"We have been really pleased." Microsoft Gaming studios head Matt Booty talks shipping Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5, Xbox exclusives, and more.

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Xbox's Matt Booty discusses reactions to the Xbox showcase, shipping Sea of Thieves on PlayStation, closing studios like Tango Gameworks, and more.

Xbox Games Showcase 2024 Matt Booty
Matt Booty made an appearance during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Matt Booty, president of game content and studios at Microsoft Gaming, spoke with Variety in a new interview.
  • Booty touched on a number of topics, including reactions to the recent Xbox Games Showcase, the closure of Tango Gameworks, and bringing Sea of Thieves to PlayStation 5. 
  • Speaking on the latter point, Booty says that "We have been really pleased," while noting games are continuing to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

A new interview is providing a bit more insight into the Xbox business. 

Matt Booty, president of game content and studios at Microsoft Gaming, spoke with Variety for the "Strictly Business" podcast on Thursday. Booty touched on a large number of topics, including reactions to the recent Xbox Games Showcase, bringing some Xbox games to PlayStation 5, and the closure of some studios. 

“We are beginning to hit the rhythm that we’ve always aspired for, and that really is our commitment to our players, of being able to deliver a much more steady cadence of games on a more predictable rhythm,” Booty said, noting that fan and press reaction to the showcase has been extremely positive, with praise of the number and variety of first-party games shown and slated for the next couple of years. 

During the showcase, first-party titles DOOM: The Dark Ages, Fable, and South of Midnight were all slated for 2025, while Gears of War: E-Day, Perfect Dark, and State of Decay 3 were not given release years at all. Per Booty, this is due to wanting to find the exact right time to launch a game, while making sure it doesn't conflict with another first-party or third-party title, namedropping Grand Theft Auto 6 as a game the entire industry wants to avoid.

"We certainly want to make sure every game is given space and has got an opportunity to shine and we don't end up overshadowing a game by launching it too close to another," Booty explains, adding that the portfolio planning revolves around ensuring the teams don't conflict with other companies' titles, but also "so that we're not getting in our own way." 

Booty also notes that there is interest across the teams at different studios in sharing ideas and technology, and there are some early discussions happening as Microsoft figures out what facilitating that looks like.

Will Microsoft chase games and TV or movie synergy, like with Fallout?

The Fallout TV series was a massive hit.  (Image credit: Prime Video)

When asked about gaming synergy with other mediums like TV and movies, such as with the recent Fallout resurgence happening largely due to the success of the Fallout Prime show, Booty praises the series, but indicates Microsoft isn't explicitly trying to make that kind of success happen by forcing it. 

Booty points to the vastly different production schedules of games, movies, and TV shows, and notes that trying to sync those up years in advance can be extraordinarily difficult and risky, and that it's better to simply produce that kind of "linear media" and have it benefit an existing franchise. 

Why did Microsoft close Bethesda studios like Tango Gameworks?

Now-defunct Tango's 2023 title Hi-Fi Rush was a hit, per Microsoft.  (Image credit: Tango Gameworks)

Earlier in the year, the shocking news broke that Microsoft was closing Bethesda's Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks. The latter came as a particular shock, as the now-shuttered first-party Japanese developer had shipped Hi-Fi Rush in 2023 to critical acclaim. 

"Those decisions are never made lightly, they're never made quickly, and there are a lot of people and processes and oversight to make sure we're making a good decision," Booty says when asked about the closures, adding that he didn't want to share "nitty-gritty" details, but mentions that Microsoft looks across leadership at studios and if the teams are set up for success in the future, not just if they were successful in the past.

Booty also points out that Microsoft has been open to allowing teams to go independent in the past if it's clear things weren't a good fit, including recently with former Activision subsidiary Toys for Bob, which is now an independent studio, though the team's first game is a project being published by Xbox.

Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5 and future Xbox exclusives

Sea of Thieves is beginning Season 13 in July. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
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2024 saw Microsoft ship four Xbox console exclusive titles across other consoles. Touching on all of the games, Booty notes that Microsoft's main focus and success has been with Sea of Thieves, a shared world pirate adventure developed by Rare.

"We have been really pleased," Booty says, noting that when Sea of Thieves launched across PlayStation 5, the teams saw uptick in Xbox and PC player engagement as well, while also sharing that a large number of PlayStation players were enjoying the game in cross-play. This success grows the franchise overall, per Booty, allowing the teams at Rare and Xbox to continue to invest in the game. 

