like timed exclusives vs spending that on making a new game. Do Phil and Xbox want more cash...yes. But they want the global gaming industry to get bigger so that everyone can grow cuz competition is key. Microsoft knows how to not be a monopoly and the benefits of not being one.

@FatalBubbles I'm used to it by now, literally read my comments on this site and majority are fine but as soon as I say one slight bad thing about xbox or Phil I get lunged on, and apparently I'm the fan boy 😑

But I'm not going to stop posting on here as I'm also an xbox gamer I like this site the most for xbox news and same with pushsqaure and nintnedolife for their consoles news and I'm not going to stop saying what I think, I wish people actually got into debates more instead of just attacking me.

@FraserG this is the internet.... there is NO room for logic here!!!! Charge!!!!!!!! Lol.

By chance is your ban hammer a grav hammer?

@UltimateOtaku91 If gamepass, Playstation Now, and Nintendo's thing was on everything, its a win win for all three companies (subscribers).

@UltimateOtaku91 That’s because of…console wars. Ironic isn’t it?

@Deshalu I agree it would be beneficial for us players if all three was available on one system but there must be a loophole somewhere otherwise it would of been done by now

@UltimateOtaku91
There is a difference between competition and wars. Competition is companies competing for a share of the pie. Wars are about defeating another company and chasing them out of a market.

I would say were in competition now, and the wars are long over. All three are well established in consoles and they no longer question whether the others should exist.

I think what is happening with third parties being bought is a natural evolution. You look at any market and there are a lot of entries in the early years, and as the market evolves and matures you start to see consolidation. That is the era we are entering now.

@UltimateOtaku91
Benefical for players does not mean it is benefical for companies, especially when they already invested tons of millions on R&D for new hardware, network, etc.

Phil pushing xCloud just means he wants to cut down some costs, maybe on the hardware side of things. As for Sony and Nintendo, it is not benefical for them in any way, they already make profit from hardware, services and software sales, accepting xCloud/Gamepass/Whatever just means they'll share profits, not increase them.

@UltimateOtaku91
Don't worry mate. As much as I like Phil, I agree with you. This is just smoke and mirrors on his part. Sounds great, but actions speak louder than words. All major players (MS, Sony and Nintendo) try to one up the competition and I like it that way. It's the fanboys who make this ridiculous by taking sides while this is just business.

@UltimateOtaku91 The loophole is Sony doesn't see the profit, because of PS Now. Jim Ryan doesn't realize you need more fresh games, day one, hard downloadable games, and third party companies.

Phil see this thats why xbox is rolling in the dough. 28-30 million subscribers x $15 some are doing deals and paying less × 12 months is $5,400,000,000.00

@gollumb82 thank you and I agree, thing is them competing with each other also benefits us gamers as their services and offerings are always improving to better the competition meaning better bang for buck for us gamers

@UltimateOtaku91 if you agree that you like competition, then why bring up the word acquisition and Bethesda?

@Deshalu like I said before my comment was about how Phil is an hypocrit and I used bethesda as an example, phil makes it sound like Microsoft aren't competing, but they are

@UltimateOtaku91 Buyouts happen to get consumers into the ecosystem, in the recent case of Zenimax. Microsoft needed games to get people in the door and the amount of studios acquired can do just that.

As much as I see your statement and in someway agree with you that it's business and they all do it. I'd like you to look at it from Xboxs plans. Phil says he's not interested in console wars and by that he has always meant hardware. You do not need to own an Xbox to play any MS first party game going forward, a phone, tablet or PC can get you in to a game. No longer can any studio under the Xbox banner create a game solely for a console and that to me is a big win for the gaming community as a whole.

So yes the buyouts are just business but I also believe Xbox are trying to get "their" games to more people/households without the need for the console itself. Hence "Not interested in console wars", he is just trying to grow Xbox as a brand, specifically GP

Also to the point of subscriptions if Sony wanted PS Now on Xbox Phil would literally say "Yes, if you take GP" but, Sony like the closed ecosystem, it is what has made them so successful to this point.

@SacredPYRO Thank You

It’s no different to football, American football etc wars. It’s all to do with tribal mentality, normally found more in the male of the human species.
It will be forever with us in many areas of life.

Lets be honest here even If they had subs from each camp on each console there would still b arguments over which has the better hardware blah blah , I personally think Sony are being silly with not letting game pass on Thier system, is just nuts they allow ea isn't that also a gaming company too ? maybe they are waiting to see how popular Thier tier system is ,I don't know

the end of the day its games that drive ppl to a console if they not already in a certain camp , take game pass for example ,theres a lot of ppl that have never owned a Xbox but got one now because of the great value and day one games that are put out there which is gd for Xbox ...and us as consumers

i dont mind crossplay between consoles but keep those cheating pc Mofos out of my consoles games....not every pc player cheats but lets be honest the cheats are more prevelent on pc and i have seen ***** in both COD and BF5 from pc cheaters like headshotting from over 500m away while drropping from a plane.

