Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has joined in on the ongoing public discourse surrounding console exclusivity. According to Satya Nadella, if the choice were his, he would eliminate any exclusives, even from Xbox.
The conversation surrounding exclusives is at an all-time high, thanks to the ongoing saga of Microsoft attempting to acquire Activision Blizzard. This business deal has resulted in Microsoft appearing in front of the United States Federal Trade Commission as the FTC tries to stop this deal.
During the court hearing, many of Xbox and Microsoft’s secrets came to light, including that Microsoft was considering purchasing Square Enix at one point to strengthen the Xbox division.
However, in the latest FTC hearing, Satya Nadella claimed he has no love for exclusives and stated that console exclusives would be a thing of the past if it were up to him. Still, unfortunately, it’s not for him to define.
Satya Nadella also said that Sony has defined market competition using exclusives, meaning Xbox has to follow suit. The exclusives argument is a tough one for Microsoft right now. As part of the FTC hearing, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan commented on Starfield’s Xbox exclusivity, describing it as anti-competitive.
Starfield is set to be one of the biggest releases of 2023, and it’s exclusive to Xbox. What do you think about this ongoing case? What are your thoughts on exclusivity? Let us know in the comments.