When asked about what this means for future Xbox exclusives, Booty reiterates that the teams are evaluating games hitting other consoles on a "case-by-case basis," adding that Xbox players can absolutely continue to expect many games to launch as exclusives, and that the "Xbox promise" that all Xbox first-party games come to Xbox Game Pass will continue to be true. 

Analysis: Some interesting insight

This was a very good interview to listen to, and I broadly think Booty's answers make a lot of sense. I'm particularly happy that Microsoft isn't seeing the success of the Fallout TV series (which has been renewed for a second season) and immediately chasing that success elsewhere or trying to force some kind of synergy. 

I'm also glad to hear that teams at Xbox are interested in sharing technology and ideas. While that already happens within the individual publishers, sharing it across divisions could lead to some wild stuff. If an Xbox Game Studios or Activision team wants to use id Tech or Creation Kit, what does that look like? 

While I know hearing "case-by-case" doesn't make hardcore Xbox fans happy, I continue to see the logical behind careful evaluation for each title. The next DOOM is going to be multiplatform at launch, and I certainly think that makes a lot of sense, as did Sea of Thieves. On the flip side, having games like Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark being targeted to Xbox hardware and PC also makes a fair bit of sense.

The continued non-answers regarding the closure of Tango Gameworks continue to leave a sour taste in my mouth however. I'm fully aware that teams change over time, but with a ludicrously successful parent company and profitable business, Microsoft could easily have afforded to take some miniscule hit in allowing those teams to build or rebuild so they'd be positioned for success in the future.

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Samuel Tolbert
Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • fatpunkslim
    “We continue to make these decisions on an individual, case-by-case basis. We are absolutely committed to having exclusive games on Xbox, it's part of our core promise. The console will always be fundamental to what we do.”

    This is a very important and very clear statement from Matt Booty which confirms the old statements of Phil Spencer. This puts an end to what some call vagueness on the part of Xbox. There will always be Xbox exclusive games, the console remains a very important element, and then the choice to make certain games multiplatform on a case by case basis.

    To be nitpicky, we could wonder what theses criteria are for making a game multiplatform or not, but we shouldn't ask too much either, we are entering into quite complex internal decisions where they must take into account profitability, brand image, the need to keep large exclusive franchises to maintain attractiveness towards the Xbox ecosystem, etc...

    We easily understand that there is an interest in relaunching old service games like Sea of Thieves (a game that is almost 7 years old). For big Xbox franchises that are really part of the Xbox DNA like halo, starfield, fable, gears, etc.... they are necessarily part of the games that are supposed to remain exclusive as Matt Booty says
    Reply
  • fjtorres5591
    The criteria will be common sense:

    - Franchise games that have been multiplat in the past will remain multiplat. (Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, COD, etc.)

    - Expensive games limited XBOX audiences or licensed properties will be timed limited exclusives at most. (Likely: Indiana Jones, Blade, maybe.)

    - New IPs and signature XBOX franchises will remain locked exclusives. No matter what the fen dream, Halo and Gears, Starfield, WoW, Flight Sim, Forza, and any number of backlist properties on a case by case basis, will remain exclusives.

    Modifiers: MS, like any well run company, is opportunistic and will adapt to the market on the fly. Like taking advantage of Sony's weak release schedule this year to harvest some added revenue from their base. Or Making a deal with Nintendo to get GOLDENEYE back out. Money talks.

    The media and a lot of gamers think business is zero sum, that for one company to win, another must lose. That is a fallacy: there is such a thing as a win-win. And coopetition and milking other platforms instead of refusing to deal with their customers. It's business and business is about money.

