Microsoft CEO wants to end console exclusives, but says Sony won't let it happen

Ah the ‘console wars’, an age-old rivalry that has existed long before the dawn of humankind and when giant lizards roamed the earth.

Well, actually, while we can’t pinpoint the exact time and date when the flames of the console wars first ignited, there’s a good chance it may have happened at some point in 1985 when both the NES and SEGA Master System existed at the same time.

That rivalry likely evolved when SEGA created its very own mascot in 1991 - Sonic the Hedgehog - to rival Nintendo’s, Super Mario. In the years that followed, the console wars would welcome new combatants into the battlefield with the likes of Sony and Microsoft entering the fray.

The console wars aren't as intense as they once were (thankfully), especially with SEGA now only existing to publish and develop games. However, with Sony and its PlayStation consoles and Microsoft with its Xbox brand, the wars are still going strong alongside the OG that is Nintendo.

One of the main aspects of the console wars is platform exclusives. For example, Nintendo has Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong. Sony has God of War, Gran Turismo and The Last of Us. Finally, Microsoft has Halo, Gears of War and Forza Motorsport.

Sure, there are still passionate gamers that wouldn't even consider the thought of owning more than one console brand simultaneously, but with many console exclusives eventually coming to PC, the console wars have simmered over the years. Well, all except Nintendo, who don't share sh**.

Despite never being a fan of console wars, I appreciate console exclusives, and I’m not talking about the ones that were once multi-platform and later acquired by a company. I’m talking about the new IPs that were created for a specific platform, and play a role in a console's identity.

As reported by TheGamer, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks differently. When speaking as a witness during the court trial of the U.S. market regulator, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Nadella said he wants to see an end to console exclusives. However, he suggested that Sony thinks differently.

Microsoft CEO says he wants to end Xbox exclusives but blames Sony. Full details here: https://t.co/ZXYBVkK4ye pic.twitter.com/UmVYvW9YJT

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 28, 2023

"I would love to get rid of the entire exclusives on consoles, but that's not for me to define," says Nadella, featured in a tweet shared by Tom Warren of The Verge. "Especially as a low share player in the console market that the dominant player [Sony] has defined market competition using exclusives. I have no love for that world."

In related FTC news, it was also revealed during the court case that Microsoft wanted to spend Sony out of business.

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