Xbox activates a major unexpected feature on Steam that hints at future plans

Okay, so this is amazing addition to an Xbox first party single player game, and one that raises a slight concern. For me, it once again begs the question of "what is the Xbox ecosystem?" which I think we first started asking when Xbox brought games day one to PC on not just the first party Xbox App and Microsoft Store, but Steam as well. Again, a major W for gamers overall but one that raises the question of what the Xbox ecosystem even is. When it's the case that Xbox Cloud saves extend to even other storefronts (and in this case platforms as Steam is on non windows operating systems), you just wonder where the line is. This is similar to how I felt with them putting games on PS. I see it as an overall good move for gamers and gaming, and a move that was always inevitable, but I wonder "why now?"

If I were Microsoft, I'd have focused on firmly establishing what the first party ecosystem is FIRST and then expand outward. Before putting Xbox games on Steam day one, get the Xbox app out of Beta and make it a storefront that can stand on its own with features that make it feel like an Xbox. Before porting games over to PlayStation, firmly establish cloud and the mobile store and tie them all together with Xbox consoles and PC. Before bringing Xbox cloud saves to Steam, make it clear how you're integrating Battle Net (like are we just getting cloud saves there as well or full xbox play anywhere and cross buy) and do it. And really at least on the PC side, aside from battle net as the acquisition just happened, the Xbox App for PC should've been firmly established a long ago.

I'm just saying a linear approach wouldn't hurt. People get confused and concerned over the Xbox ecosystem because it's hard to follow what it even is. Microsoft is in a unique position where they can build a massive first party platform ecosystem across multiple platforms that feels seamless. But this isn't happening and the road ahead is so disjointed. In my head it's simple. Step 1: Xbox proprietary platforms (console, PC, Cloud, mobile). Step 2: Expand to more storefronts on platforms you're already on (like Steam, Epic, and GOG) and gradually expand support on those third party storefronts (like with Xbox Cloud saves across the board). Step 3: Expand to third party hardware platforms (Playstation and Nintendo).

I do appreciate the position Xbox is in, especially following the acquisitions with those publishers they bought already being on those other storefronts and platforms, but it currently feels like instead of linear progression, it feels like going every which way all at once. And you'd think that'd go over better considering their consumer base (gamers), but consistency is appreciated by everyone. Heck, humans are wired to track patterns and be attracted to symmetry. Just saying. Honestly I don't think Xbox was ever going to go any other way - when has Xbox or Microsoft ever been consistent? - but it's nice to dream. I think last Xbox podcast or the one before, Jez Corden said everything is an experiment for Microsoft and they beta test in public release and yeah... it sure as heck feels like everyone who buys into their products are guinea pig, and even when I'd rather be an Xbox guinea pig than anywhere else (hey, features like these are nice. I'm complaining but Xbox cloud saves on Steam are dope), the lack of consistency and confusion I feel as an end user isn't exactly appreciated 😅.

What is the XBOX ecosystem is easy to define: it is every environment where you can play XBOX games.

That simple. It's about the games. Not the hardware, not the publisher, not the store.
Think "environment" instead of hardware and you're home free.

Now, if you want to be precise, environment *starts* with the console because that is what defines the programming tools that separate XBOX games from non-XBOX PC games. Hint: it is about DirectX. Next, the environment encompasses Cloud Gaming because it is the console games that Game Pass streams. This distinguishes the "XCloud" from LUNA and GeForce streaming. And finally,
Windows because DirectX resides equally on PC.

Old school, dated, thinking seems to have trouble letting go of 80's hardware focus to accept that cloud is now co-equal with console and PC and will eventually be the dominant gaming environment.

We are in a transition era, I get it. Paradigm lag is real and adjusting to a new reality is jarring. But it *is* a transition driven by technology and economics. Those that adapt will survive, those that don't will... Lets say they'll face troubles.

"Adapt" in this age of transition does "not" mean abandoning hardware, which seems to be the great fear of the old school, but rather extending the environment.

Standard Microsoft thinking: "What's mine is mine, what's yours is negotiable."

And that is what MS is doing, they are "negotiating" with the gamers on alternate platforms and siphoning money out of their competitors' environments.

Now it would be the height of stupidity to abandon your locked-in customer base in favor of a fraction of your competitors'. And though they might occasionally be short-sighted or heavy-handed, XBOX is not run by idiots.

Remember the unofficial Microsoft motto: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.
They did it to IBM on PC.
They did it to Netscape, Britannica, Palm, Lotus, World Perfect, and dozens more.
Some they totally killed, most they reduced to a shell of their peak, but never ever has Microsoft abandoned their locked-in customer base.

So can we finally get over the console angst?

If you have a console or get your games via the Microsoft store on Windows, neither is going away. They're not willingly letting you take your money elsewhere.

They just want to grow their take, not by squeezing more money for the same product as those who shall remain nameless, but by extending their tentacles elsewhere. Call them the borg if you want to but facts are facts: they want you to sign up to Ms365 and provide a steady stream of money in return for some useful perks but if all you want is to run MS office, they'll sell you that on disk orvdigital. They're flexible. As long as you pay.

The same with the games: if you want to play Indy via Game Pass that's fine. It's
a long game. And it has a DLC incoming that won't be free on GP. Want to buy it on disk or digital instead of GP? No problem. Want to play on PC, same story.
Is the game going to Playstation? Sure. But not day one. Or month one. Or season one. They'll get it...later. When it's no longer the next great thing on XBOX or PC or Cloud. Sloppy seconds. A bit of extra cash for MS and Disney. And that money is *needed* to finance the next game from Machine Games. Maybe the next Wolfenstein, maybe another Indy game. Maybe both? Or something else. Indy is a great game and anything that rewards that team and keeps them rolling is nothing but goodness.

In what way does this approach hurt XBOXers? You have everything you ever had, even bragging rights if that matters to you.

Back to the store issue: Steam is the dominant store for PC games. That is a fact. If you want to sell your game to PC gamers you need to be there, though not exclusively. They charge 30% after all.

Microsoft gets 100% at their store. They'd rather you buy it from them. So they distribute a different version of the game at their store than elsewhere. And you get PLAYS ANYWHERE, and shared cloud saves if you buy from them and give them 30% more at no cost to you. And PLAYS ANYWHERE isn't just for console but for cloud, too.

Now MS is bringing shared cloud saves to STEAM. One less difference between the stores. One more perk to those that *choose* the steam store. Hmm...

Is MS doing this solely out of the goodness of their heart? Or... Are they looking ahead to a time when their walled garden perks draw unwanted attention? Apple and Google are in court alreadyapready. Steam is under attack. Sony is under attack in the UK and if they lose (likely at this point) Nintendo will be next.

MS wants no part of that, so moves like expanding perks beyond the walled garden is a small price to pay for legal peace. Plus they get some good will and prepare for future standalone cloud gaming service for games bought elsewhere.

These folks aren't playing checkers and they play for keeps.
Every move has a motive and a (potential) payoff somewhere down the line.
Same here.