In the interview (transcribed by VGC), Phil Spencer was asked if Xbox Game Studios were already done acquiring more studios. “So we’re always out there looking for people who we think would be a good match and teams that would be a good match with our strategy. So we’re definitely not done.” He also adds: “There’s no quota. There’s no kind of timeline where I have to go acquire studios by a certain time, but if we find a studio where we have a good fit, we share what we’re trying to go do and what they’re trying to go do, and if we feel we can both get better together, absolutely.” This news looks the most promising for Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which can do nothing but make it more attractive for gamers, and may even push some to switch towards the Xbox Series X|S. Currently, Xbox Game Studios consists of 23 development studios. Some of these include Compulsion Games (We Happy Few), Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts), and most recently, ZeniMax Media / Bethesda Softworks which holds the IP for the Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Wolfentstein series, to name a few. Spencer also expounded on the importance of keeping these studios independent. He explained “There’s amazing teams out there and I want to be listening to those creators and getting the signal from them on what are they seeing, what are they trying to create and then challenging ourselves as a platform company – can we build the best platform for them – so that they feel like they can do their absolute best work.” Spencer also answered questions and provided insight on their main strategy for growth for the Xbox, mainly by focusing on making the subscription filled with new content consistently, which may urge movement from PC players to the console ecosystem. In related news, PlayStation Studios, like Xbox Gaming Studios, is also not done looking for more studios to acquire. Just recently, it acquired Bluepoint Games. Bluepoint Games is known for the critically-acclaimed Demon’s Souls. Firesprite, known for their work on The Playroom for the PSVR, has also recently been acquired by the Xbox rival.