When I was a child I cared about console wars, then I grew up. Now I just play what I can where I can. Sure I'll always have preferences. I generally play on Playstation the most but I still enjoy Xbox games now through my PC. It's been a while since I fired it up but I dabble with my Switch as well when something strikes my fancy there too.

It just doesn't matter folks. They're just games. Enjoy them!😁

@GunValkyrie it does confuse me sometimes how they can allow Banjo in smash, Banjo on N64 expansion Pak, Ori (and the Minecraft games but that’s a bit different) on Switch and ask for nothing in return (except a cut of the revenue of course)… does seem like a fairly one-sides relationship sometimes!

Too many people to reply to seperately but I kinda agree with most of the replies, I do however believe that competition and console wars go hand in hand, there can be no console wars if there's no competition and if you're competing then you can be sure their will be console wars, even with Phil he has recently made comments which were clearly digs at its competitors and same with xbox's twitter account, there's no escaping it.

I do agree that with gamepass xbox is trying to get it to as many people as possible by putting it on PC, android, TV's and xbox consoles so yes there's more ways to play it, but in terms of the console space then Microsoft do see playstation/Nintendo as competition and have been buying devs to take away from them to bolster their own appeal.

Otherwise Microsoft would become a developer and allow its games to go onto playstation/Nintendo consoles digitally and physically without gamepass.

Who knows, in 10-20 years time Microsoft might give up hardware (which I believe sony care about more) and concentrate solely on gamepass via cloud and/or become a developer

@UltimateOtaku91 I don’t think that makes console wars though. Sega/Nintendo had a massive console wars; exclusives weren’t why. Don’t get me wrong exclusivity is bad for the consumers. And I don’t think you are blaming anyone. I don’t disagree. But…

It’s more than just who gets what game. Look at how people fight over sales? Most people don’t how many cars Subaru sells over Land Rover. However, I think because video games and consoles get associated with sports teams and then with winning and losing. There doesn’t need to be a losers or a better. The reality is the only real losers if one of the big three steps out; is US. And we only get better with competition.

But sadly people can seem to see it that way. Not necessarily the people on boards like these that have moderators and aren’t too big. But places like Twitter. People are rude even without fandoms

Part of the reason why I find the Xbox community so appealing these days is the lack of fanboyism. At Sony and to a lesser extent Nintendo, it feels like the communities are always dominated by fanboys or hardcore gamers. At Xbox it seems like a lot more people are simple here because they enjoy video games and want to have fun. It's honestly kind of refreshing to see people having that sort of approach, where nobody is really trying to act as gatekeepers enforcing the type of games they like upon others or simply always trying to steer discussions around their preferences/biases.

I think the whole culture that Gamepass has attracted has a lot to do with that. The whole nature of it revolves around simply trying new things out and giving anything a go because it's all free and accessible to anyone with a subscription. There is no need to be getting all elitist about the games you're playing, as arguments about what's "the best" seem to go away when anybody can just download whatever and try it out for themselves. There is no sunken cost fallacy at play, if you don't enjoy a game or it simply doesn't click with you, there is no need to try to find ways to defend it, just delete it and move on with your life. This whole approach makes people a lot more honest about video games.

@UltimateOtaku91 "Otherwise Microsoft would become a developer and allow its games to go onto playstation/Nintendo consoles digitally and physically without gamepass."

So the goal is to open up the closed platforms. MS opened up their windows app store for other storefronts, and Epic is going in hard to Apple to try to open up iPhones. MS might always provide hardware, in the same way they provide Windows hardware, but the platform and the hardware won't be tied together.

The key here is understanding how MS see their platform vs how Nintendo and Sony see their platform. Sony and N continue to see a platform and their hardware as one in the same, two sides of the same coin. MS see their platform as the Xbox Network. Which, like Windows, can be delivered across a range of hardware.

So rather than go the way of Sega, where they stop being a platform holder, and only be a developer and publisher, MS will continue to be a platform holder. Only, they are pushing to be able to provide that platform across as many different devices as possible.

MS do not see Sony or N as competition in a 1-1 sense, because they see Sony and N as potential business partners who can provide them business. Not unlike how Sony provides MS with business by paying for their servers for PS.

It's a vastly different to the console war that was engaged in in previous gens, where the console that sells the most becomes the dominate platform and makes the most money at the expense of the other.

I don't think buying Bethesda was done to hurt anyone, it was done to make Xbox more enticing for partnership.

