In the past few years, we have repeatedly heard how consoles are about to die, but the former Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra not only thinks that this won’t be the case but also that those losing are pushing a narrative that fits them, taking a not-so-well hidden dig at Microsoft.
Speaking on X earlier today, the former Blizzard Entertainment president discussed Sony’s approach to exclusive games, saying that it is the correct strategy to follow if you plan to win in the living room. In this regard, Sony not only knows how to make hits but also how to pick them from others, and it is definitely paying off. If he were Sony, Ybarra continued, he would double down on this strategy because the blood in the water is all over the place.
As another X user highlighted, the narrative nowadays is that the living room is not the future and that consoles are dying. Mike Ybarra replied that, in his opinion, consoles will never die, and it’s those who are losing who are pushing a narrative that fits them. This is a not-so-subtle dig at Microsoft, whose strategy regarding its consoles and exclusives has been all over the place lately, creating much uncertainty.
Just as Mike Ybarra said, Sony has always been capable of producing exclusive hits themselves while also securing titles from other developers. Just this year, games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin, and Stellar Blade have been released on PlayStation 5, making the console the one to own to play some of the best titles launched in the past few years. Microsoft’s strategy, on the other hand, seems to have almost completely disregarded console exclusivity, releasing multiple former exclusives on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. One of the most anticipated games launching on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will only be a Microsoft exclusive for a few months, as the game will launch on Sony’s console sometime in Spring 2025. With a new console generation not too far off in the future, it will be very interesting to see Microsoft’s approach and if the company will continue to push the narrative that the time of consoles is coming to an end.
