I'm posting info I found interesting while making my link list last month. This article corresponds to Sony and Microsoft talking about going third party, and the GDC article I will be writing later this.
Phil Spencer says he wants Epic marketplace on the XBox.
XBox Exclusives and ports
Phil Spencer speculates about exclusives actually being needed anymore. He even wants Epic on Xbox
Some publishers and designers don't feel like making games for XBOX anymore. It's an attempt to create controversy.
Phil Spencer isn't looking that good in general though
Phil Spencer may be the one that destroys Xbox.
But it's not like the guy he replaced has any better opinions.
Peter Moore doesn't think consoles should be a thing anymore. He should know, he killed the Dreamcast and led XBox. At the moment he leads Unity. The guy who looks like Satan should totally be believed.
It's not like Sony is doing any better.
Sony does not rise to the victory expected
You can own a bobblehead of Jim Ryan, the boss at PlayStation
PS5 was the top seller in February, but that's after console sale shrinkage. Helldiver's 2 is the best selling game.
Meanwhile Nintendo is getting more games for the Switch. Even old Rare games are showing up on the console. In a Nintendo Direct they announced even more
_ND: Rare
Rare Software games are being released for the SNES, Nintendo, and N64 apps on Switch. I hope Donkey Kong 64, Goldeneye, and Perfect Dark get released soon. There were already a few games, but Microsoft is just giving up now.
There are 6 games made by Rare that aren't released for the Switch N64 app.
Another list of rare games released
In fact, the biggest complaint is that the Switch needs even more games.
33 games not on Switch
It does look like the console wars are going cold.
The console wars weren't entirely bad. Competition is good for any marketplace, and it was up to 1st and 2nd party developers to sell a generation. With direct assistance, their platform knowledge was usually excellent, and a lot of the technical innovation seen was as a result of them showcasing hardware.
Now that the quality of a game is measured in tranny flags and ESG ratings, this just isn't the case anymore. It'll be interesting to see how Stellar Blade goes. If it is successful, and Sony commits to using their 1st party studios to make games that people actually want to play, they might again be of some use. Microsoft will have to follow or fold.