To be clear i'm fine with exclusives and i don't care that Elder Scrolls and such is now Xbox/PC only but end of the day if Phil actually meant this then Elder Scrolls 6 would be on PS5 as would Hellblade 2 and so on. He's buying up studios at a big rate and he swallowed one Corp whole just to nap its games and make them Xbox/PC only, again i don't have a issue with that i get it and i own an Xbox so it doesn't even impact me but he's being such a hypocrite here, he never practices what he preaches and just comes across as a more "human" PR machine what the likes of EA and co love to rely on.

@JayJ Its funny since getting my Series S this year and going to sites like this i find this site the most fanboyish out this site, PQ and NL, look at this article someone has been banned due to not like someone being negative about Phil. End of the day though all sides have fanboys, personally i find the Xbox fanboys the worst from what i've seen and experienced but then PS fanboys love acting all high and mighty and Nintendo fanboys feel like those small dogs always barking at the big dogs. All sides are bad for fanboys.

Sort of missing a key part of that conversation where he says..

"“I don’t want to be in a fight over format wars with those guys (Sony and Nintendo) while Amazon and Google are focusing on how to get gaming to 7 billion people around the world. Ultimately, that’s the goal.”"

I started with GameCube, went to Xbox 360, didn't like the ps3 so went to Xbox One then went PS4 Pro and PS5 but never stopped liking Xbox so bought a Series X last week too. Whats the point in fanboyism, I prefer to be able to play everything I want regardless of if they only come out on a specific system. I work and earn my money I can afford both or even all 3 systems. So why not.

You don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games so I would say they are opening up gaming to more people but only those with a good internet connections.

@WallyWest If it’s the person I think you are talking about. They were’t banned because negativity towards Phil but other users.

Phil rather spend 7,5 billion o dollars. Thats more effective

@UltimateOtaku91 Yeah this guy just repeats what he thinks people want to hear hardcore Xbox fans seem to see him as the Messiah or something

TL;DR. Saw Phil talking about pie. I like pie.

The concept of exclusives is about competing head to head with competitors. That can't be removed. No platform should have exclusives if it's about selling platforms. I'd like that result, honestly, but as long as Mario's not on Playstation and Kratos isn't on Xbox, and Chief isn't on Playstation and Aloy isn't on Switch, we have console wars. No way around it. And all the companies are naturally trying to lure the market to themselves instead of the competition. It's kind of a silly statement.

Truthfully, I think MS COULD sell their platform on the strength of the platform instead of exclusives. But then Apple could best them easily.

@Arcnail Yeah, that's a point I was going to add, his statement rings more as an echo of an old statement he made about not seeing PS and Nintendo as the competition, but Apple and Google. I think what he's really saying here in a round about way is that cloud is really the primary focus for growth. I think from MS's standpoint, native hardware is a halo product (pun intended), not the main focus.

@WallyWest Sounds like you haven't been around the Sony fanbase that often. Most people seem to agree that they're notably more aggressive than other fanbases. It's not like I am trying to hate on anyone here, it's just that, in my experience, it's usually the Sony fans who are quick to attack everything else and dig into their biases. I'm sure you got bad fans all over, but there is definitely a culture over there that inspires it.

It's also kinda hard for me to take you seriously as someone who is unbiased when you launch into attacking Microsoft for making their studio's games exclusive to their platforms.

@JayJ "To be clear i'm fine with exclusives and i don't care that Elder Scrolls and such is now Xbox/PC only but end of the day if Phil actually meant this then Elder Scrolls 6 would be on PS5 as would Hellblade 2 and so on."

Yeah i'm really "attacking" MS there for exclusives, on wait i'm not and said i'm fine with exclusives and don't care the likes of ES is on Xbox/PC only now. My issue is with Phil being a hypocrite, he says one thing but his actions say another.

@WallyWest It's just funny how you are so concerned about them being on PS5, and how you don't hold Sony to the same criticism.

That's a very nuanced way to say, 'We bought Bethesda'.

You can be confident, without being cocky. Just like you can be competitive, without participating in the console war nonsense.

@UltimateOtaku91 That seems to be the going theme sadly. Hot on the heels of "games need to be preserved!" released a flagship title that literally cannot be played without internet connection because it isn't all on the disc.

I do agree he's been the best thing for Xbox in a long time. But when the previous heads were people like Balmer and Mattrick, it doesn't take much to be better.

@JayJ Can you read? I don't give a sh*t if Xbox games aren't on PS5, makes no difference to me at all because i can just play them on my Xbox. What i'm saying is if Phil really believed the stuff he was saying then his 1st party games would be on PS as well, he's a hypocrite because again he says one thing but does another.

You know you are doing the very thing i said i've noticed on here in that Xbox fanboys are incapable of accepting anything negative about Xbox. You are ignoring what i'm saying, accusing me of stuff i've never said and seem salty i'm being negative about Phil.

