Street Fighter V is a PlayStation 4 console exclusive. For many, this is a hard thing to accept but it’s true. Those same people have wondered how Microsoft could let this happen and what they plan to do about it. Today on Twitter, Xbox head Phil Spencer addressed this issue.
@broggiedoge Love the idea of game franchise bartering, I’ll work on making amends for SF.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 8, 2014
While he never specified HOW he or Microsoft would make amends for Street Fighter V, it is an interesting statement to make. Interesting but not surprising however. Microsoft are obviously thinking about this development and planning accordingly. Your company doesn’t lose having the eminent fighting game on its current-gen system without some sort of plan being formed in response.
This last tweet is also one which is of interest and something we discussed on the most recent episode of Throwdown Your Questions.
@CapitanoCasella Business deals happen. We won’t do all of them. When we have a 1st party franchise in a genre I’d rather invest in ours.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 6, 2014
Like we said, now that Microsoft won’t get Street Fighter V (or Guilty Gear, Blazblue, or potentially Tekken) it would make sense for them to double down on their main fighting game franchise. However, Killer Instinct doesn’t have a following anywhere close to that of Street Fighter‘s. While it makes sense for Microsoft to put all of their efforts into the game, it won’t amount to much in the end. Street Fighter is just too big.
What Microsoft will do next has yet to be seen but it’s clear that this was a huge blow for the company. Street Fighter V is exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PC which means that if you’re an Xbox One owner and want to play it, you’re going to either get a gaming rig or a PlayStation 4. Microsoft are going to have to counter attack eventually or lose the fighting game community entirely. The next move is on them.
