After throwing clues about the development of an Xbox portable console, Phil Spencer opens a window onto the future to say he is interested in the idea of integrating the major PC stores into the Xbox platform ecosystem.
Speaking to Polygon on the sidelines of the Game Developers Conference, Spencer expressed his desire for a future dominated by full integration between Microsoft ecosystems (and beyond), including consoles and the possibilities offered by 'liberalisation' of digital shops on Xbox home platforms.
Looking at Microsoft's past, Spencer explains that “we must consider our history as the company that shaped Windows. Nowadays in a Windows PC environment people take for granted the freedom to decide what type of experience they want to have and independently choose where to buy your favorite video games. There's real value in this freedom, and it's something that isn't there on console“.
In the Polyon interview, Spencer delves further into the topic by declaring that “Moore's Law has slowed down and the price of components to develop consoles doesn't drop that fast as in past generations. The management of closed hardware ecosystems like consoles it becomes more and more demanding, and frankly I don't even know how much this is helping the sector to grow. Therefore I think what the obstacles could be to overcome and how we can contribute toopening this console design template. If I'm on PC I feel like I'm in a larger ecosystem. On consoles, however, everything is more fragmented and you come across closed ecosystems.”
And you, what do you think of Spencer's vision of opening the Xbox ecosystem to PC stores? Let us know with a comment, but first we leave you with the latest previews of Sarah Bond on Xbox Next which will be a monster of power.
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