The End of Sony/Xbox Exclusivity Should Help the Gaming Industry, Expert says

In the past, it was hard to imagine games like ‘Halo’ or ‘Gears of War’ appearing on PlayStation. However, Microsoft’s recent move to share Xbox games with other consoles is changing that. Thomas Mahler, the creative director at Moon Studios, supports this shift. He believes that both Xbox and PlayStation should make their games available on all platforms to benefit the gaming world.

Mahler points out that for over 20 years, the number of console players has stayed around 100 to 150 million. He thinks that to attract more players, we should let people play any game on any console they choose. He also mentions that Nintendo is an exception and follows its own path. Mahler feels that cheering for one big company to sell more consoles than another doesn’t make sense. Instead, we should all enjoy games together.

I know some people always want me to join the console warring, but I strongly believe that @XboxP3 has the right approach.

We decided a few years back not to make @wickedgame under Microsoft because back then we couldn’t have shipped it for PlayStation and Switch and since we… https://t.co/A0913IXMkx — thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) January 25, 2025

Right now, Sony hasn’t adopted this open approach like Microsoft. But Mahler notes that Sony is starting to release some of its exclusive games on PC, like the upcoming ‘Rise of the Ronin’. He believes this is driven by the desire to make more money. Mahler suggests that if Xbox creates a better console in the future and more people buy it, Sony might have to change its strategy of keeping games only on PlayStation.

Some upcoming games from Xbox-related studios, such as ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ and ‘Doom: The Dark Ages’, are set to be available on PlayStation 5. Additionally, Microsoft’s ownership of Activision means that popular games like ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ are released on all consoles. With Nintendo’s Switch 2 coming soon, Microsoft has promised to support this new system as well.

In the end, Mahler believes that making games available on all consoles could help the gaming industry grow. He thinks that by allowing players to access any game they want, regardless of the console, we can attract more people to gaming and share the joy of games with everyone.