Microsoft is asking some gamers a big question: would you buy an Xbox if Minecraft were only available there? A new survey sent to Xbox players explores what would happen if the company's biggest franchises, including Minecraft, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, became exclusive to Xbox consoles, Windows Central reported.
Who Got the Survey
The survey appeared this week for a group of Xbox Insider Program members, likely those Microsoft knows use more than one gaming device. Windows Central said it verified the survey screenshots shared by a reader as genuine.
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Players are asked whether exclusives would make them more likely to commit to Xbox, with scenarios covering both timed exclusivity and games skipping rival consoles entirely. Along with Minecraft, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, the survey names Doom, Diablo and Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT.
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What Happens to Existing Games
In the game-by-game questions, the survey stresses that existing titles would stay on other platforms, but would stop getting new content.
The final question, which Windows Central calls the “nuclear option,” goes further. It asks players to imagine that future releases from every Xbox-developed franchise, except Call of Duty, become console-exclusive to Xbox. Minecraft gets a stricter rule in this scenario. “For Minecraft only, existing titles would no longer be available for purchase on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles, and would not receive any new content updates,” it reads.
The survey adds that players would keep any games and content they already own, and that “nothing changes on PC,” meaning PC players would not be affected.
Players then pick from four responses: switching to an Xbox they own, purchasing a new Xbox, playing on PC instead, or not playing the games at all.
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Why Microsoft Might Consider It
According to Windows Central, Xbox has struggled to keep up with PlayStation and Nintendo in terms of active console users. The publication argues that releasing Xbox games on rival consoles gives players less reason to use their Xbox, potentially hurting Microsoft's revenue and making it harder to attract third-party developers to the platform.
While Microsoft earns significant revenue from game sales on PlayStation, it also has to pay Sony a 30 per cent cut. Windows Central notes that many PlayStation users also own an Xbox. It suggests that Call of Duty may be an exception to the strategy due to conditions imposed during Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Not a Decision Yet
The survey only presents hypothetical scenarios, and Windows Central frames it as a possible hint at what's to come rather than a confirmed plan.
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