Microsoft “in talks” for Project xCloud exclusive games [update: "no plans for cloud-exclusive content at this time." See threadmark]

Neat · Nov 22, 2019

Microsoft has also added new APIs to the Xbox SDK to make it easier to develop games intended for streaming.

Microsoft is "in talks" with first- and third-party studios to create and release Project xCloud exclusive games.

Microsoft's Kareem Choudhry made the confirmation at X019 in London as part of a group interview with Australian outlets, stressing that there weren't any title-specific announcements to make at this time.

"In terms of [Project xCloud] exclusives, we're in early talks with first- and third- parties, but we don't have any announcements to share," Choudhry asserted. "New content and IP takes eighteen months to two years [to develop]."

Choudry stressed that "the first thing that we're doing is… just lifting and shifting content that doesn't require any development changes into the cloud. So right away we've got a platform that can run any of the 3000 games you can run on Xbox today."

That said, Choudhry said that specific APIs have been added to the Xbox SDK to let a game "know at runtime [if it is] being streamed or not."

More at the link: https://stevivor.com/news/xcloud-exclusive-games/

So this seems to have been announced back at XO (though the article was posted today) but I haven't seen a thread about this. Figured the prospect of games exclusive to xCloud was interesting enough to warrant its own discussion. What do you make of this? Something worth getting excited about? Lamenting the loss of "traditional games" to another cloud service? Sound off.

Theswweet · Nov 22, 2019

...ok, no. The *main* thing I like about xCloud is that it doesn't take anything away from preservation efforts, since it just exists as a supplement to traditional Xbox stuff. Having "streaming only" content throws all of that out the window, and honestly, I want nothing to do with it.

QuiteSomething · Nov 22, 2019

I dont think they gonna make exclusive games for xcloud. It goes against all that stuff about "options" they talked about before.
But again xbox doing 180 on something will not be surprising lmao

Kolx · Nov 22, 2019

Why do that when first party content is already exclusive to XCloud and won't be on other streaming services? excluding Xbox too sounds like a needless move. The cloud should complement their own consoles as another choice, not fight it for content.

Anthony Hopkins · Nov 22, 2019

It sounds like games with tweaks made to them to make them run better with streaming rather then games only being available on Xcloud, the only games that I think will be exclusive to Xcloud is something 1 vs 100 or somthing that uses the advantages of cloud streaming.

Gundam · Nov 22, 2019

This sounds monumentally stupid.

What makes more sense is utilizing cloud features to base whole games off of, like Crackdown 3's multiplayer.

Or like, any online game with servers. Online only games aren't new but streaming-only games sounds pretty shit.

Ringten · Nov 22, 2019

Eh why though? They already have xbox exclusives. That's enough.

toy_brain · Nov 22, 2019

It looks like the launch of Stadia, as rocky and derided by internet commentators as it was, has put a firecracker up the arses of companies in the streaming market.

The streaming wars have begun, and things are getting interesting.

Kerberosorthos · Nov 22, 2019

I wonder how long will it take for stadia to reach 3000 games ... Man this is quite a backlog xcloud already have before the actual release.

Rosebud · Nov 22, 2019

But why

The main selling point is being able to stream your Xbox library

RestEerie · Nov 22, 2019

calling it now...

Microsoft Solitaire & Minesweeper: Cloud edition exclusive

Kalor · Nov 22, 2019

Xbox exclusives should be enough for them. Though it's only natural for them to at least investigate this angle.

Toumari · Nov 22, 2019

That's a bad call if true.

Chettlar · Nov 22, 2019

Theswweet said:
...ok, no. The *main* thing I like about xCloud is that it doesn't take anything away from preservation efforts, since it just exists as a supplement to traditional Xbox stuff. Having "streaming only" content throws all of that out the window, and honestly, I want nothing to do with it.

One and done.

BrickArts295 · Nov 22, 2019

Not like this Phil. Not the whole "powered by the (X)Cloud" business again...

gdt · Nov 22, 2019

Plz stop talking

Knight613 · Nov 22, 2019

Feel like this was always going to be their end goal, especially as more companies move to cloud streaming.

