Xbox will also play a significant role at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025 this year as it makes a move to bring more games onto multiple platforms. The conference, starting on March 17, will feature Xbox with several panels, conferences, and as an Independent Games Festival sponsor.
Last year, Xbox has been in the process of taking a contentious turn away from the console-exclusive approach towards a multiplatform first-party games strategy. This transition has led to such erstwhile Xbox exclusives as Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, and Grounded moving to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch at the expense of disappointing die-hards. More recently, the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 franchises have also been announced on PlayStation 5, further backing up Xbox’s new strategy to be appealing to as many players as possible.
Part of its “This is an Xbox” marketing push, Xbox is doubling down on the idea that the company’s platform is more than just the console but encompasses PCs, cloud streaming devices, and mobile. The image that accompanied the GDC announcement and the banner that says “Develop for Xbox anywhere, reach players everywhere” is Xbox’s bid to win over game developers by emphasizing the breadth of the platform.
Craig Duncan, Xbox Game Studios executive vice president, shared the same sentiments only a couple of days earlier when he said “Everyone that makes a game wants it to reach as many players as possible” in an appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast. Xbox’s pushiness at GDC should positively prompt developers to bring their games over to the platform, which adds to the diversity of the library available to Xbox players.
As Xbox enthusiasts wait with bated breath for news on the company’s so-called handheld gaming console, Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed that the device is still years out. Aside from that, GDC 2025 can have something or two to say about future partnerships, software launches, or developments on Xbox’s continued multiplatform initiative.
As the world of gaming continues racing at breakneck speeds, Xbox’s GDC keynote reveals it aims to do more than merely be a console gamer, but a gaming system on every display and device.