    And the one thing the media and a lot of gamers like to ignore: XBOX makes MS a lot of money in hardware, in subscriptions, and exclusives. And that is without ABK.
    Reply
  • VickX
    Can you explain the situation better to me? I read the entire article but the situation is still not entirely clear to me.
    Regarding exclusivity Matt says that: When asked about what this means for future Xbox exclusives, Booty reiterates that the teams are evaluating games hitting other consoles on a "case-by-case basis," adding that Xbox players can absolutely continue to expect many games to launch as exclusives, and that the "Xbox promise" that all Xbox first-party games come to Xbox Game Pass will continue to be true."Now from my point of view, but also from other people's point of view, I interpret this as "There will be games that will be launched multiplatform, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but there will also be other games that will be launched as exclusives, this last part I interpret it as if in the future, these launch exclusives could become multiplatform. Am I wrong?
    Personally, it doesn't bother me that Bethesda, Activision, etc. games are released on other platforms, but I still defend the identity of Xbox, reiterating that, in my opinion, games like Fable, Halo and Gears should remain exclusive.
    Reply
  • fatpunkslim
    VickX said:
    Can you explain the situation better to me? I read the entire article but the situation is still not entirely clear to me.
    Regarding exclusivity Matt says that: When asked about what this means for future Xbox exclusives, Booty reiterates that the teams are evaluating games hitting other consoles on a "case-by-case basis," adding that Xbox players can absolutely continue to expect many games to launch as exclusives, and that the "Xbox promise" that all Xbox first-party games come to Xbox Game Pass will continue to be true."Now from my point of view, but also from other people's point of view, I interpret this as "There will be games that will be launched multiplatform, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but there will also be other games that will be launched as exclusives, this last part I interpret it as if in the future, these launch exclusives could become multiplatform. Am I wrong?
    Personally, it doesn't bother me that Bethesda, Activision, etc. games are released on other platforms, but I still defend the identity of Xbox, reiterating that, in my opinion, games like Fable, Halo and Gears should remain exclusive.
    Why make it simple when you can make it complicated. The slightest word is subject to interpretation, it's crazy! A game launched as exclusive, that means that it allows itself the right to make these games multiplatform but in all cases it will be on a case by case basis. This doesn't mean that these exclusive games will be released on other platforms or not, it depends, it will be case by case. What is certain is that Xbox exclusive games will not systematically be on other platforms, it will be on a case by case basis. The keyword is "case by case", the same keyword already used by Phil Spencer.

    This is where a certain latitude project comes into play which, according to certain criteria, judges whether a game could be multiplatform or not. Fjtorres5591 and I gave some possible criteria.

    What Matt Booty said is very simple, there will be Xbox exclusive games AND other games will also be multiplatform, they play on both sides, quite simply which is very intelligent and very logical from a business point of view.

    And this is already what Phil Spencer said in other words, "the arrival of these 4 games does not mean that all the others will arrive". This too is clear, but I have the impression that some people pretend not to understand (I'm not talking about you) just to get people talking.

    For me there is no debate, Xbox has been following this strategy for years now, they have always had certain multiplatform games and other exclusive games, end of debate, the rest is just quibbling to make clicks.

    In the end when you look closely, it's not Xbox that isn't clear, it's certain media that pretend not to understand and overinterpret the slightest word that would potentially be subject to ambiguity. Whatever Xbox says, there will always be people trying to interpret things their way, that's how it is, you have to deal with it's the media world we live in
    Reply
  • VickX
    fatpunkslim said:
    Why make it simple when you can make it complicated. The slightest word is subject to interpretation, it's crazy! A game launched as exclusive, that means that it allows itself the right to make these games multiplatform but in all cases it will be on a case by case basis. This doesn't mean that these exclusive games will be released on other platforms or not, it depends, it will be case by case. What is certain is that Xbox exclusive games will not systematically be on other platforms, it will be on a case by case basis. The keyword is "case by case", the same keyword already used by Phil Spencer.

    This is where a certain latitude project comes into play which, according to certain criteria, judges whether a game could be multiplatform or not. Fjtorres5591 and I gave some possible criteria.

    What Matt Booty said is very simple, there will be Xbox exclusive games AND other games will also be multiplatform, they play on both sides, quite simply which is very intelligent and very logical from a business point of view.

    And this is already what Phil Spencer said in other words, "the arrival of these 4 games does not mean that all the others will arrive". This too is clear, but I have the impression that some people pretend not to understand (I'm not talking about you) just to get people talking.

    For me there is no debate, Xbox has been following this strategy for years now, they have always had certain multiplatform games and other exclusive games, end of debate, the rest is just quibbling to make clicks.

