Microsoft acquisition of ZeniMax, Bethesda Softwork’s parent company, shocked the video game industry last month. But it seems the company won’t stop there. In an interview with Game Reactor, Xbox head Phil Spencer admits that they are looking to acquire more developers in an attempt to expand Game Pass and the overall Xbox IP. Especially in the E-rated or casual genres.
He said that during the last two console generations, the company was not building enough creative titles and suffered years later as a result. Xbox definitely lacked broader genres for first-party titles if you compared it to Sony who had Astro Bot, Horizon, Bloodborne, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Knack (even if the series was met with a lukewarm reception), and leveraged their connection with Marvel to make Spider-Man. As soon as he became Microsoft’s head executive of the Xbox division, Spencer decided that the team need to invest in partners that eventually leads up to the Zenimax buy-out:
However, even with 23 studios, Spencer added that their current line-up for both Xbox Series X and Game Pass is missing casual titles with “a broad appeal”. And along with Game Pass’ growth, he expects that they will bring in more creators into the Xbox family as well:
