Shawn Layden Urges Xbox to “Pick a Lane” on Exclusives
- Shawn Layden highlights Xbox’s lack of commitment to exclusive games amid falling console sales.
- Current CEO Asha Sharma is implementing significant corporate changes, including job cuts.
- Layden compares the situation to Sega’s Dreamcast, emphasizing the need for a focused strategy.
Former PlayStation head Shawn Layden has expressed his views on the current state of Xbox, asserting that the console maker needs to “pick a lane” regarding its exclusive games strategy. He noted that Xbox Series X/S sales have been declining this generation, with Microsoft frequently altering its approach to first-party titles.
Under Phil Spencer’s leadership, Microsoft transitioned from focusing on exclusive game releases for PC and Xbox to adopting a third-party publisher model. This shift has allowed games such as Starfield and Halo: Campaign Evolved to be available on the PlayStation 5.
In a discussion on The Expansion Pass podcast, Layden pointed to a fundamental issue: the lack of consistency in Xbox’s commitment to exclusives. He remarked, “If they picked a lane, they didn’t stay in it very long,” questioning whether Xbox intends to be a dedicated platform requiring exclusives or the world’s largest publisher following its acquisition of Activision and Blizzard. Layden emphasized the need for clarity, stating that success in both areas is unlikely.
Layden acknowledged that Asha Sharma, the current CEO of Xbox, appears to be attempting to “right the ship.” Since her appointment at the beginning of the year, she has initiated a corporate restructure leading to a projected 3,200 job losses. Additionally, she has engaged Hideo Kojima’s Physint and reacquired certain console exclusives like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.
Referring to Sega’s withdrawal from the console market and its subsequent shift to becoming a publisher, Layden described the situation as Xbox’s “Dreamcast moment,” underscoring the notion that a strategic pivot can be viable. “It can be done. It’s been done before. So, that’s my advice. Pick a lane,” he reiterated.
Amid all these changes, Sharma has dismissed rumors about Microsoft selling Xbox, asserting her intent to correct the course “whatever it takes.” Currently, the company appears focused on bolstering its major franchises, including the Elder Scrolls, Halo, Fallout, and Call of Duty. The development of the next-generation Project Helix also seems to be progressing as planned.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