    In the end when you look closely, it's not Xbox that isn't clear, it's certain media that pretend not to understand and overinterpret the slightest word that would potentially be subject to ambiguity. Whatever Xbox says, there will always be people trying to interpret things their way, that's how it is, you have to deal with it's the media world we live in
    Absolutely agree! But I still don't understand one thing...
    If Matt declares that there will be launch exclusives, and that they will evaluate on a case-by-case basis, this means that not everything will be multiplatform, up to this point it is clear, but the final comment of the article, i.e. the analysis of the interesting ideas, is not clear to me. It reads " The next DOOM is going to be multiplatform at launch, and I certainly think that makes a lot of sense, as did Sea of Thieves. On the flip side, having games like Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark being targeted to Xbox hardware and PC also makes a fair bit of sense." From here I understand if exclusives like Halo, Fable and Gears will not arrive on other platforms or if it is a simple "hope".
    I also agree with what you say, many journalists have exaggerated the situation a lot, but in any case I want Xbox to maintain its "Identity".
    Saying "Case by case" makes me think that even a Fable can be released on other platforms and that therefore anything can happen.
    Reply
  • fatpunkslim
    VickX said:
    Absolutely agree! But I still don't understand one thing...
    If Matt declares that there will be launch exclusives, and that they will evaluate on a case-by-case basis, this means that not everything will be multiplatform, up to this point it is clear, but the final comment of the article, i.e. the analysis of the interesting ideas, is not clear to me. It reads " The next DOOM is going to be multiplatform at launch, and I certainly think that makes a lot of sense, as did Sea of Thieves. On the flip side, having games like Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark being targeted to Xbox hardware and PC also makes a fair bit of sense." From here I understand if exclusives like Halo, Fable and Gears will not arrive on other platforms or if it is a simple "hope".
    I also agree with what you say, many journalists have exaggerated the situation a lot, but in any case I want Xbox to maintain its "Identity".
    Saying "Case by case" makes me think that even a Fable can be released on other platforms and that therefore anything can happen.
    Doom was already cross-platform, that's surely part of the criteria for making a game cross-platform as fjtorres5591 said.

    For games like fable, gears, halo, forza, state of decay, etc. historically exclusive games, there is no chance that they will be multiplatform, the same for new big licenses like starfield, because in this case that would mean that everything becomes multiplatform and case by case would no longer apply in this case. And it wouldn't make sense from a business point of view, because it's the kind of game that can attract players to the Xbox ecosystem (the consoles and the gamepass). I also think like you that it would be a mistake and I think that Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, Matt Booty know this very well, that's why they weigh the pros and cons on the games that they want to make multiplatform .

    In certain cases, there can be direct positive consequences (sell more games in the short term) and indirect negative consequences in the longer term (bad for xbox ecosystem, hardware, gamepass, brand), it is therefore a delicate choice each time, and based on this principle, large IPs must and will remain exclusive because it is better for their business in the long term.

    Moreover, Phil Spencer has often declared that each decision was made based on long-term thinking in order to preserve Xbox in the future on the triptych: games, gamepass, hardware. You can see the direct business developer again, this triptych is often repeated.

    It is therefore a question of making decisions that are good for the developers and the sale of games, good for the gamepass, and good for the hardware. Each of these pillars is important and one cannot take precedence over the other, it is a balance to find.

    The balance is in the simple fact of keeping games exclusive and at the same time sending certain games cross-platform. If everything became multiplatform, you disrupt this balance and it becomes harmful for the business.

    This strategy makes sense in a context where we are in an industry where manufacturers still maintain a certain level of exclusivity. The day Sony starts sending God of War or Last of Us games to Xbox, Xbox's strategy will adapt to this new paradigm.

    Even if all manufacturers are opening more and more towards multiplatform, even Nintendo, they will come to it. They will still keep exclusive games, because it makes sense to sell consoles, sell gamepass and even get third-party publishers to make games for your platform.

    I'm just transcribing what has already been said by Xbox, also based on my understanding of how the industry works and what seems logical to me, but Xbox knows all this very well, they have people much more knowledgeable than us to deal with these subjects.

    So people who, with a very binary vision of things (O or 1), think they know better than everyone else by saying that Xbox is going to make all these games multiplatform, have understood absolutely nothing about the video game business. It is not so simple !

    But most of the time these people are often bitter people who have something against Xbox or against Microsoft. Or as I said above, “influencers” who want to make clicks and/or with a closed vision that does not cover all the issues.
    Reply
  • VickX
    fatpunkslim said:
    Doom was already cross-platform, that's surely part of the criteria for making a game cross-platform as fjtorres5591 said.

    For games like fable, gears, halo, forza, state of decay, etc. historically exclusive games, there is no chance that they will be multiplatform, the same for new big licenses like starfield, because in this case that would mean that everything becomes multiplatform and case by case would no longer apply in this case. And it wouldn't make sense from a business point of view, because it's the kind of game that can attract players to the Xbox ecosystem (the consoles and the gamepass). I also think like you that it would be a mistake and I think that Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, Matt Booty know this very well, that's why they weigh the pros and cons on the games that they want to make multiplatform .

