‘I Know It’s Not What Everybody Else Is Doing’ — Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Will Keep on Putting PlayStation and Nintendo Logos in Microsoft Showcases – IGN
Microsoft, you might have noticed, now flags that its games are coming to rival platforms during Xbox showcases. It’s something we’ve seen in recent months as part of the company’s multiplatform video game push. For example, the recent Xbox Developer Direct included PlayStation 5 alongside Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass at the end of the Ninja Gaiden 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 segments.As recently as Microsoft’s June 2024 showcase, that wasn’t the case. There, Doom: The Dark Ages was announced for PlayStation 5 immediately after the Xbox event, although subsequent individual trailers did feature the PS5 logo. BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard was down as coming to Xbox Series X and S and PC, skipping the PS5 version. It was the same for Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows.Sony and Nintendo continue to take a different approach. The recent State of Play showcase did not mention Xbox at all, even though it included multiplatform games. For example, the Monster Hunter Wilds segment finished with the release date and PS5 logo only. No word of PC, Steam, or Xbox. Sega’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was shown as coming to PS4 and PS5, even though it’s also coming to PC via Steam, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Onimusha: Way of the Sword were in the same boat.Sony, clearly, is sticking to what’s worked for its gaming business for decades now, reinforcing its consoles as PlayStation’s point of interest. Microsoft’s well-documented change in strategy, however, has come with a corresponding change in marketing.In an interview with XboxEra, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer was asked directly about Xbox showcases featuring the PlayStation logo now.Here’s the question:And here’s Spencer’s answer:With this in mind, expect to see more logos for PS5 and, in the future, Nintendo Switch 2 in Xbox showcases. So, when Microsoft hosts its inevitable June 2025 showcase, perhaps then we’ll see the likes of Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, and of course this year’s Call of Duty with a PS5 logo alongside Xbox.Just don’t expect Nintendo and Sony to follow suit.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
