Microsoft's Spencer: Xbox One Doesn't Need Titanfall To Sell Out Hardware

[Karloff]

Microsoft's Spencer: Xbox One Doesn't Need Titanfall To Sell Out Hardware

OK, so Titanfall isn't a launch title, but we've got over 20 launch titles, says Spencer.

Microsoft, which recently put the squeeze on EA to ensure Titanfall's exclusive to the Xbox One [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129140-Titanfall-Will-Not-Be-Released-On-PlayStation-4], isn't worried that its mecha-shooter won't be available at launch. Yes, admits Microsoft's Phil Spencer, having Titanfall right at the start would have been great, but there are 20 other titles in the launch line-up. In any event, "we look at our preorder numbers, and we look at the anticipation in the market we're hearing from retailers," says he, "and I think we're going to sell about every piece of hardware we can build," Titanfall or no Titanfall.

Besides, having it come out early 2014 could be great. People will have gotten over the excitement of the console's debut, played their games to death, and be looking for new fun by the time March 2014 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128921-Titanfall-Coming-in-March-2014] rolls around. For that matter, the pre-order and launch cycle will have exhausted itself, and the initial console supply, but by March more hardware will be on the market. "So when I look at the timing of when that release is coming," says Spencer, "it's almost perfect for us as a platform."

Titanfall's still the killer app, says Spencer, and Respawn's the perfect studio for a title like that. "To have them working on an Xbox game is incredible," says he. Nice that Spencer thinks so, since Respawn seems since its debut [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129149-Respawns-Zampella-Tweets-Response-To-Titanfall-Exclusivity], and there's no question it'll move units. But the next gen releases are so close we can taste'em. It's time to see how it all plays out on the Christmas battlefields.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/436294/xbox-one-launch-is-strong-even-without-titanfall-says-microsoft-exec/]


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[dumbseizure]

March 2104?!

Jesus, they delayed that a while.

 

[holyshaman]

how kan they still say it's a Xbox One exclusive when it's Xbox 360, Xbox one and pc.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

March 2104?!

They're collaborating with Valve for a Half-Life 3/Titanfall launch package.

OT: Yeah you do M$. Your exclusives are the only thing preventing your console from crashing and burning, you better take care of them.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

He...hehe, it's not exclusive if it's coming out for your previous gen console and the PC. Regardless of what you think, you don't own the PC market by any means, so it doesn't count just because your OS is possibly on it.

Plus, you pretty much do need Titanfall. People are talking up the game to death, even the articles on the Escapist are, and I can't even count how many times I've heard "The only reason I'd consider an Xbox One/am getting an Xbox One is because of the exclusives." Without those, I have no doubt in my mind you'd all but be out of the console generation this time. People don't like being lied to and toyed around with, and no amount of "amazing console exclusives" is going to fix that for everyone. Sorry, Dead Rising 3 looks fun and all, but it's not fun enough to toss my dignity out the window.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

March 2104?!

Jesus, they delayed that a while.

Apparently they want to make a special edition version where you can get your own full working mech suit and a copy of the game with some collector stickers..possibly to stick onto your new mech.

 

[fix-the-spade]

March 2104?!

Jesus, they delayed that a while.

In all seriousness, that is the first and so far only release date Respawn/EA have announced, they never said it would be a Xbone launch title.

Regardless, it's looking ace, a mix of the AI soldier whack-a-mole from single player campaigns we have now but with Quake style bouncy twitch shooting at the same time, whilst giant mechs stomp around 2142-ing it up as well. I'm really looking forward to playing Titanfall, on my PC.

Also, it might finally shut up the people who complain about the Source Engine being 'too old' to be relevant anymore... well, live in hope.

 

[Something Amyss]

They can't go five minutes without name dropping it, so that should tell us the opposite.

 

[shrekfan246]

Know what else had 20+ launch titles?

The Wii U.

And the Playstation Vita.

Know what game systems have been selling like crap since their launch?

I like having a good number of games to choose from just like anybody else, but there's a limited number of hours in the day and a limited number of days in the week, guys. I don't need twenty games on launch, I just need games that will keep me coming back to the system. For instance, the 3DS has that in spades. I picked it up for Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and put something like 80 hours into that game. Know what other games I've got for it? Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Pokemon Y. Sure, there are more that I'd love to get, but I've already put almost twenty hours into Fire Emblem and over 40 into Pokemon.

EDIT: Also, seriously, can we please stop perpetuating the idea that it's exclusive? As similar as they may be, PCs aren't Xboxes and until announced otherwise, Titanfall is coming out to three different systems, regardless of how much Microsoft hardware/software you might need to play it.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Also, it might finally shut up the people who complain about the Source Engine being 'too old' to be relevant anymore... well, live in hope.

It's too alt-tab unfriendly to be relevant anymore.

 

[Keiichi Morisato]

March 2104?!

They're collaborating with Valve for a Half-Life 3/Titanfall launch package.

OT: Yeah you do M$. Your exclusives are the only thing preventing your console from crashing and burning, you better take care of them.

they never do? i honestly can't think of any worthwhile OXbox and Xbox360 games that are not launch titles or multi platform titles.

 

[CriticalMiss]

They can't go five minutes without name dropping it, so that should tell us the opposite.

At least they've stopped talking about the Kinect and the 'Xbone Experience'.

Microsoft's Spencer: Xbox One Doesn't Need Titanfall To Sell Out Hardware

That's lucky, because people will probably be buying it on the PC or 360 instead.

 

[jackpipsam]

Why is Microsoft still pretending that Titanfall is an Xbox One exclusive?

Where have they said it is?

 

[Rad Party God]

Thinking about it, yeah, maybe it's better to delay it when things have cooled off a bit, good for them for not entirely rely on it as a "system seller" at launch.

Why is Microsoft still pretending that Titanfall is an Xbox One exclusive?

Where have they said it is?

Well, Microsoft hyping the hell out of it for the Xbone might give you the impression that it's an exclusive, also the entire article doesn't mention even once that it's not an exclusive.

 

[seditary]

Of course they don't need Titanfall to sell out hardware.

They control how much hardware they make.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

wait did I miss something here... name one launch title for any console that made a huge difference in the overall success of a console. Halo may have been a launch title I can't remember for sure but the first xbox game I remember owning was morrowind. and I didn't buy it till way after launch. I thought we kinda all knew by now that launch titles are mostly buggy messes that are easily forgotten a few months later when real games made by developers who have had more than 5 minutes to use the hardware start to trickle into the stream. like i'm looking at the footage of "ryse" and titanfall and they look like tech demos not real games. but the coverage of titanfall seems to be treating it as if it's the new halo or gears, like it's some kind of tentpole for the xbox one. I don't understand this.