Xbox tests console exclusivity for Fallout, Minecraft and other mega franchises

Microsoft sent Xbox Insiders a survey testing reaction to full console exclusivity. Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Diablo, PHYSINT and Minecraft were named in the scenario. Call of Duty was excluded because of its 10-year multiplatform contract tied to the Activision deal. The survey follows Xbox's reversal to make Gears of War: E-Day console-exclusive.

The survey asked how fans would react to full exclusivity for Xbox-developed games.
Minecraft's existing PlayStation and Nintendo versions would stop receiving new content under the scenario.
Respondents could pick an existing Xbox, a new Xbox purchase, PC, or skip the content.
Already-owned titles and PC releases stay unaffected in every scenario presented.

Microsoft currently sells Minecraft, Fallout, Diablo and Elder Scrolls titles across PlayStation and Nintendo.
Call of Duty stays multiplatform under a legally binding 10-year commitment from the Activision-Blizzard deal.
Walling off the remaining franchises would forfeit recurring software sales on two large installed bases.
Sharma has said Xbox needs exclusives to drive growth under its "reset."

Xbox already reversed course, making Gears of War: E-Day console-exclusive after Sharma's arrival.
That followed an earlier "everything is an Xbox" phase that ported Halo to PS5.
GameSpot notes Xbox Research surveys broadly and results do not always change market plans.
Sharma's tenure already includes layoffs, closures and admitting Game Pass "did not work."

Xbox aims for profitability by fiscal year 2027, Microsoft's stated deadline.

For Publishers & Developers: Pitch rival console holders for co-marketing on sandbox and open-world RPG titles that could fill first-party gaps.
For Investors & VC: Add Microsoft first-party porting revenue concentration to diligence on port and co-dev studios.
For Service Vendors: Redirect cross-console porting outreach from Microsoft studios toward third-party publishers targeting rival consoles.