Over the past few years, the Xbox brand has become more than just a name to describe a console. It's prevalent on PC and on mobile devices. There are even reports that Microsoft is going to bring Xbox Live and Xbox Achievements to platforms like the Nintendo Switch. It seems that the higher-ups are the company are aware of this shift so they want Microsoft Studios to reflect that. During the Inside Xbox show, Matt Booty said that Microsoft Studios was being rebranded.
Booty, the Corporate Vice President of Xbox Game Studios — formerly Microsoft Studios — said the following to gamers everywhere.
At Xbox, we believe when everyone plays, we all win. It's why we're passionate about building a portfolio of games for players across console, PC, and mobile. As we've expanded our focus beyond the console, the Xbox brand has also evolved from its original roots. Today, Xbox is our gaming brand across all devices, no matter how or where you want to play, or who you want to play with. In that spirit, I'm pleased to share that we are changing the name of our game development organization from Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios. Xbox Game Studios is made up of thirteen distinct game development teams responsible for beloved franchises like Age of Empires, Forza, Gears of War, Halo, and Minecraft. The teams at 343 Industries, The Coalition, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, inXile Entertainment, Minecraft, Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, Turn 10 Studios, Undead Labs, and... Global Publishing... are working hard to deliver incredible exclusives, original intellectual properties, and all-new chapters from your favorite franchises. 2019 is going to be a great year for Xbox gamers everywhere. Exclusive games including Crackdown 3, Gears 5, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be available to Xbox Game Pass members on the same day they launch worldwide. We're also working to deliver big content updates for games like Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, and Minecraft that players are going to love. We're also excited to see how the seven new game development studios we added to our team last year maximize their creative potential as part of Xbox Game Studios. As a gaming organization, we have never been in a better position to deliver a diverse line-up of exclusive games for Xbox fans now, and in the future.
It's great to see that Microsoft is expanding the brand to encompass all of its gaming ambitions. Considering that experiences like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, The Outer Worlds, and Minecraft are available on other platforms, the name change is also a great promotional tool.
What do you think about Xbox Game Studios? Is it more in line with the image the company wants to portray? Let us know.