Ombala · Nov 22, 2019

Yeah no thanks for me, I'm not happy about a streaming future as it is.
Losing games to it would be even more horrible.

elio · Nov 22, 2019

Obviously they're talking about games that can make specific use of the cloud based architecture.

This isn't going to be exclusive single player games.

Deleted member 1476 · Nov 22, 2019

Zappy · Nov 22, 2019

Xcloud exclusives could mean simply - only place to stream this game is xcloud...

Rather than only way to play this game is xcloud....

OG_Thrills · Nov 22, 2019

Ok so this goes against everything they've said previously. I'm hoping something got lost in translation because anecdotally, XCloud "exclusives" is going to make a few hardcore XBOX gamers I know unhappy.

Anthony Hopkins · Nov 22, 2019

They are probably only saying this to be competitive with stadia in this area.

Theorry · Nov 22, 2019

Wouldn't take much out of it.

DvdGzz · Nov 22, 2019

Scarlet and Xcloud? Yes. Xcloud only? Not until you can justify it. It would have to be something not possible on Scarlet and not just promises like what Crackdown 3 was supposed to be.

efr · Nov 22, 2019

Probably exclusivity like when Netflix signs a 200mil deal for Seinfeld. Game cant be on psnow or stadia.

MouldyK · Nov 22, 2019

Zappy said:
Xcloud exclusives could mean simply - only place to stream this game is xcloud...

Rather than only way to play this game is xcloud....

efr said:
Probably exclusivity like when Netflix signs a 200mil deal for Seinfeld. Game cant be on psnow or stadia.

Not really as they also said "First Party" and wouldn't all First Party Titles be XCloud Exclusive anyway?

T002 Tyrant · Nov 22, 2019

No thanks, xcloud appeals to me only in the way it runs parallel to Xbox itself.

gofreak · Nov 22, 2019

Zappy said:
Xcloud exclusives could mean simply - only place to stream this game is xcloud...

Rather than only way to play this game is xcloud....

I thought that too, but it makes no sense to talk about 1st party in that context. Obviously 1st party games will be exclusive to xCloud, so I'm not sure what they have to be 'in talks' with first parties about on that front.

I think I would like to see MS (and Sony and any other existing console platform holder) dabble with hybrid games first, before talking about cloud exclusives. Figure out what can be done in a hybrid context to see if there's really much to be gained from a cloud exclusive runtime context. Then, maybe, if there is a lot to be gained, think about cloud exclusives. Jumping to cloud exclusives will be dicey PR wise.

I kind of expect a 'Phil Spencer correction' in 3...2...1...

Metal Slugger · Nov 22, 2019

This would be the dumbest shit ever.

Alexandros · Nov 22, 2019

That would be an extremely dumb decision for a company that has two other platforms (Xbox, Windows).

OG_Thrills · Nov 22, 2019

MouldyK said:
Not really as they also said "First Party" and wouldn't all First Party Titles be XCloud Exclusive anyway?

modiz · Nov 22, 2019

MouldyK said:
Not really as they also said "First Party" and wouldn't all First Party Titles be XCloud Exclusive anyway?

That is what I think too, which is pretty disappointing if true, the idea of game streaming should be to expand your audience, not to force them this one way to play. Especially when streaming can be unreliable to many people as opposed to local hardware that unless there are faults in the hardware itself should perform the same for everyone.

LAA · Nov 22, 2019

Why though? If it's running on Xboxes anyway, why make it xcloud exclusive for the sake of it.
Hope it doesn't happen.

Deleted member 18951 · Nov 22, 2019

Good stuff, more investment in the technology can only he a good thing.

EvilBoris · Nov 22, 2019

It's hard to imagine a game being exclusive because it's not possible on an Xbox, but it's easy to imagine a game with an exclusivity agreement for another platform , which doesn't cover streaming services.

