Following the news that Microsoft is acquiring Zenimax Media and Bethesda, the company doubled down on plans to acquire more studios. Now, the company has tripled down on their commitment to growing their studios with more acquisitions.
The news comes once again from Xbox head Phil Spencer, who confirmed their Xbox arm of Microsoft is looking to gather more developers under their wings. Specifically, he noted they’re looking at rounding out the genres each of their first-party studios excel at, while bolstering their offerings on Xbox Game Pass.
“As Game Pass continues to grow, we need to continue to feed that subscription,” Spencer said to Gamereactor. “So, with the growth that we are seeing, I expect we will constantly be in this mode of bringing more creators into the fold.”
Things get interesting when Spencer noted what genre he thinks they’re lacking, adding “If we look at what people are playing on Xbox, what Game Pass subscribers are playing, I think what is missing from our portfolio is casual content with a broad appeal.”
“E-rated content (to use an ESRB rating) is not a strength for us. We obviously have Minecraft and we have some other franchises,” Spencer said. “But when I think about expanding the creative palette that our teams have, I think that is critically important.”
Lastly, Spencer reiterated how important it is for them to have a bunch of studios making content that will further reinforce the value of their Game Pass subscription.
“Teams that can build new franchises, tell new stories, those are always sought after,” he said. “That’s why I’m excited about projects like Starfield and the next Compulsion game because I like teams that think about new creations. And frankly, as Game Pass continues to grow, we need to continue to feed that subscription. So, with the growth that we are seeing, I expect we will constantly be in this mode of bringing more creators into the fold.”