After the PS4 left the Xbox One in the dust this generation, Microsoft managed to turn things around with the introduction of Game Pass, which is an insanely good deal. However, Sony still has them beat in exclusives. Microsoft sought to remedy this with a huge string of acquisitions, and we saw some interesting new announcements during their July showcase, but it was Halo Infinite that seemed to be garnering the most hype for launch, even if the graphics left people less than impressed.
Unfortunately, Halo Infinite will no longer be launching in 2020, which means that Microsoft lost one of its most promising titles for the launch window. Meanwhile, it seems Sony is going all in on exclusives, and making some offers of their own. Let’s dive in!
Halo Infinite Delayed into 2021 Leaves Microsoft in a Weird Spot
The announcement on Halo Infinite’s delay came in the middle of the day on August 11th, 2020, but it quickly gained traction on social media.
It’s understandable that things are being delayed due to COVID-19, but I think we all assumed something as big as Halo would find its way out at launch no matter what. It’s a sobering reminder of the times we live in. Of course, this doesn’t stop people from delivering their takes on the news. No matter how you slice it, it deals a big blow to Xbox Series X for it’s launch, which was also confirmed today to be in November of 2020.
The full statement is below:
It’s understandable that things are being delayed due to COVID-19, but I think we all assumed something as big as Halo would find its way out at launch no matter what. It’s a sobering reminder of the times we live in. Of course, this doesn’t stop people from delivering their takes on the news. No matter how you slice it, it deals a big blow to Xbox Series X for it’s launch, which was also confirmed today to be in November of 2020.
How does Sony and PS5 fit into this story? Well, as it turns out, Sony is already pushing to further their selection of exclusives on the new console.
Sony Approaches Third-Party Studios With Exclusivity Deals
While not confirmed by Sony, Imran Khan, who is known for cohosting at Kind Funny Games and freelancing in the game industry, revealed inside information recently that Sony has been approaching third-party studios.
Specifically, he weighed in on a ResetEra thread about the topic, saying:
There isn’t a major third party out there Sony failed to approach asking what kind of deals they could work out. Some had content, some had games, some had content and games. It is not like Microsoft was not willing to offer, they just didn’t want to pay the asking price, because Sony approached with pretty high numbers in the first place. That “PlayStation Advantage” branding and “Console Exclusive” wording are both going to get a lot of use in the next few years.”
This may have already borne fruit with the controversy surrounding Spider-Man’s inclusion in Marvel’s Avengers. Right before the game’s open beta, it was revealed that the webslinger would be a PlayStation exclusive in 2021, which people were not happy about. From the sounds of it, that won’t be the last time PlayStation gets a noticeable edge.
How do you feel about PlayStation’s exclusives so far for the next generation? What do you think of exclusives like Spider-Man in Avengers? Let us know in the comments!
Article by – Bradley Ramsey
Insert date – 8/11/2020