Just you wait , the Term "exclusive" will become even more convoluted and pointless.

"Local hardware console exclusive"

Rosebud · Nov 22, 2019

Anthony Hopkins said:
They are probably only saying this to be competitive with stadia in this area.

They have 3000 games, Stadia has 12

Sausage_Poison · Nov 22, 2019

It's going to rain Xbox exclusives next-gen, here we go!

Gundam · Nov 22, 2019

MouldyK said:
Not really as they also said "First Party" and wouldn't all First Party Titles be XCloud Exclusive anyway?

Uh, no?

Unless you're only speaking in terms of "streaming platforms", in which case a first party MS game would be "exclusive to the Xcloud platform"

But Halo Infinite won't be XCloud Exclusive - It's PC and Xbox. You don't have to stream it to play it.

Rosebud · Nov 22, 2019

efr said:
Probably exclusivity like when Netflix signs a 200mil deal for Seinfeld. Game cant be on psnow or stadia.

But all next gen games will be "streamable" on both PS5 and Xbox. It would be like buying physical or digital media exclusivity

gofreak · Nov 22, 2019

modiz said:
That is what I think too, which is pretty disappointing if true, the idea of game streaming should be to expand your audience, not to force them this one way to play. Especially when streaming can be unreliable to many people as opposed to local hardware that unless there are faults in the hardware itself should perform the same for everyone.

I think there's interesting technological possibilities...maybe...

...but...

... it is monumentally dumb to start publicly talking about this at the start of a new gen, and just one gen on from when the prospect of online-only, online-drm-ed, and non-owned games almost sank the brand. I know this isn't the same thing but to even dip the toe in territory that carries the same whiff is... not well advised, I don't think.

Deleted member 8791 · Nov 22, 2019

I'd be ok with this if it uses the power of the cloud to make something you couldn't without it.

modiz · Nov 22, 2019

Gundam said:
Uh, no?

Unless you're only speaking in terms of "streaming platforms", in which case a first party MS game would be "exclusive to the Xcloud platform"

But Halo Infinite won't be XCloud Exclusive - It's PC and Xbox. You don't have to stream it to play it.

That is what they meant, the only way this could be interpreted as is "only playable on xcloud" because of the mention of first party games, as they would obviously be only streamed via xcloud, so no reason to be "in talks with".

Goldstick · Nov 22, 2019

Well, if this is the future of gaming, and since it is possible that Sony follows the trend, I guess I will become a Nintendo gamer. If they continue doing their own thing like they are doing now.

Gundam · Nov 22, 2019

modiz said:
That is what they meant, the only way this could be interpreted as is "only playable on xcloud" because of the mention of first party games, as they would obviously be only streamed via xcloud, so no reason to be "in talks with".

I understand that - I'm responding to the question "Aren't all first party games XCloud exclusives"?

Which, no, they wouldn't be.

Ombala · Nov 22, 2019

Is this the start of MS endgame where they get people into there streaming subscription services?

FlintSpace · Nov 22, 2019

I don't even understand this.

What advantage does xCloud have over traditional console brick that developers can use ? Even with both of these things combined have we seen anything since 2013 that could instil confidence in cloud computing or whatever.

What they might gain in features is certainly less important to gamers than higher resolution and snappy gameplay.

daninthemix · Nov 22, 2019

I'm not going to engage with stuff that's even more ephemeral than normal games.

Jiraiya · Nov 22, 2019

Eh...i know many folk will overreact to this news but I'll choose not. I think it'll be smaller stuff made for the go.

Alexious · Nov 22, 2019

Gundam said:
This sounds monumentally stupid.

What makes more sense is utilizing cloud features to base whole games off of, like Crackdown 3's multiplayer.

Or like, any online game with servers. Online only games aren't new but streaming-only games sounds pretty shit.

Exactly. In order to do that, though, they have to make the games cloud exclusives in the first place.

Microsoft “in talks” for Project xCloud exclusive games [update: "no plans for cloud-exclusive content at this time." See threadmark]

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