Definitely, Josef Farès has a grudge against Microsoft on this new generation of consoles. Just one month after criticizing the name choice for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, which was for him a hell of a mess, now the creator of A Way Out and the next It Takes Two is still attacking the Redmond company. It is on the occasion ofan interview with the GamingBolt site that the game designer admits to having a preference for Sony’s strategy, mainly for his choice of first party games. The Japanese manufacturer having made the choice to bet on narrative single-player games is clearly the right strategy to adopt according to him, since it is indeed the games that make the difference and push the player to opt for a particular console. It is not if the power of a machine nor the services offered are crucial and Josef Farès rightly criticizes Microsoft for not having enough exclusive titles to stand out. He recognizes that the Xbox Game Pass is a well-designed service, but that it has two major weaknesses: its non-profitability and the absence of first-party games.
“I don’t really care about consoles, for me it’s always been focused on games, games, games, games,” Fares said. “I mean, right now I’m much more a fan of Sony’s strategy, because they make more unique IPs and focus more on games that I really enjoy that are story-heavy. So I hope Microsoft goes that way. I mean, with Game Pass, I’m not sure what that’s going to give. I mean, if there’s no games that makes no sense. Doesn’t matter, you know? Another thing, I don’t see it as a war as well. Like looking at how [Xbox boss] Phil Spencer talks about this, it seems more that he wants Game Pass to get on PS5 also. But at the end of the day it’s about games.
I don’t give a damn about consoles, games take precedence, games, games, games. So right now I’m more convinced of Sony’s strategy because they do a lot more exclusive licenses, focus more on games and it’s those solid stories that make me tick. I hope Microsoft will do the same. Having said that, with Xbox Game Pass, I’m not sure what it will look like. If there are no games, there is no point. Another thing, given the way Phil Spencer talks about it, I feel like his goal is to develop Game Pass on PS5 as well. But in the end, it’s the games that win …
Whether he likes Microsoft’s strategy or not, Jasef Farès has still placed his finger on an interesting subject: the fact that Microsoft wants to make its Xbox Game Pass an essential application, which can be found on any device. : TV, tablets, computer, smartphones, Nintendo Switch and even PlayStation. Microsoft’s goal is clearly to establish a long-term strategy and become a must-have for video games within the next 10-20 years.