It's not that Xbox is better, but some of the Sony and Nintendo fanboys can be really zealous and annoying - so it's funny to see them getting trolled sometimes.

thats what im talking about

DEATH TO SONY!!!!!!

AND BURN NINTENDO ALIVE!!!!!!

If you look at MS right now, They have NOT invested in Studio's, like Bethesda, Oblivion, Ninja Theory etc to keep them off of Sony's platform. They were purchased to make Xbox Game Pass a much more appealing service and ensure that everyone with compatible hardware can access these games.

If Sony/Nintendo want these games too, then allow Game Pass. If you are a Sony/Nintendo fanboy and 'refuse' to buy an Xbox console, you still have the option of PC/Mobile - you can even use your preferred controller too. These games are coming to PC/Console/Mobile and you don't have to own a MS built console specifically to play.

When Sony buys a Studio, its locked to 'just' the Playstation meaning that you have to buy a PS Console. Maybe in a few years it will come to PC after they have sold as many as they can on Console, getting that extra $10 from their Loyal fanbase who bought their latest hardware...

OK, so you may not be able to play on your preferred platform anymore, but when you think about ALL the Gamers in the world, virtually everyone has a PC or Mobile. So if MS buys a Studio - every gamer has the Hardware already to play.

I own both a PS5 and Series X, owned every Xbox and Playstation and this is the 'first' generation where 'Xbox Consoles' are NOT in Competition with Playstation in any way. Sony want you to buy their PS5 and so their games will be locked to PS only. With Microsoft, you don't need a console at all, don't even need the 'latest' generation either as Streaming is now available on last gen to play games the hardware can't run. MS have been in discussion with TV manufacturers too so that maybe won't even need a console - just connect a controller and stream games.

That's why they are NOT in competition anymore. MS are buying Studio's to ensure that they can offer the widest variety of appealing games on whatever devices you 'own'. OK so playing on a mobile may not compare to playing locally on a PS5 for example but you have that choice and probably have a PC too.

MS bought those studio's to entice people to subscribe to Game Pass on whatever devices they already have. If they then end up buying an MS console, great, if not - no probs - enjoy the games on the Hardware you have. They are 'not' forcing you to buy a Series S/X to play Flight Sim, Starfield, Redfall, Halo, Forza Horizon 5 etc but want to play Wolverine, God of War 2, Horizon:Forbidden West etc - you need a Playstation (or wait a few years and they may come to PC eventually)

Zenimax wasn't bought to keep those games away from Sony specifically but to make Game Pass more appealing. They want 'big' games Day and Date on Game Pass and know that virtually every gamer has a device in their house that has Game Pass on it. If Sony/Nintendo fanboys want to play, they probably have a device already to play these...

@Royalblues Are people incapable of reading? I don't care that Bethesda games are now Xbox/PC only what bothers me is Phil keeps saying he doesn't believe in something while he keeps on doing it, he can't say he doesn't believe in console wars when he bought Bethesda and made all its future games Xbox/PC only, yeah i get why and if i was him i would make them Xbox/PC only as well but i wouldn't go and contradict myself by saying i don't believe in exclusives and console wars after. Jim Ryan and Nintendo don't do interviews like this, you don't see Jim saying he doesn't believe in console wars and exclusives. Phil is a PR machine, he never stops being in PR mode even when he's clearly lying and being a hypocrite, he's liked because he's likeable and doesn't feel like a robot like others but he's still full of bullsh*t like all the others.

@UltimateOtaku91 I agree with everything you have said. But those superfans that Phil hates and says ruins the industry will attack you nonetheless.

Understood your comments completely. I think some are missing the point that the post wasn't about Sony or Nintendo it was about Phil and Xbox and how his comments are butting against Microsofts activity.

If Jim Ryan said this I would be saying the same thing here too. MS and Sony are always countering because that's what competition does. The hypocrisy is the pill that some people can't swallow. If they want to buy out studios to consolidate the industry go ahead just don't chat ***** about how you are not trying to eat someone else's slice pie when it's oozing out of your mouth.

I don't trust Phil or Jim. Even when they say the right things they are usually behind a forked tongue.

Just to add before any crucifies me too I love playing on my PS and Xbox. I've just finished ME2 on PS5 and Scarlett Nexus on my XSX on gamepass so don't paint me with your blue or green brushes!

@WallyWest apart from making the vaguest nonsensical statements you have ever seen he is also very good at contradicting himself. To give Phil credit he has done a lot for Xbox and boosted it to new heights and I think he's the right man for the job but he does talk a lot of *****.

@Alpha_Pulse Don't get me wrong i do like Phil and he turned Xbox around but i just wish he would drop the PR and give some actual substance in his comments.