One former PlayStation executive thinks Microsoft can follow in Sega’s multiplatform footsteps, even if it’s “harder to create the FOMO” from not owning an Xbox
Former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios Shawn Layden says he thinks Microsoft has the potential to pull off a similar multiplatform strategy that Sega has.
It’s been increasingly obvious over the past year that Microsoft has massively deprioritised the hardware side of Xbox compared to the publishing side – games like Hi-Fi Rush and Forza Horizon 5 coming to PlayStation are big signs that Xbox will just be fully multiplatform in the future, and Xbox head Phil Spencer has said on multiple occasions that there are no “red lines” over any game releasing on Nintendo or PlayStation (hell, even Halo might come to the Switch 2). And in a recent interview with Kiwi Talkz, former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has said he thinks Microsoft can pull off this multiplatform approach, even if it’ll make things on the hardware side harder.
“Multiplatform is a strategy, particularly in a world where the cost of development is increasing so dramatically,” Layden responded when asked about Microsoft’s current tactics. “What does it do to their brand? It makes the conversation harder to create the FOMO [fear of missing out] you’re trying to do that by bringing everyone to your platform by saying, ‘if you’re not here you’re missing out,’ but if it’s available on all platforms, that’s one of your marketing tactics you can’t use.”
Layden went on to compare what Microsoft is doing now to what Sega previously did, a console manufacturer that completely switched to just developing software. “I was in the business when Sega brought their Dreamcast titles to PS2, in time then Sega became a software-only company, and have had a great transformation in that sense,” Layden said. “So it does have historical precedence.”
We do know that Microsoft isn’t completely finished with Xbox as a brand, given its “This is an Xbox” campaign from last year, and it’s even working on a handheld a la Steam Deck and Switch, but we can probably continue to safely assume that we’ll be seeing more and more classic Xbox titles on its rival platforms.