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Will Microsoft follow Sony and release Halo on PS5 and Switch with the 'tentpole' theory

LordBritish

Member
This has been tossed around for ages (releasing Halo on a Nintendo platform the most really), but with sony saying the following:

+"Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino, who will be the new joint CEOs of SIE starting on June 1, discussed this strategy during a PlayStation business briefing on Thursday.
Indeed, we are bringing our titles to the PC platform and we have a dual approach here,” said current PlayStation Studios head Hulst. “On the live service side, we are releasing our titles simultaneously, so day and date on PlayStation 5 and PC.

“But with our tentpole titles, our single player or narrative-driven titles that are the backbone of what PlayStation Studios has delivered in recent years and in our history, we take a more strategic approach, and we introduce our great franchises to new audiences, and we’re finding new audiences that are potentially going to be very interested in playing, for example, sequels on the PlayStation platform.


I can see Microsoft toe the line with this approach, hoping Sony and Nintendo users finish Halo 1, and get the urge to go out and buy a Xbox Series S just to play the rest of the series. Afterall, its all about $$$ these days. Look at what the Fallout TV show did for Microsoft... Fallout 76 and Fallout4 jumped to the top of the steam top seller lists after the show debuted, heck probably the money made from these old games selling like hot cakes again paid for all of the development of Fallout5.
 
Microsoft needs to revitalize its first party games or make new ones that are huge hits. This is one way to revitalize Halo.

In the other hand, it could make people just hold out and wait even longer for the others to go multiplat.

Risky strategy.
 

Mownoc

Member
The supposed theory of releasing games on other platforms to get them to buy your platform for the sequel is nonsense. When people said hifi rush was coming to ps5/switch so people would buy the sequel exclusive on Xbox I laughed.

Making another platform more attractive by putting your titles on them is not a strategy to get them to buy your own platform. You've already conditioned them into expecting the titles to eventually release on the platform they already own and love.

Even if it attracts a small number, equal or greater number will have been attracted away to the other platforms and be content with later releases so it would be a net loss.

The idea ports to other platforms will make your own platform bigger in the future is extreme wishful thinking.

Software porting strategy should just be to maximise revenue while minimising the damage to your hardware platform, which Sony is currently doing well while MS has obliterated their hardware business.
 
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DavidGzz

Member
It could work for some. Also, a handheld where they can play the games sooner on Game Pass may be another enticing avenue if the Xbox handheld is an actual thing. Especially if that handheld has access to Steam. But that's all speculation so far.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Tentpole may work a bit in terms of Gamepass. I still think a ton of people are in denial about how much it offers, and when they play a few of these games at $70 a pop on their Playstations, I think at least a few people will feel like their human rights are violated and that GP is an attractive offer. Not a huge shift, but some people will be considering it more than before.
 
The idea ports to other platforms will make your own platform bigger in the future is extreme wishful thinking.
Depends on the pull force though. CoD is promised to not disappear, but what happens if PS get's all MS titles in the next years and with Xbox Next S, E and X edition they literally pull everything but CoD from all Sony platforms? MS never was not on PS. Not only Minecraft, but they had a ton of stuff on there via Bethesda and people did not have to ever notice that the owner changed, up until Starfield. "Old" titles are still there, a lot also in Plus, with Deathloop and Ghostwire releasing as exclusives.
Sure a lot of people will bitch and moan then. But the actual entire MS catalogue is a bit more than one game disappearing like eg Bayonetta did and the pointless discussion that followed. Probably no one really cared that much for that game to buy a Switch just for that, and then add other titles to their basket as a welcome follow up. (No one cared for Hellblade not coming for PS- yet- it always was niche and also only one title)
But the next Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake, Skyrim, Fallout, Psychonauts ... plus the Forza, Halo, Gears, Perfect Dark, Conker that never were on PS, yet. Quality problems aside, they would naturally have to make a top notch job the remaining years of this gen, to pull this off, but while I personally distrust MS since the GfWL debacle, I don't know if I could resist if I first get fully introduced into all their games, assuming high quality of all ports and some new yet unknown titles as well, which then after gen change suddenly are actually only on Xbox anymore. Also removing Doom Eternal and everything else from PS5 and 4 in one move. MS actually commiting to only Xbox (and PC) which they could have done with the start of their acquisition spree but for whatever reason never did. I assume, if it ever was the plan or is now a changed plan, doing it with a much bigger stunt than just pulling Bethesda would have been, might work much better, with ABK, their tradional exlcusives appearing for a time and all the smaller buys too, being all removed, after the current temporary third party move.
 
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The supposed theory of releasing games on other platforms to get them to buy your platform for the sequel is nonsense. When people said hifi rush was coming to ps5/switch so people would buy the sequel exclusive on Xbox I laughed.
If Microsoft owned The Last of Us. And had released it on the playstation. I would have bought the Xbox for the TLoU2. Maybe Microsoft believes the first Halo has that type of pull.
 

Fabieter

Member
The supposed theory of releasing games on other platforms to get them to buy your platform for the sequel is nonsense. When people said hifi rush was coming to ps5/switch so people would buy the sequel exclusive on Xbox I laughed.

Making another platform more attractive by putting your titles on them is not a strategy to get them to buy your own platform. You've already conditioned them into expecting the titles to eventually release on the platform they already own and love.