    In certain cases, there can be direct positive consequences (sell more games in the short term) and indirect negative consequences in the longer term (bad for xbox ecosystem, hardware, gamepass, brand), it is therefore a delicate choice each time, and based on this principle, large IPs must and will remain exclusive because it is better for their business in the long term.

    Moreover, Phil Spencer has often declared that each decision was made based on long-term thinking in order to preserve Xbox in the future on the triptych: games, gamepass, hardware. You can see the direct business developer again, this triptych is often repeated.

    It is therefore a question of making decisions that are good for the developers and the sale of games, good for the gamepass, and good for the hardware. Each of these pillars is important and one cannot take precedence over the other, it is a balance to find.

    The balance is in the simple fact of keeping games exclusive and at the same time sending certain games cross-platform. If everything became multiplatform, you disrupt this balance and it becomes harmful for the business.

    This strategy makes sense in a context where we are in an industry where manufacturers still maintain a certain level of exclusivity. The day Sony starts sending God of War or Last of Us games to Xbox, Xbox's strategy will adapt to this new paradigm.

    Even if all manufacturers are opening more and more towards multiplatform, even Nintendo, they will come to it. They will still keep exclusive games, because it makes sense to sell consoles, sell gamepass and even get third-party publishers to make games for your platform.

    I'm just transcribing what has already been said by Xbox, also based on my understanding of how the industry works and what seems logical to me, but Xbox knows all this very well, they have people much more knowledgeable than us to deal with these subjects.

    So people who, with a very binary vision of things (O or 1), think they know better than everyone else by saying that Xbox is going to make all these games multiplatform, have understood absolutely nothing about the video game business. It is not so simple !

    But most of the time these people are often bitter people who have something against Xbox or against Microsoft. Or as I said above, “influencers” who want to make clicks and/or with a closed vision that does not cover all the issues.
    Totally agree, I liked how you explained the balance MS needs to maintain for Xbox and I hope games like Fable and Halo don't release beyond PC. Recently there have been several rumors about a possible H1 Remake for PS5 too, I obviously hope it's not true. I don't want to come across as a fanboy but seeing a Fable or a Halo on PS5 would be like a stab for me (but I think for many other people too). I say this not because I prefer Xbox, but simply because, as previously mentioned, I still want to have a great reason to buy an Xbox, and that reason, for me, should be the exclusives, because they are the ones that keep the identity of the console intact .
    I read about many people who say that GamePass is the true Xbox exclusive, believe me crazy but I would gladly trade this to keep the exclusives.
    Panic happened when they announced Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Pentiment and Hi-fi Rush on PS5, I can't imagine what would happen for a Fable or a Halo. I've also read about people who wouldn't give a damn, as if we were the problem, but I can't understand how they can't understand this link between games and consoles. The situation, I admit, still scares me, Sea Of Thieves was a great Xbox exclusive, I was sad to see it on PS because it appealed to everyone, but I also understand that 6 years after its release, earning almost nothing from it, they decide to release it even on other platforms, this is the same fear I have for Halo and others because I think the same could happen. (they mention case by case, maybe Fable no longer sells after 5 years and they release it on other platforms). I would like them to remain "Total" exclusive (console, PC and cloud), that's why I agree with your "balance" argument, I find it sensible. Sometimes I also thought about the possibility that maybe Sony could release some of its exclusives on Xbox, the situation could balance out, but I just keep seeing Sony continue to limit Xbox, recently with these secret agreements made with Son Wukong's team. All of this pisses me off, because I think that while Sony continues to limit Xbox, MS willingly gives up its exclusivity to them.
    Sometimes I even thought about a world where Xbox had not implemented this strategy and had kept Bethesda and Activision games totally exclusive, could the situation improve? Could the consoles have sold more?

    In conclusion, the situation still scares me. I agree that games that have been multiplatform should continue to be so, but I'm scared for the Halo, Fable etc exclusives. After seeing Sea (which I think is a great game), on PS, I'm afraid that it could happen to others too (even after 4 years).
    I have been Xbox for over 15 years, I have always preferred Xbox for its games, not for its gamepass, and I hope to continue to do so for this reason and that this balance is not broken.

    (Sorry for the long text, but I wanted to express all my thoughts and concerns.)
    Reply