Is Microsoft and Xbox the world's biggest gaming publisher? That's the case, according to at least one analysis.
There's been a lot of drama among the Xbox faithful over the past year, as Microsoft shifted away from software exclusives on Xbox consoles to a full-blown multiplatform strategy. Games that were previously Xbox exclusive on console, including Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and more, have gradually been making their way across to arch rival PlayStation. It has led to questions about Xbox's future, although the firm claims it is still aiming to deliver new Xbox hardware in the future. Only a couple of days ago, Xbox lead Phil Spencer said he wants Xbox hardware to compete on power and differentiation, which should stave off serious concerns for the time being.
If you're still not convinced about Xbox's strategy, perhaps this new report will help. An analysis from Ampere (via VGC) claims that in December, Microsoft clinched the world's biggest game publisher crown, seeing $465 million in spending through its products. That includes behemoth titles like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Candy Crush Saga. The report credits Microsoft's multiplatform push for a large share of the victories, with 64% of the spending attributable to PlayStation's ecosystem via Call of Duty and the like. It would've been nice to learn how much of the spending was on Xbox and PC respectively, too, but Ampere didn't share those figures seemingly.
The analysis gives a shoutout to games like Fortnite and Marvel's Rivals, which saw significant successes over the Christmas period. However, I have to wonder just how accurate some of the data is when considering the global market. Ampere says that Microsoft was "comfortably ahead" of EA, who were in second place. Other analyses in the past have put Chinese firm Tencent far ahead of other publishers, owing in part to the firm's large home-field advantage, alongside its savvy investments in games like Fortnite and League of Legends. Tencent did get a shoutout for Path of Exile 2, though, which has been tracking well.
It's hard to say exactly how Ampere tracks some aspects of that data. To speculate, perhaps the firm doesn't consider co-owned Fortnite against Tencent's numbers. Either way, it's a feather in the cap for Microsoft potentially, whose ever evolving strategy continues to cause anxiety amongst its biggest customers. Xbox hardware has been tracking down quarter over quarter for a couple of years now, making gamers worried that developers may eventually start abandoning the platform.
Microsoft is planning to announce its FY25 Q2 financial results today, which may give us more data on exactly how Xbox is performing in a post-exclusive game world. Xbox Game Pass remains the best deal in gaming, Xbox Series X is the most powerful console, and Xbox Series S is the most affordable entry into current gen gaming. But, for whatever reason, consumers have so far shrugged their shoulders.
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