Even if it attracts a small number, equal or greater number will have been attracted away to the other platforms and be content with later releases so it would be a net loss.

The idea ports to other platforms will make your own platform bigger in the future is extreme wishful thinking.

Software porting strategy should just be to maximise revenue while minimising the damage to your hardware platform, which Sony is currently doing well while MS has obliterated their hardware business.

Sony is gonna be hit by the same hammer that hit xbox a while ago.
 

twilo99

Member
Halo multiplayer should be on as many platforms as possible.

The bs single player stuff doesn’t really matter
 

Geometric-Crusher

"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
The supposed theory of releasing games on other platforms to get them to buy your platform for the sequel is nonsense.
By the way, a strategy tried in the past, a failed strategy by SNK neogeo.
I honestly wish Microsoft would be a third party and stop with consoles, they tried for 20 years, it's over
 
The supposed theory of releasing games on other platforms to get them to buy your platform for the sequel is nonsense. When people said hifi rush was coming to ps5/switch so people would buy the sequel exclusive on Xbox I laughed.

Making another platform more attractive by putting your titles on them is not a strategy to get them to buy your own platform. You've already conditioned them into expecting the titles to eventually release on the platform they already own and love.

Even if it attracts a small number, equal or greater number will have been attracted away to the other platforms and be content with later releases so it would be a net loss.

The idea ports to other platforms will make your own platform bigger in the future is extreme wishful thinking.

Software porting strategy should just be to maximise revenue while minimising the damage to your hardware platform, which Sony is currently doing well while MS has obliterated their hardware business.
Yeap, the math just don't work
"Nice, I loved this 60/70 dollars game, now let me pay 500 dollars so I can buy the sequel"
 

Kokoloko85

Member
If Microsoft owned The Last of Us. And had released it on the playstation. I would have bought the Xbox for the TLoU2. Maybe Microsoft believes the first Halo has that type of pull.
I wonder how many people on this forum who purchased GOW 2018 on PC went and bought a PS5 for Ragnarok. You and them are a tiny tiny %
 

Fabieter

Member
I wonder how many people on this forum who purchased GOW 2018 on PC went and bought a PS5 for Ragnarok. You and them are a tiny tiny %

You couldn't tell at that point that they are gonna release all games in years from the console. We will see how the new focus on pc will change the perception of Playstation in the second half of the generation and especially in the new generation.
 

Geometric-Crusher

"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
Xbox only exists because no other company decided to enter this market this prevents it from dying completely
 
You said "tent pole".
Beavis And Butthead Lol GIF by Paramount+
 

Kokoloko85

Member
You couldn't tell at that point that they are gonna release all games in years from the console. We will see how the new focus on pc will change the perception of Playstation in the second half of the generation and especially in the new generation.
Yeah I think the differences will show around mid to end of PS6. Especially there overall software revenue and profits
 

Loomy

Thinks Microaggressions are Real
I imagine anyone who wants to play Halo 1 has played it by now. They'll need a full on remake to drive the kind of engagement you're talking about.

Also, Nintendo is out of any of these equations.
 

Allandor

Member
"...follow Sony..."?
Wasn't Ms those guys who always released some of their games on PC? Back than with halo games exklusiv for Vista....
Also the last year's where everything came for PC. They are already on PC, why releasing on PS5 should lure somebody to the Xbox if they have a PS5&PC?
Doesn't really make sense.
 
I wonder how many people on this forum who purchased GOW 2018 on PC went and bought a PS5 for Ragnarok. You and them are a tiny tiny %
I think Sony is focusing on these tiny tiny % consumers. The type that have the capital to buy a whole console cause they really want to play a game. Type to go fuck it, I have a PS5 might as well buy the games I skipped.

The super engaged consumers. That’s what the PS Portal is about. It’s not for direct profit selling the portal. It’s for more engagement.

Hence why I believe they will release a portable console. Cause they won’t necessarily need to show profits to shareholders, they will show the engagement in the platform. So they are sending majority of their leisure time on PS. Which means more DLC purchases, more direct advertising of their movies, their streaming platforms, etc.
 

jufonuk

not tag worthy
Confused What The GIF by Sesame Street


Would love halo CE on switch but doubt. If MS actually do this, then what’s the point of the xbox? All this talk of Nintendo going third party and Sony and MS are just slowly doing this why?? What the benefit they just weaken their hardware value.

if MS start putting a lot of big titles on Nintendo platforms. Nintendo will sell more systems.

As for the thought of Nintendo putting their big name games ported to PC or competing consoles Nintendo won’t do this.(CD-I made sure of it) I really doubt them doing that.
 
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Bungie

Member
Don't mind if they do but I'll always play Halo on Xbox/PC because my profile is established there for so many years with the Halo games.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
I can see Microsoft toe the line with this approach, hoping Sony and Nintendo users finish Halo 1, and get the urge to go out and buy a Xbox Series S just to play the rest of the series.

Doubtful. Microsoft have never made a profit on hardware. They'd rather somebody buys their software or subscription rather than hardware.
 
Halo is not nearly the system seller it once was, so no I don’t think so. Releasing on competing platforms is a good idea so they can make more money if they want, but this isn’t 2006 anymore and I can’t imagine Halo being revitalized to its former glory.
 
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